5-Day Kratie & Mondulkiri Explorer Tour

Today is a long drive up to 9 hours but interesting. 8:00am-8:30am hotel pick-up time depending on location. Your friendly driver from your hotel in Phnom Penh. We leave Phnom Penh and travel northeast to the bustling provincial city of Kompong Cham. En route, there is the chance to pause at Skuon, affectionately known as ‘Spiderville’, where it is possible to sample the local delicacy of deep-fried tarantula. We then enjoy a local lunch in Kompong Cham. During dry season (Jan-May), we can visit the bamboo bridge built across the mighty Mekong River connecting mainland to Koh Pen Island. Our road journey continues on the east bank of the Mekong River past many rubber farms. There are many opportunities to stop along the way to experience rubber collecting and pepper plantation. We travel east towards the small junction town of Snuol, our gateway to the wilds of Mondulkiri highland. We turn right and leave behind the surfaced roads of civilization to take on the red earth roads of hill country. The first half of the journey from Snuol is flat, passing through patches of lush forest and areas of cultivation and plantations. After Kau Sima district, the road snakes up through the mountains that give Mondulkiri its name of ‘where the mountains meet’. We might also see wild monkeys out on the road.  We reach Mondulkiri capital Sen Monorom around 5:00pm and check in to a comfortable lodge.
+ O/N: in Sen Monorom – Monudlkiri (2nts)

[Guided Tour] Today, we will have a full day visit one of the Eco-friendly Elephant Project called Bunong Elephant Project (BEP) where elephants are being rescued from hard work like pulling the tree out from the farm and carry heavy things up the mountain. We travel by road out of Sen Monorom to one the hill top where we will start walking around 40 minutes through the valleys and forests to the project field work. You will be introduced to the herd of elephants and get to know more about their history, character, behavior, body language and relationship with mahout family. You will be able to feed the elephant buckets of bananas. At noon, the elephant must be taken to pastures for at least 2 hours in order to make sure they get enough food for the day. Elephants eat up to 300 kg of vegetation per day in order to sustain themselves. While the elephant is grazing, you will have a lunch break. Then, you will be learn more detail about elephant and the community from the elephant guide.

In the afternoon, the mahout will bring the elephant to the river for a wash. You are welcomed to get in the water and give them a hand. Afterwards, we leave the elephants and start walking out different way towards a village where your driver is waiting for. Closer to the village, there is a big hill so you will challenge yourself.

+ O/N: in Sen Monorom – Monudlkiri

+ Included meal: Lunch.

“Adventure Travel Cambodia has been supporting elephant experience with Bounong Hill Tribe in order to reduce their use of elephants in hard working activities, such as pulling trees or clear up forests for farming. The more tourists arrive the more they understand about taking care of their elephants. With our elephant experience you help the elephants and their keepers.”

We leave Sen Monorom and head east towards the double drop waterfall of Bou Sraa, one of the most famous in Cambodia. It is possible to access both drops and there are swimming opportunities. Along the way, we may stop at a Pnong minority village to learn a little about their way of life. After a visit to Bou Sra Waterfall we come to visit a local coffee grower (Unique product in the province).

After lunch in Sen Monorom, we leave behind the wilds of Mondulkiri, we travel to provincial city of Kratie, a sleepy Mekong port and gateway to an encounter with the rare freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin that inhabit the upper reaches of the Mekong in Cambodia. Once we arrive Kratie, we check in to hotel where we will spend the night.

+ O/N: in Kratie (2nts)

[Guided Tour] 8:30 AM, Today, you will meet your English-speaking guide and learn about local lifestyles of the Kratie. Our visit includes a walk through the central Market of Kratie where you will see the local trades and see some of the old colonial building which remain from the French colony. Visit Wat Rokakandal which has a unique wooden carving about 400 years of age. And opportunities to learn about local productions including mushroom farm, rice wish key making, brick factory, bamboo sticky rice and rice noodle production. Lunch break at Kampi.

The highlight of our day is a visit to one of the many deep pools where the rare river dolphins gather to feed. We board a local boat and cruise out into the mighty Mekong for a chance encounter with these gentle mammals. Viewing is guaranteed.

+ O/N: in Kratie.

After breakfast at the hotel, it is time to make your journey to Siem Reap, the gateway to the fabled temples of Angkor. Traveling south through the old river port of Chhlong, home to some of the best examples of French colonial architecture in the country. Have lunch on the road. En route, we visit one of the largest and least-visited villages on the Tonle Sap Lake, Kompong Khleang, about 55km from Siem Reap. It’s population of 10,000 all make a living from the fishing industry. We explore the canals (wet season) or streets (dry season) of this incredible town. In the wet season, the houses appear to be floating, as water laps at the verandas, but in the dry season towering stilts are revealed, the houses almost like wooden skyscrapers. We will take a boat and cruise into the open water of the great lake to see a small floating village and learn some more about this incredible natural flood barrier. Later we arrive to your Siem Reap and check into a comfortable hotel.