Asia Travel

Off-the-Beaten-Track Cambodia by 4×4

This Cambodia 4×4 tour is as much about getting off the beaten track in Cambodia as it is about contrasts. Departing from Phnom Penh by car, the ultimate destination is remote Ratanakiri (sometimes spelt Rattanakiri) Province tucked-up against Vietnam and Laos, uniting the three countries of Indochina, in Northeast Cambodia.

Leaving Phnom Penh behind you and equipped with car, driver and guide, you strike out in a north-easterly direction towards the Laos border passing en route through Kampong Cham which is becoming increasingly more industrial. But there are some excellent examples of French Indochina colonial-era architecture to see and a visit to Chhup Rubber Plantation, established by the French is highly worthwhile and can present some stunning photo opportunities.

The journey continues onto Kratie where you spend the night in a river island lodge accessed by boat. No visit to Kratie would be complete without going Irrawaddy Dolphin Watching. Sightings are by no-means guaranteed as the fresh water dolphin population is put under more and more pressure by human development. Numbers are dwindling fast which makes sighting these intelligent, playful dolphins extra special.

From the moment you leave Kratie things begin to get more remote and black-top gives way to the uneven, bouncy dirt roads of Ratanakiri. The landscape fills with vast bamboo forests which hide spectacularly beautiful waterfalls around Banlung, the capital of Ratanakiri Province.

Continuing northwards, the journey takes you to the village of Tayeng in the Kroeung territory. This is a land lost in time, a land of verdantly pristine rainforests hiding secluded tribal villages whose animist, hunter gatherer inhabitants survive as their forefathers did. Strategically placed totem poles in the villages and rainforest ward keep evil spirits at bay and buffalos are lead to meet their fate as sacrifices to the gods.

This is no canned anthropological tour for hordes of camera totting tourists, but vivid reality that remains the preserve of privileged adventure travellers who are prepared to go the extra mile to experience memorable authenticity in a pristine rainforest environment. And while a jungle environment is notoriously formidable the greatest contrast of this off-the-beaten-track 4×4 tour in Cambodia parallels night and day; the former is spent at Terres Rouge which really is in stark contrast to the total rainforest immersion of the latter.

Ratanakiri Cambodia 4×4 Tour Highlights

This Cambodia 4×4 tour begins to unravel highlights from the moment you leave Phnom Penh. The highlights span history, culture, nature, adventure and cuisine which combine to produce what promises to be five highly memorable days and a very authentic insight into this little corner of Indochina and Southeast Asia.

The Journey

• French Indochina Colonial Architecture, Kampong Cham
• Chhup Rubber Plantation, Kampong Cham

Kratie

• Sala Koh Trong, Kratie
• Irrawaddy Dolphin Watching, Kratie

Ratanakiri

• Terres Rouges Lodge, Banlung, Ratanakiri
• 4WD Off-Road Driving
• Teuk Cha and other tropical waterfalls
• Remote Tribal Villages (E.g. Voeune Sai, Ka Choan, Taveng and Kroeung)
• Veyrum Plang Lava Fields
• Tiger Caves
• Pristine Rainforest and Bamboo Forest
• The Bachelor Houses of Kroeung
• Yeark Laom Volcanic Lake, the setting for you final dinner of the trip
• Banlung Market, a haven of souvenirs

Destinations

Ratanakiri Province is the ultimate destination and the highlight of the trip but to get there overland from Phnom Penh you will pass through Kampong Cham which is becoming industrialized albeit in a very Khmer way; the ambiance is still “Wild West”. Sprinkled in amongst the new are numerous examples of the old. The road from Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham is good and the journey should take about two hours. The French Indochina architecture is well preserved here with river frontage and wide leafy boulevards.

Travelling onwards from Kampong Cham, the journey takes you to Phnom Srey and Phnom Pros set against a backdrop of mountains. This is an area rich in culture and heritage with ancient temples and pagodas, some of which have distinct parallels with some of those found in the vicinity of Angkor Wat Temple. One such example is the five-peaked temple which has distinct similarities with Bontey Srey.

Kratie attracts a trickle of more intrepid travelers from Phnom Penh, most making the journey to see the pod of Irrawaddy Dolphins. The city is located on the banks of the Mekong River and the villas and facades of French Indochina fared better in Kratie during the reign of the Khmer Rouge than in other Cambodian cities. Several river islands temporarily deflect the water on its passage to the South China Sea and it is on one of these river islands that you spend the first night.

