Blogs from Banlung, East, Cambodia, Asia

My Hassle-Free Bus Ride Into Vietnam Travelling around Asia filled me with a deep appreciation for the rich and wide cultural diversity of each country; from Japan to Indonesia to Thailand. Prior to this I had gone further afield. Yes, the bustling streets of Tokyo, filled with neon lights and street side cafes, were inscribed in my mind. It'll be an injustice for me to forget about The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, or the beautiful landscape of Bali. Each one of these experiences have turned out to shape and re-mold my appreciation for these amazing cultures. However, one of these experiences stands out, and it was during a bus ride into Vietnam from Laos. I must say that this bus ride was quite eventful. In fact, it's the second most pleasant bus ride in my ... read more

I wrote up this blog entry in order to create some photographic inspiration for people to trek in Virachey National Park . First, treks to the Phnom Veal Thom Grasslands (formerly a 7-day adventure) can now be done in 6 days and for cheaper. Furthermore, Habitat ID'songoing camera-trapping survey has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Virachey is still home to abundant wildlife (see the pics below), including clouded leopards, elephants, two species of bears, gaur, rare primates, wild cats, and so, so much more. Virachey has the best preserved core area of any "protected area" in Cambodia, and your trekking fees go directly into the pockets of local porters and to the VNP office so that operations can be maintained. I want to make one thing crystal clear: PRIVATE TOUR OPE... read more

I have been traveling to Northeast Cambodia for the past 5 winter breaks and so I thought I'd put down some of things that I have noticed that have changed, happened, etc. The main reason why I visit is to trek in Virachey National Park but of course I spend plenty of time outside the park in places like Ban Lung, in the villages north of the Sesan River (at the beginning and end of the treks), and in Kratie. I did one trip to Mondulkiri from Ban Lung riding on the dirt bike trail back in February 2010, and from what I've heard that once-wild road isn't the same, with a bridge of the Srepok River and with the Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary severly trashed. I've never been to Stung Treng and I'm not sure I'll ... read more

Salut. Comme le temps passe vite, Nous voilà déjà au Cambodge. Nous avons quitté le Laos ce matin avec beaucoup de regrets en nous disant qu'il faudra y revenir et nous avons passé la frontière Sans aucune difficulté. Nous avons entendu et lu beaucoup de choses sur le passage de cette frontière. Douaniers crapuleux à la recherche du moindre dollar. Ils font passer de fausses visites médicales, ils réclament un soit-disant papier bleu qui n'existe pas, ils vous proposent d'accélérer les démarches ou vous donnent de mauvais tarifs pour le visa, tout ça pour gagner quelques dollars. Alors on se prépare psychologiquement, Valérie met un décolleté (on ne sait jamais, à défaut d'amadouer les douaniers, ça pourra toujours faire diversion le temps qu'Alex et moi passions entre les mailles du filet) et à 8h on embarque ... read more

Does anybody remember that song? The one that the title refers to? A song from the Dead Kennedy's, but this was in the time of the Khmer Rouge, so it was a bit cynical to say the least. Anyway, just constantly have to think about this song as I travel around Cambodia. Now what about this holiday in Cambodia? First I managed to cross at the most corrupt of corrupt border crossings, not that I knew it at the time. I hadn't read up closely enough on border crossings, and only after somebody told me that what I had paid was thirty percent more than I should have paid, did I find out that I had been scammed. For a seasoned traveller I sure seem to make some stupid mistakes. Actually I blame the Lonely Planet, ... read more