11. Gems of the North

DAY 01                     ARRIVAL – PHNOM PENH – FREE

Upon arrival at Phnom Penh airport, meets and transfers to hotel for check in

Free at leisure

Lunch and Dinner not included and night at hotel

DAY 02                     PHNOM PENH – EXPLORE (B)

Breakfast at hotel

In the morning, head out to the Choeung Ek Memorial, where a stupa made up of some 8,000 human skulls marks the site of the infamous Killing Fields. This was the execution ground for the torture victims of TuolSleng and standing in this peaceful setting it’s almost unthinkable to imagine that to date nearly 9000 corpses have been exhumed from the area. Confront Cambodia’s tragic past on a guided tour of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former school which served as a Khmer Rouge torture center. It’s estimated that more than 20,000 people were held and tortured here. Lunch not included

In the afternoon, visit the National Museum. Housed in a beautiful traditional building, it contains many outstanding examples of Khmer craftsmanship. Learn about a brighter period in Cambodian history with a visit to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. Explore Wat Phnom, a peaceful temple situated on a hill for which the city is named. According to legend, a 14th-century woman named Penh found sacred Buddhist objects in the nearby river and placed them here on the small hill.

Dinner not included and night at hotel in Phnom Penh

DAY 03                     PHNOM PENH – KRATIE (B)

Breakfast at hotel

This morning, we leave early by private car for our trip to Kratie. En route, we pass through Skun (a small-town famous for its tasty spiders), where it’s possible to sample an eight-legged snack. It’s recommended that you eat these furry arachnids as you would a crab, by cracking the body open and pulling the legs off one by one – delicious! Kratie is a picturesque town on the banks of the Mekong. Until recently Kratie was a strategic trading port on the river between Phnom Penh and Stung Treng. Both the French and Khmer Rouge found the town useful and there are a number of French colonial buildings that remain. Night at hotel

DAY 04                     KRATIE – VISITS (B)

Breakfast at hotel

Board a local boat from Kratie waterfront to Koh Trong for our island homestay. Approximately 280 families call this 6km island home.

A9 km loop road around the Koh Trong Island’s perimeter provides opportunities for us to leisurely cycle through traditional Khmer villages, fruits orchards and rice fields while observing the daily rituals and routines of traditional village life.

We will leave Koh Trang Island in the mid-afternoon to Kratie City, and wander down the river boulevard and take a break for lunch before driving to Kampi Reserved Center where you see the River Dolphins until sunset. Dinner not included and night at hotel

DAY 05                     KRATIE – MUNDULKIRI (B)

Breakfast at hotel

Transfer by road from Kratie to Mundulkiri, the most beautiful province of Cambodia.

This trip will take you around 3 hours on the good conditioned road, through the country road of the northern part of Cambodia, the forests and some Khmer villages.

Arrives in Sen Monorom City, the provincial town of Mundulkiri Province, check in at hotel and rest at leisure

Lunch not included

This early evening, we will enjoy the sunset from the top of mountain or from the resort

Dinner not included and night at hotel

DAY 06                     MONDULKIRI – A DAY WITH ELEPHANTS (B/L)

Breakfast at hotel

Meet our local guide for an introductory talk. We will then head south to the Elephant Sanctuary Forest (12km, about 20 minutes from Sen Monorom). The drive offers lovely views over the community forests our project is helping protect.

Morning hike through the Sanctuary’s rainforest & elephant discovery walks.

We begin with a short scenic hike into the valley. Before meeting the elephants, our guide, will explain the project goals & the importance of protecting Mondulkiri’s wildlife & habitats.

Next, we’ll meet, greet, feed and follow the elephants & their mahouts (elephant care takers) as they freely walk and eat in the jungle. We will follow them to observe the elephants’ natural behaviors for example the way in which they consume bamboo, grasses and different plant roots as natural medicine. This is an ideal opportunity to take lots of photos of the elephants enjoying life in their natural environment.

12.00 – 2.00pm : Lunch at the visitor hut:

Time to hike to the Sanctuary’s visitor hut, which is located by the river to enjoy a local Khmer lunch. Following lunch, you can relax in a hammock while enjoying the wild jungle views. It may be possible to spot birds & other wildlife in this area.

2:00 – 3:00 : Elephant bath & water fun:

In the afternoon, we hike back into the forest & make our way to the Sanctuary’s natural river pool. The mahouts will slowly walk the elephants into the water, for their daily shower & mud bath. The elephants love grooming each other, scratching against trees and playing in the mud.- Swimming with the elephants is an unforgettable experience and can be messy! Mud coating is important in order to keep an elephant’s skin moist, protected, and healthy.

3:00 – 4.00pm : Bunong

In the afternoon, we hike back into the forest & make our way to the Sanctuary’s natural river pool. The mahouts will slowly walk the elephants into the water, for their daily shower & mud bath. The elephants love grooming each other, scratching against trees and playing in the mud.- Swimming with the elephants is an unforgettable experience and can be messy! Mud coating is important in order to keep an elephant’s skin moist, protected, and healthy. Back to hotel for the night

DAY 07                     MUNDULKIRI – BOU SRA WATERFALL – RATANAKIRI (B)

In the morning, at 07h30 we are leaving for Bou Sra Waterfall, the tallest waterfall in the province.

Stroll around the waterfall area, the fruit stalls by local minority, listening to the music of minority and the fresh smell of waterfall.

After visiting we continue our drive toward to Banlung, the capital of Ratanakiri, nicknamed the “Red city” because of the omnipresent literature.

We will drive through the jungle of the north, quiet, empty road.

Arrive in Banlung city, a provincial town of Rananakiri Province, check in at hotel

Rest of the day at leisure and night at hotel

Important Notice :

There is no good restaurant on the road, we suggest you to bring some fruits or snacks for you own use along the way.

DAY 08                     MINORITY VILLAGE – YAK LOAM LAKE (B)

Breakfast at hotel

We will drive northwest today, we cross bamboo forests before reaching the village of Voeune Saï located on the left bank of Sé San river; the Koh Pek Commune where you will take the small boat via Se San River to Kachon Minority Village.

This boat trip will take you around 35 mns to arrive at the village where we will do the short trekking to meet local people before visiting the famous and nice spot of minority cemetery.

The cemetery is the most interesting place to see, with well preserved, colorful roofs, and the cultures of the minorities are shown here.

We will then walk back to ferry and cross the river to meet our driver on the other side and drive back to city for your own lunch.

In the afternoon, we will visit Yaklaom lake, a beautiful and perfectly-round stretch of water, surrounded by forest, for a late afternoon swim. Return to hotel for the night

DAY 09                     RATANAKIRI – STEUNG TRENG – LAO BORDER             (B)

Breakfast at hotel

Travel by road to Steung Treng Province and to Laos border of Trapeang Kriel – Dongkrolor check point for your next trip into Lao.