Cambodian Hill Tribes and Totem Poles

It's day one of your trip through real Cambodia and after breakfast your driver will pick you up at your hotel in Stung Treng and take you to the town of Banlung. You'll travel over red sandy roads through an area that has only recently been discovered by tourists. The Rattanakiri province lies in the tri-country area of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam and far away from the civilised world.

Early in the afternoon you'll check in at the cosy, warm and inviting lodge in Banlung. The wooden bungalows are built on poles in the traditional style of the area. Amidst the jungle and in between two hills, you'll truly enjoy your stay here. The volcanic Yaklom Lake is only a five-minute drive away. In the afternoon you'll have time for a refreshing dive into this lake and into it's cool waters, plunging down from the vine-covered Cha Ung waterfall.

On the second day of your of your real Cambodia trip, you'll travel by foot from your lodge to visit with some of the ethnic minorities in the smaller mountain village. You'll be escorted by an English-speaking guide who will be able to tell you interesting stories about the Tampuan culture. You'll have a chance to take a look at the traditional houses and perhaps even play a game of football with some of the local children. 

Sometime in the afternoon you'll return to Banlung and the rest of the day is yours to spend as you please. In the evening you can try Thai and Laotian dishes in your lodge restaurant surrounded by the sounds of nature, which will add to the feeling of jungle adventure.

Although there are no activities planned for the final day of this tour through real Cambodia, there is plenty to do and see in the area. For instance, you could visit the city of Banlung independently or sit on the banks of the large lake Yaklom with a good book.

You could also go on an elephant ride, passing by wooden houses and rubber and cashew nut plantations on a wobbling elephant. From time to time you may have to duck to miss a branch or leaves. There are many excursions you can participate in and all of them can be arranged quite easily on the spot. At the end of the day, you could find yourself on the back of your jumbo friend at the edge of waterfalls, where both of you can take a refreshing dip to clean off the dust from the ride.

It's the last day of this real Cambodia trip and after waking to the sound of crickets and other tropical noises, you'll be picked by your driver and driven back to Stung Treng, arriving back around noon.

From here you can continue your journey to the Laotian border with our Cambodia to Laos tour.