RATANAKIRI
Yeak Laom Lake: Banlung’s Volcanic Crater Lake
About 5km from Banlung is the popular Yeak Laom Lake which sits inside an ancient volcanic crater. From above, the lake forms an almost perfect circle, while from the edge you can see it ringed by forest and deep jade-coloured water.
The lake is approximately 800 metres across, reaches depths of almost 50 metres and sits on Tampuan land. It is a highly spiritual place that holds deep cultural significance. It’s worth remembering this when visiting, as the lake can feel more like a tourist attraction than a place of spiritual importance.
Arriving at Yeak Laom
It takes less than 15 minutes to get to the lake from Banlung, depending on where you are staying. Usually a tuk tuk driver will organise to drop you off and come back at an agreed time. There is an entrance fee of 8,000៛ ($2) for foreign visitors and 2,000៛ ($0.50) for Cambodian visitors. The money helps support the local Tampuan Indigenous community who manage and maintain the site.
Before you even reach the lake, there is a line of stalls selling souvenirs and local products, including handicrafts made by Tampuan artisans. Here you can pick up hand woven baskets, earrings and scarves in the distinct colours and patterns of the Indigenous people from this area.
Khmom Ang, a grilled honeycomb with bee larvae, is also really popular here and you can see many people cooking it over charcoal as you walk towards the lake.
There are plenty of shaded picnic huts around the edge of the lake, usually with hammocks and mats and some might have fans. They’re sometimes free if you’re ordering food, but otherwise expect to pay a small hire fee. We ordered food and it was free but in other places we have paid up to 10,000៛ ($2.50) to hire the hut.
Update (August 2026): We have had different reports lately on whether food is available at the lake. It’s worth checking with your homestay or guesthouse before relying on this. You can always bring your own snacks with you.
Going for a Swim
The walk around the lake takes roughly 30 minutes. Some visitors simply come to walk the circuit, while others spend several hours swimming or relaxing in the hammocks. There are lots of places to stop for photos and it’s a pleasant walk, mostly in the shade. We also spotted birds, butterflies and small lizards. Keep an eye out for the small spirit houses along the way. Made from wood and thatch and painted in black and white patterns to attract the spirits, they are unique to the Indigenous people of this area.
Yeak Laom Lake holds deep cultural significance for the Tampuan people and is connected to their spirit protection, livelihood, and identity.
There are several origin stories. The most popular one, that our tuk tuk driver described, was about an ogre king whose search for his runaway daughter led his army to dig into the earth. The crater they created filled with water over time, forming the lake. The name Yeak Laom is often translated as “Surrounded by Giants,” which probably points to this story.
Lomkod Lake
We enjoyed visiting Lomkod Lake, but at around 75 minutes from Banlung we probably wouldn’t make the trip just for the lake. It worked well combined with visits to Jarai communities, the rubber plantations and gem mining areas.
The lake has fewer visitors but we enjoyed having a quieter visit here. There’s a human powered ferry, which moves across a section of the lake by a person pedalling. We used this to get across and then walked along the trail back. I went swimming in this lake, mainly because I thought I should at least swim once while I was here. But it was very cold, and I didn’t stay very long in the water.
Facilities are basic but there was a toilet and changing area available for 1000៛ ($0.25) and there were a few stalls selling snacks.
We ended up visiting Yeak Laom Lake twice while we were in Banlung. The first time was for lunch and a walk around the lake. The second was on New Year’s Day, when we found ourselves in a hammock recovering from the night before.
If you’re short on time, an hour is enough to walk around the lake, but if you’ve got half a day to spare, it’s an easy place to relax, have a swim and enjoy the peaceful setting. Just keep in mind that weekends and Cambodian public holidays are much busier, when families arrive for picnics and swimming.
Mel visited Ratanakiri in January 2021
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