Fun Things To Do In Ratanakiri Cambodia

Ratanakiri is a province in northeast Cambodia, this is a relatively remote province and properly the least developed province in Cambodia. The province has a population of over 203,00, with the capital of the province being Banlung.

With Ratanakiri being the least developed province be prepared for the roads and WiFi to be poor but expect the general overall infrastructure to be poor. Ratanakiri might be remote but it is home to an incredible range of wildlife and a great place to go hiking through the remote lush jungle, its rivers, and elephant trekking plus waterfalls.

In this post, we will go through things to do in Ratanakiri Cambodia. So let’s get started!

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Quick Information on Cambodia

• Currency: Riel and the US Dollar
• Language: Khmer
• Population: Over 16 million
• Capital City: Phnom Penh
• Best time to visit Cambodia: The dry season is between October to April with an average temperature of around 23°C. While the rainy season is from May until September with an average temperature of around 35°C.
• How to get there: You can enter by land through Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Or you can fly into Siem Reap or Phnom Penh.

Where Is Ratanakiri Cambodia?

Ratanakiri shares a border with the Cambodian provinces of Mondulkiri and Stung Treng as well as with the countries of Laos and Vietnam.

Best Time To Travel To Ratanakiri

Ratanakiri has an average temperature of between 22°C to 34°C all year round. The rainy season is from June to October, it may rain heavily every day with thunderstorms and temperatures of up to 34°C.

The best time to visit Ratanakiri is from March to May since it is typically cooler with average temperatures around 24°C.

Things To Do In Ratanakiri Cambodia

Ratanakiri may be a remote province in northeast Cambodia and is home to an incredible range of wildlife, remote lush jungle, and elephant trekking as well as amazing waterfalls.

Here is our list of things to do in Ratanakiri Cambodia.

Visit Beung Yeak Laom Lake

Yeak Laom is a 4,000-year-old volcanic crater lake surrounded by lush rainforest. Today it is a beautiful crater lake with beautiful blue water and it is fairly clean and remote it is unpolluted by development.

The lake is around 50 meters deep, so if you do go for a swim you do need to be careful. Swimming out too far can be dangerous, especially with kids. Plus there are no lifeguards so you don’t want to get into difficulty.

There is an entrance fee of $2.50 and there are some food and drink stands at the entrance.

Explore Virachey National Park

Virachey National Park is a national park in Ratanakiri and is one of only two Cambodian ASEAN Heritage Parks. The Virachey National Park is mostly unexplored and is home to a large range of wildlife, waterfalls, and mountains.

Trekking in the Virachey National Park includes kayaking, indigenous homestay, camping in the forest, swimming, and more. You will need a tour guide to do this as the jungle is deep and isolated, and you can easily get lost in the jungle.

Visit Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary

Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary is about 37 km southwest of Banlung. The sanctuary provides protection for elephants, tigers, bears, and many more animals. Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary is also part of Mondulkiri Wildlife Sanctuary.

The sanctuary consists of mountains, forests, ponds, and water channels from the Tonle Sre Pok River. If you want to visit the Sanctuary you need to contact the park’s ranger guides. The sanctuary guides can show visitors around the sanctuary. The sanctuary tours can take up to one week.

Enjoy Kachang Waterfall

Kachang Waterfall which is also spelled Kachanh is one of many waterfalls found in Ratanakiri. The waterfall is not far from Banlung, it is about 8 km away. There is a short walk down a steep stairway and across a suspension bridge.

Kachang Waterfall is a 12-meter natural waterfall that is surrounded by a mixture of large and small trees. There is a place to buy cold drinks and buildings from the local indigenous village. There is a small entrance fee to get into see the Kachang Waterfall.

Visit Norng Kabat Forest

Norng Kabat Forest is about 23 km north of Banlung. At the Norng Kabat Forest, visitors have the chance to see animals and birds. The forest is home to a beautiful pond, which is where the animals visit regularly.

You can go on a tour to see the local ethnic villages, where visitors can get a good understanding of the traditions and beliefs practiced by the local people.

See Phnom Eysei Patamak

This is also known as the Phnom Svay and is about 2 km west of Ban Loung provincial town. This is a large statue of a reclining Buddha that was built in 1994. You will find the statue on top of the mountain. At the bottom of the mountain is Wat Isana Rattanaram.

The temperature at the top can be cool, regardless if it is the hot or dry season. It might be worth wearing some extra clothes to keep you warm.

Visit Cha Ong Waterfall

Cha Ong Waterfall is another waterfall in Ratanakiri. The waterfall is not far from Banlung, it is about 8 km away west of Banlung near Cha Ong village. You can reach the waterfall after descending a slope, once at the bottom, you will see the waterfall surrounded by such beautiful jungle scenery.

The water comes from Eisey Patamak Mountain which creates the waterfall.

Go On Green Jungle Trekking Tour

The Green Jungle Trekking Tours is a company that offers tours around Ratanakiri such as Virachey National Park trekking, gibbon watching in VenSai Siempang National Park, and day trips to visit the volcanic lake, waterfalls, and many more.

It is better to book the tours in advance. And there is a good range of tours to choose from. Depending on your interests and time the gibbons watching and the Virachey National Park jungle trek are worth trying.

Wrapping Up

Finally, Ratanakiri is a remote province. To visit Ratanakiri is slightly off the beaten track but as you can see there are fun things to do in Ratanakiri Cambodia. If you enjoy exploring the wildlife sanctuaries, hiking in the jungle, and waterfalls it is certainly worth visiting but don’t expect good WiFi.

And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on things to do in Ratanakiri Cambodia has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.

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