And so onwards into Ratanakiri province heading towards the Banlung, the capital of Ratanakiri. Natural beauty is what Ratanakiri is most noted for aside from its wealth of natural resources as well. The landscape consists of undulating hills and mountains carpeted with bamboo forest and jungle. Ratanakiri is eco-tourism heaven with countless waterfalls, remote tribes isolated by location and time, wildlife and geological interest.

Sleeping Arrangements

For a 4×4 tour that takes you that takes you into a spectacularly remote region of Cambodia, the standard of accommodation is refreshingly civilised and comfy. Under the same ownership, Sala Koh Trong and Terres Rouge provide sanctuary within the wilderness and surrounding environment without segregating you from it.

Sala Koh Trong

Located on the Mekong River island of Koh Trong in Kratie town, Sala Koh Trong is accessed by boat followed by moped or horse-drawn cart. With just 5 guestrooms, Sala Koh Trong is the personification of “eco-boutique”. With traditional Khmer furnishings, Sala Koh Trong is squarely plugged-into the Cambodian cultural vibe offering a rustic, personal river island eco retreat in Cambodia.

Terres Rouge

Located in the former Governor’s Residence, Terres Rouge is owned and managed by Pierre-Yves, a French ex-paratrooper and his Khmer wife Chenda. Terres Rouge overlooks Banlung Lake and has several claims to fame. It is the only boutique hotel in Ratanakiri Province and the Bar, “Le Jovial Jarai” is the Best Bar in the Middle of Nowhere according to Time Magazine!

The unmistakable French Indochina flavour at Terres Rouge is today infused with a collection of Cambodian antiques, textiles and ornaments, many of the latter produced by the 12 primitive tribes of Ratanakiri. While the well stocked bar offers a excellent choice of wines and spirits, the restaurant specialises in Ratanakiri culinary specialities which is an adventure in itself. For those who prefer more familiar fare, Khmer, Chinese and French dishes can also be provided.

Guestrooms are scattered both upstairs and downstairs in the main house and out in the garden by the pool. There is just one deluxe room and seven suites. The rooms on the ground floor of the main house are all en suite while upstairs are the “historical” rooms where the Governor and his family used to sleep. There bedrooms are accessed from a central sitting room and have a wide terrace with amazing views. The bungalows in the garden are the choice for those seeking peace and quiet.

After days spent in the jungles and rainforests of Ratanakiri, returning to Terres Rouge is an absolute treat. Flop down for some spa and massage pampering, dive into the swimming pool or recline on the veranda with a Pastis in hand, gazing out over the lawn where the spirits of linen-suited planters play.

Awards & Accolades

Le Jovial Jaraï" Bar – Voted "Best Bar in the Middle of Nowhere" by Time Magazine in its Best of Asia edition 2005.

Itinerary: Off-the-Beaten-Track Cambodia by 4×4

Cambodia is still very much emerging after the dark, painful years of the Khmer Rouge. Phnom Penh is changing fast, many of the stunning villas and civic buildings of French Indochina lost for eternity, to be replaced by modern edifices. Development is already spreading beyond Phnom Penh but for the time being Cambodia remains one of the few countries left in the world where genuine adventure travel can be found in abundance. Cambodia really is one of the world’s last true travel frontiers.

This is a journey that is destined to become an indelible memory. You will be entering and spending time in one of the most remote areas in Southeast Asia where ethnic minority tribes live deep in the pristine rainforest, their lifestyle unchanged since time immemorial. Settlements are surrounded with totems to ward off evil spirits and sacrifices continue to be regularly made to pacify animist gods. The trip is beginning to sound more like jungle survival than a holiday but this couldn’t be further from the truth!

Surrounded by the pristine rainforests of Ratanakiri Province, way up towards the borders of Vietnam and southern Laos is a little oasis of luxury called Terres Rouge. Run by an ex French Paratrooper the adventure by day is sure to continue well into the night but in the safe and salubrious sanctuary of the veranda, the bar or the restaurant. This five day tour takes you well off the beaten track into one of the most remote areas of Cambodia, Indochina and Southeast Asia per say. Its 4×4 off-road driving by day in the depths of a pristine rainforest but as the sun goes down things get distinctly more civilised on this luxury 4×4 Cambodia tour into the wilds.

