• Northwest Vietnam (Sapa Loop) motorcycle trip report
• South Cambodia (Bokor Hill Station) motorcycle trip report
• Northeast Cambodia motorcycle trip report
• North Laos motorcycle trip report
• North Thailand (Mae Hong Son) motorcycle trip report
• Indonesia (Sumatra, Bukittinggi) motorcycle trip report
• South Korea (Jeju Island) motorcycle trip report
• East Asia Ferry Run - China, South Korea and Japan
• Great Wall of China hikes (Simatai, Jinshanling, Gubeikou, Jiankou, Mutianyu, Badaling)
• China mountains hikes (Panshan, Taishan, Huashan, Hengshan)
• China trip reports (Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Guangdong, Guangxi)
• China to Singapore overland trip report (Passing through Macau, Guangdong, Guangxi, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia)

In addition, there would be articles on specific topics such as the Motorcycle Trip Packing Checklist and Adventure Travel. I have also planned to compile other adventure travel related articles. Do visit from time to time for the latest updates!

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I arranged for a motor to bring me to the killing fields of Choeung Ek which is located 15km from central Phnom Penh. Between 1975 and 1978, 17,000 people held and tortured at the S-21 (Tuol Sleng Museum) were transported to the extermination camp at Choeung Ek. Today, all that remains of the grim past are multiple disinterred pits and a memorial stupa filled with skulls.

After the gloomy trip, I returned to my guesthouse and ordered lunch. While waiting for my food, I picked up a book from the shelf. The title of the book was Hun Sen. The prime minister of Cambodia was to keep me occupied for the rest of the day. It’s a recommended read to anybody who’s interested to know more about the amazing life of Hun Sen and the history of Cambodia.

Memorial stupa at Choeung Ek where more than 8000 skulls are stored

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The bad thing about riding before sunrise is the cold. I had my jacket zipped up to my neck and yet I could not ride faster than 30km/h without trembling. But the reward is you get the road to yourself. So despite the freezing winds, I would say it’s my favorite time of the day for riding. Besides, there is the sunrise to look forward to. You know that as the sun rises, you would get warmer. Knowing that things will get better puts me in a good mood. What about the blazing afternoon sun? Well, it gives me a good tan and a good sweat. I like to think that I can slim down in this way.

The plan today was to ride all the way from Sen Monorom back to Phnom Penh. The distance might look great but I was able to make good pace because of the good-conditioned tarmac roads. I left my guesthouse at 6am and reached Suong at 11am . As I didn’t want the repeat the roads I have taken, I turned left for highway 11 instead of continuing west to Kampong Cham. Besides, I heard Prey Veng has some nice rubber plantations by the roads which would make for a pleasant ride.

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Nested in a hilly province, Sen Monorom boasts beautiful scenery and cool weather. The charming capital of Mondulkiri is very laid back and makes for a pleasant place to laze for a few days. And laze around I did. I took it easy and gave the usual attractions of waterfall and elephant trekking a miss. Energetic travelers can consider visiting Monorom Falls and Bou Sraa Waterfall, both of which were highly recommended by the locals.

I woke up at 7am and visited the morning market. The buzzing locals and sweet aroma of food filled my senses. In no time, my stomach started groaning. Expertly avoiding the zipping motorcycles whose views were blocked by overflowing baskets, I let my nose be my guide (hope it doesn’t remind you of the movie Perfume). I was richly rewarded with barbecued banana and glutinous rice wrapped in slightly charred banana leaves. This simple delicacy cost me 200R. Excellent value for money!

Morning Market

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I had a restless sleep, waking up a couple of times in the middle of the night. The staffs at Rattanak Hotel had told me that it’s easy riding to Mondulkiri and they had done it many times. They offered to be my guide. I declined, not so much because of my desire to ride alone, but because I didn’t want to spend the extra money. Yes, I am that tight.

By 6am, I was packed and ready to move off. I had difficulty finding the pier at Lumphat. Luckily, helpful locals directed me to the right track. The pier is not located along the main housing stretch but is located further down Tonle Srepok river, towards the south eastern direction. To get there, keep left when you reach the junction at N13 30.269 E106 58.621 (right brings you to the main town). Continue following the road until you see a small grocery and fuel shop at N13 28.670 E107 00.493. The ferry is located just further down the descending road. I paid 5000R to the boatman. The GPS coordinates across the river is N13 27.927 E107 00.399.

Tonle Srepok river of Apocalypse Now fame. The Death Highway awaits across the river.

