Ratanakiri and Yeak Laom Lake

A Remote Province Of Red Earth, Volcanic Crater Lakes, Waterfalls And Indigenous Villages Of The Tampuan And Kreung. Yeak Laom Is A Perfectly Round 700 M Wide Lake That Can Be Swum In, Ka Tieng And Chaa Ong Waterfalls Are An Hour Away. Reached By A Long Road From Kratie Or Stung Treng · Banlung, Ratanakiri

Ratanakiri is Cambodia's far north-east, a province of red-dirt roads, rubber and cashew farms, volcanic crater lakes, waterfalls and the villages of the Tampuan, Kreung and other highland peoples. The base is Banlung, a dusty, friendly town. Yeak Laom is a perfectly round crater lake about 700 m wide and clear enough to swim in, ringed by forest with a small cultural centre on its shore. Ka Tieng and Chaa Ong waterfalls lie roughly an hour away, and gem and sapphire mines operate in the hills. It is far from everything, with long roads from Kratie or Stung Treng, and is best from November to February. The trip suits travellers who enjoy swimming, motorbike riding and village life and who are happy to go slowly. It is worth the detour for the lake and the waterfalls if you can give it two or three nights and travel outside the hot months. If you have only a day or hate long, dusty roads, it is not worth the trouble.

Banlung and the Yeak Laom crater lake, in the far north-east of Cambodia near Laos and Vietnam, Banlung, Ratanakiri, Cambodia

Yeak Laom lake is open daily in daylight and has a ticket gate near the cultural centre. Confirm the current hours and price on arrival. The small cultural centre keeps limited hours and is often CLOSED outside the middle of the day and on holidays. Ka Tieng and Chaa Ong waterfalls are open in daylight and can be CLOSED or unsafe after heavy rain, when the paths are slippery and the water high. Many village visits depend on the guide and the season. Walking round the town, the market and the roadside views is FREE, and so are the village roads, though a guide fee or small donation is expected for a proper visit.

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