Day 1 – Phnom Penh – Kratie (L,D)

Leave Phnom Penh by car heading northeast en route to Kratie. During the overland trip stop off at Kampong Cham, one of Cambodia’s principal provincial towns for trade and transport. Continue on to Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei which are punctuated with colonial architecture from the French Indochina era. Whilst you are here pay a visit to the Chhup Rubber Plantation, established by French colonials which will inject further intrigue into the journey.

Upon arrival in Kratie board a local ferry bound for the river island of Koh Trong where you will be spending the night.

Overnight at Sala Koh Trong, Kratie

Day 2 – Kratie – Banlung (B,L,D)

The breakfast fare at Sala Koh Trong is distinctly Khmer (less the fried bugs!), so with Cambodian sustenance digested its time to board another river boat this time bound for Kampie in search of the increasingly elusive and endangered Irrawaddy Dolphin. With luck you will encounter one or even a small pod but as they say where children and animals (read mammals) are concerned, there is unfortunately no guarantee.

Then its back to Kratie for lunch and then onwards overland to Banlung, the official capital of the province where the pace of life decelerates to lethargic levels. Ground has been covered today so take time to relax and enjoy dinner at the fabulous Terres Rouges Lodge in Ratanakiri Province. You may be lucky enough to meet some of the management team here including Pierre-Yves, an ex-paratrooper in the French special forces and a font of local knowledge.

Overnight at Terres Rouges Lodge, Ratanakiri Province

Day 3 – Banlung and The Tanpoun Territory (B,L,D)

Day 3 of the Ratanakiri, Cambodia experience marks the beginning of the 4WD off-road trip. Hitting the dirt roads of northeast Cambodia you go off the beaten track to visit some of the many tropical waterfalls in the region including spectacular Teuk Cha.

Then it’s off-road driving through dense bamboo forest until you reach the remote village of Voeune Sai. Here most of the inhabitants do not even speak Khmer but instead a Chinese dialect that reveals the origins of their ancestors. In these lands animism reigns strong with animal sacrifices to the Gods still central to their beliefs.

If weather and local etiquette permits you may be one of the privileged few to be granted access by boat or 4WD to the very remote village of Ka Choan where a multitude of intricately carved totems ward off evil spirits.

Return to Terres Rouges Lodge for dinner.

Overnight at Terres Rouges Lodge, Ratanakiri Province

Day 4 – Banlung and the Kroeung territory (B,L,D)

This morning its time to head ever northwards towards the border of Laos and into off-the-beaten-track Cambodia. The first village that you will encounter is Taveng after which the journey takes you across the forested lava field of Veyrum Plang beyond which you will arrive at what the locals refer to as the “Tiger Caves”

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Much depends on the weather and the state of the dirt roads but the further north you go and the deeper into the forest you get the more beautiful the natural scenery becomes. Remote villages are dotted randomly within this still pristine rainforest and depending on when you make the trip you may see the bachelor houses of the Kroeung villages. If the conditions are good a picnic lunch will be provided before embarking on the village visits.

The final encounter today is with the volcanic lake of Yeark Laom. This is an incredible spot encircled by pristine rainforest. Here you are free to swim and stroll around absorbing the sheer splendour of the natural environment and to make the occasion and your journey into the remote northwest of Cambodia even more memorable, Yeark Laom Lake is also the setting and venue for your final dinner of the trip.

Overnight at Terres Rouges Lodge, Banlung.

Day 5 – Ratanakiri – Phnom Penh – Departure (B,L)

After an early breakfast of baguettes, croissants and an array of Khmer delicacies take a quick trip to the Banlung Market before beginning the long overland transfer and return journey to Phnom Penh.

Rates vary frequently. Please contact us to get the best possible price based upon your travel period and specific touring needs.

Off the Beaten Track Luxury Cambodia 4×4 Includes:

• Accommodation as mentioned in the programme
• Meals as mentioned (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
• Local English speaking guides
• Tours and transfers as mentioned by private air-conditioned vehicles

Off the Beaten Track Luxury Cambodia 4×4 Excludes:

• Visa for Cambodia (Visa issued on arrival, USD20/pax, please bring 1 passport photo)
• Domestic Airport departure tax Phnom Penh USD6/pax
• Meals other than mentioned
• Camera/video entrance fees
• Laundry, telephone calls and expenditure of a personal nature
• Any services other than mentioned
• International and additional domestic flights incl. taxes
• Travel insurance

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