Ratanakiri | រតនគិរី

Ratanakiri, tucked away in the top right-hand corner of Cambodia, is less visited by tourists but is a remarkable little place. Sandwiched between Laos and Vietnam, it is home to many Indigenous peoples, including the Jarai, Kreung and Tampuan.

Ratanakiri doesn’t make everyone’s itinerary simply because it’s a long way from both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. It takes around 9–10 hours to reach Banlung by road, but we think the journey is worth it. If you’re already travelling through eastern Cambodia, it combines really well with Kracheh (Kratie) and Mondulkiri.

Banlung, the main town in Ratanakiri, sits in a valley surrounded by rolling hills, rubber plantations and distinctive red earth. Locally it’s known as dey krahorm (red earth), and before long you’ll probably find the same red dust covering your shoes, clothes and motorbike.

Around Banlung are several waterfalls that are easy to visit by tuk tuk or motorbike in a day, along with Yeak Laom Lake, a popular place to swim in a volcanic crater believed to have formed around 4,000 years ago.

It is also home to Virachey National Park and part of Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary, making it one of Cambodia’s best provinces for trekking. Although wildlife can be difficult to spot, the forests are home to gibbons, hornbills, elephants and many other species. Like many forested areas in Cambodia, parts of these landscapes continue to face pressure from logging and land concessions, making their protection increasingly important.

When trekking in Virachey National Park, your guide will usually be accompanied by a local ranger who understands both the forest and the customs of the Indigenous communities whose ancestral lands you’re walking through. We definitely recommend trekking in the area and there are plenty of guides offering treks ranging from a single day to several nights in the forest.

Many Indigenous communities live throughout Ratanakiri, including the Tampuan, Jarai, Kreung, Brou and Kachok, each with their own languages, traditions and histories.

Near Banlung there are a number of local Indigenous villages and it is possible to visit these. If you do visit, we’d recommend going with a responsible local guide rather than arriving independently. Always ask before taking photographs and remember these are people’s homes, not tourist attractions.

The province is known across Cambodia for its gemstones. In fact, the name Ratanakiri roughly translates to “Mountain of Gems”. Small gem mines can still be found among the rubber plantations around Banlung.

Banlung makes a great base for two or three days. We think it’s enough time to visit the waterfalls, spend a day trekking and relax at Yeak Laom Lake. Combine it with Kracheh and Mondulkiri and suddenly the long drive across eastern Cambodia doesn’t seem quite so far.