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In less than an hour, we reached Kachon (N13 58.305 E106 53.331). After paying US$1 for admission, I was led to the Tompuon cemeteries located inside the jungle, a short distance from the village. According to Tompuon customs, families are buried together and tombs are companied with effigies of the deceased. Wealthier families have concrete tombs and shelters. Not very sure if it will be disrespectful, I asked the guide if I could take some photos. He nodded and I quickly snapped some shots.

Tompuon cemetery

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I woke up to a chilly morning. Voen Sai, Chunchiet cemeteries, volcanic lakes and waterfalls were in my agenda. But I knew it would be impossible for me to squeeze in all the sights in one day. Voen Sai is 35km northwest of Ban Lung and the Chunchiet Cemeteries at Kachon is a further one-hour boat ride away. Lumkud volcanic lake is 63km to the east of Ban Lung. The waterfalls are scattered in the south and located as far as 35km from Ban Lung. Well, I will just plan and improvise along the way.

My first stop was the protected area of Yeak Lom (or Yak Loum or Yeak Laom). Located 5km east of Ban Lung, Yeak Lom lake (N13 44.009 E107 00.974) is believed to be created 700,000 years ago as the caldera of a large volcanic crater. The indigenous inhabitants of the area, the Khmer Leu hill tribe people, have long considered the lake as a sacred place where spiritual creatures reside. I reached the lake before 7am and both the ticketing booth and visitors center were closed. There was nobody around. It was peaceful. The beautiful lake was a pristine blue and exceptionally clear.

Almost perfectly round, Yeak Lom lake is 45m deep and 750m in diameter.

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I woke up at 430am and started planning for the day’s ride. I originally wanted to do a short 1-2 trip to Laos since the border is so close to Strung Treng. But Angkor Motorcycles would not agree to accept my international driving permit in place of my passport, unless I leave with them a hefty deposit of US$1000. Without the attraction of Laos, I couldn’t decide if I should stay the night at Strung Treng. In the end, I thought I should just make my way to Strung Treng anyway and decide later.

I left Kratie at 630am and reached Phnom Sambok temples just before 7am. According to guidebooks, there are three levels in the temple. The first level is the living quarters, second level houses a reclining Buddha and the third level provides a view of the Mekong River. Unfortunately, I was unable to find out as I quickly left the place when a nun started shouting at me.

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After the morning ride, I returned to Kampong Cham town for a short rest. I also visited the internet shop located near Caltex fuel station to send a few emails. By 10am, I was ready to move off.

To get from Kampong Cham to Kratie, the common road to take is Highway 7. The distance between the two towns on Highway 7 is to 216km and you will pass by Snuol town along the way. A quicker alternative that shaves off half the distance is to turn left for Highway 73 (some maps labeled it as Highway 75) at the T-junction (N11 50.817 E105 45.772) located near a petrol station along Highway 7. The T-junction is located around 29km from Kampong Cham town. After around 58km into Highway 73, you will hit the charming river town of Chhlong. From there, you turn right and follow the river road to Kratie, which is another 31km away.

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While waiting for my motorcycle to be ready, I had an early lunch of Loc Lac. Loc Lac is supposedly a famous Khmer dish of sauteed beef served with rice, green pepper, onion and some sauce. It was pretty good, if a little salty. At 11am, Angkor Motorcycles declared my motorcycle fit for adventure. I first filled the tank at a nearby petrol kiosk. After paying US$8 for the petrol and taking a photograph of the friendly PTT staffs, I set off for Kampong Cham.

Friendly petrol kids posing for a photo

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To my pleasant surprise, Angkor Motorcycles provided me with a basic set of bike tools, which would come in helpful if my motorcycle is to break down. I also requested an additional screw driver to mount my Garmin GPS receiver which was provided with no questions. However, I was slightly disappointed when I found out only after riding for 10km that the odometer was not working. I rode back to the shop for repair. No big deal I guess, I was not in a hurry and it was partly my fault for not checking earlier.

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Map of Cambodia and route taken

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Unfortunately, remote Northeast Cambodia is often skipped by travelers, who during their limited stay in Cambodia, prefer to focus their time and energy in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. Some might passed by Kampong Cham, Kratie and Stung Treng on their way to the Cambodia Laos border at Dom Kralor. However, few would make the long journey to Ratanakiri or Mondulkiri.

Tucked in the corners of Cambodia, Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri are seldom part of the traveler’s circuit. Depending on the road conditions, a bus ride from Stung Treng to Ratanakiri can take up to 10 hours. Similarly, the bus ride from Phnom Penh to Mondulkiri can take up the same amount of time. Onward journeys from these provinces are difficult because of the lack of proper road infrastructure. Visiting these provinces usually means returning via the same road taken to reach them.

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