IN5-CA5D: PHNOM PENH - RATANAKIRI - PHNOM PENH

5 days/4 nights

Day 1: Phnom Penh - Kompong Cham - Snuol - Sen Monorom (Mondolkiri) (L,D)
Breakfast at hotel.
Depart Phnom Penh by 4x4 to Kompong Cham. Drive to Chhup, the biggest rubber plantation in the country, established during the French colonial time by the French tire maker Michelin. Continue to Snuol where you will have lunch at local restaurant. Drive to Sen Monorom, the province capital of the Mondolkiri province with scenery and a climate quite unlike anywhere else in the country. Arrival in Sen Monorom in the late afternoon. Check in at guesthouse. Sen Monorom will be the base from which to explore the surroundings hilltribe villages and the waterfalls. Dinner at guesthouse or local restaurant and accommodation at guesthouse.

Day 2: Sen Monorom (Mondolkiri) (B,L,D)
Breakfast at local restaurant.
Early morning, visit the local market where many of the Phnong people from the nearby villages are coming to trade with their distinctive baskets they carry on their back. Full day visit to the nearby hilltribes villages and the pretty waterfalls just a few k.m away from the sleepy capital.
There are hundreds of minority villages around Sen Monorom. One of the largest and easiest to access being Phlung village inhabited by Phnong chunchiets. The curious huts have woven wooden walls and thatched roofs almost to the floor. Three or more families often live in just one hut. You will be lucky to see more than a handful of people during daytime, as they are all out working in the fields. Lunch box will be provided. Elephant trekking with the experienced Phnong mahouts to explore the jungle. Dinner at guesthouse or local restaurant and accommodation at guesthouse.

Day 3: Sen Monorom (Mondolkiri)(B,L,D)
Breakfast at local restaurant.
Drive to Bou Sra about 40 km northeast from Sen Monorom. This double drop waterfall is one of the largest and most impressive in Cambodia. Discover the Phnong village of the same name. On the way back see numbers of hilltribe villages and the scenery countryside.
Lunch box will be provided.
Dinner at guesthouse or local restaurant and accommodation at guesthouse.

Day 4:Sen Monorom (Mondolkiri) - Snuol - Kratie(B,L,D)
Breakfast at local restaurant.
Leave this isolated forested province and drive to Kratie via Snuol. Arrive in Kratie at lunch time and check in at hotel.
Lunch at local restaurant.
In the afternoon, city tour of this small provincial town with its good examples of sumptuous colonial architecture. This tiny town on the Mekong is an unexpected delight, with a relaxing, indolent atmosphere. Further north stop at the best riverside vantage point from which to view the rare freshwater Irrawady dolphins which can be best seen late afternoon. Drive back to Kratie. Dinner at local restaurant and accommodation at hotel Oudom Sambath Hotel (2-star, best available).

Day 5: Kratie - Chhlong - Kompong Cham (B,L)
Breakfast at local restaurant.
Drive to Chhlong, a small and peaceful village on the Mekong River bank with both, typical Khmer and Colonial architecture. One unique and beautiful wooden house is supported by 100 columns, dating from 19th century. Continue to Kompong Cham. Lunch at local restaurant.
Visit the Wat Nokor Pagoda with its ancient temple and modern style pagoda (12th century). Continue to Phnom Penh and transfer to hotel.