How to Get to Rattanakiri
Ratanakiri can now be reached by road in around 10-12 hours if you have your own transport. It is better to take it in two legs though, with a stop in Kratie where you can watch the very rare fresh water dolphins. Kratie is a great town and well worth a walk about.
By public transport, the trip includes a stop in Stung Treng: Phnom Penh to Stung Treng and then Stung Treng to Banlung. Again, pay for 2 seats for yourself so you get some space. Otherwise, the ride is more of an adventure that you might not care to have. Also, do not bring anything white. This is red dust province. Wearing white will just be a disaster. The number of young Europeans trekking up here is remarkable as it is so close to Lao. The trekkers link up quickly and really are a spectacle on their own.
From Laos, you can take the border crossing, Voeung Kam, Laos/Dom Kralor, Cambodia. Cambodian visas are available at this crossing. From Dom Kralor, take a taxi or bus to Stung Treng and then take another taxi or bus from Stung Treng to Ratanakiri.
Things to do in Rattanakiri
Visit Ratanakiri's Yeak Laom Volcanic Lake
You will be enveloped by the earth's calm as you approach Yeak Laom Volcanic Lake. It is a 700,000 year old volcanic crater lake in a lush, peaceful jungle setting.
The area around has been declared the Yeak Laom Commune Protected Area. The lake and the area are considered sacred by many of the Khmer Loeu peoples, and are steeped in local myth and legend...so once again be respectful. If you drop trash, local spirits will gather it together and magically send it home to your mother with a stern letter.
The lake is 800 meters in diameter and 47 meters deep, and is ringed by a 2.5 km hiking trail. Around the lake are the five villages of Lapoe, Lon, Sil, Chree and Phnom, home to the Tampuan minority group.
Members of this minority group formed the Yeak Laom Arts Group dedicated to preserving their music, dance and culture. The songs that they plan to record on a CD cover aspects of Tampuan life from child rearing to pounding rice, to religious offerings, to caring for their buffaloes to death rituals. If you are lucky, they may share some of these with you.
On the lake trail, The Yeak Laom Cultural and Environmental Center displays Khmer Loeu handicrafts and hand woven fabrics. Take pictures (after asking) of the artisans making these artifacts as this will really add life to your stories when you get home. Have a swim and a picnic. It is very calm in the area. You can rest your weary self.
Trek Ratanakiri's Virachey National Park
Virachey National Park, 37 km northeast of Banlung bordering Laos and Vietnam, is a heavily jungled and mountainous area and has not been completely explored. To trek here, get an experienced local guide. One thing you do NOT want to discover is a leftover mine! Covering an area of 3,325 square kilometers, Virachey National Park is the largest protected park in the region. You can trek the park or go by boat.
You can also stay overnight with the tribes or community guesthouses. While you can enjoy its biodiversity including hundred year old trees, hornbills and woodpeckers and the life of its ethnic minorities, you will also be confronted by the devastation left from previous conflicts.
Make sure to get good recommendations from former trekkers or your hotel. Some of these guided treks only touch the outskirts of the park so make sure you have clear expectations for your guide of the things you want to see and experience. Trekking is really an enjoyable activity in Ratanakiri especially in the Park. You have to do this with a guide as there are still land mines in the area.
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