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MONDULKIRI - THE
CITY OF MOUNTAINS
Mondulkiri is an eastern province of Cambodia, which
is the most sparsely populated province in the whole
country although being the largest province in
Cambodia. The province is chock full of natural
beauty, with thickly forested mountains, powerful
waterfalls and the lush green rolling hills of the
western side. Despite the growing deforestation,
especially due to the valuable minerals remaining in
the deep red, fertile ground, Mondulkiri has still
one of the biggest successional woodlands of
Cambodia. Except being in Sen Monorom, you’ll find
deep pure jungle, with a huge variety of flora and
fauna. You may also find gigantic and beautiful
waterfalls, where you can take an empowering shower,
such as the impressive Bou Sraa.
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Sen Monorom is
the provincial capital and doesn’t
show up as a typical Cambodian town,
while it is the only town the
province has to speak of. With
approx. 7500 inhabitants, 20
guesthouses, 12 restaurants, 3 bars
and no post office it is often
compared to American Wild West
frontier towns. Concerning the
quietness and beauty of Sen Monorom
people from other parts of the
country move here and therefore the
land price doubled from 2006 to
2007.
The town of Sen Monorom is the best
base camp for travellers who want to
explore the surrounding areas. A
quiet but beautiful town nestled
into the hills; it has a lot of
potential to develop into a centre
for non-intrusive eco-tourism. At
present, it’s very undeveloped,
which gives you a feeling of going
somewhere off the beaten tourist
trail. Add to that the communities
of hill tribe people, who are not
affected by mass-tourism, as they
are in neighbouring Thailand, and
you have an area that is very
attractive to the adventure
traveller. |
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Also interesting is the variety of languages being
used: Khmer, hill tribe languages, Vietnamese and
Lao. 80 percent of the population in Mondulkiri is
made up of ten tribal minorities, with the majority
of them being the Chunchiet from the tribe of the
Phnong. The remaining 20 percent are Khmer, Chinese
and Muslim Cham. Most of the population lives off
the land, planting rice, fruit trees and a variety
of vegetables. Others grow, coffee, strawberries,
rubber and cashew nuts. More and more houses are
built in the typical Khmer style. Visiting the hill
tribes you still can find the traditional Phnong
houses. In the houses you can find traditional gongs
and big jars, whereby the last ones are said to be
more than a thousand years old. There are various
sorts of gongs used for different occasions. Jars
and gongs are among the most valuable possessions in
an indigenous community, whether in traditional,
spiritual or material terms. During the Khmer Rouge
Regime those objects were buried in hidden places in
the jungle and in many cases they still wait in the
ground.
Tourist sites:
Boo Sra Waterfall:
Locates at Pich Chinda District in 43 kilometer
distance from the provincial town by red soil road.
Boo Sra is the most beautiful waterfall in Modulkiri
and shared into three stages:
-First stage: The waterfall has 15-meter diameter
and 15-meter to 20-meter height in rainy season, and
20-meter diameter and 18-meter to 25-meter height in
dry season. The second stage of waterfall has
150-meter distance from the first stage.
-Second stage: The waterfall has 23-meter diameter
and 15-meter to 20-meter height in rainy season, and
20-meter diameter and 18-meter to 25-meter height in
dry season. The second stage of waterfall has
150-meter distance from the first stage.
-Third stage: The waterfall has stronger speed than
the second stage. This stage can not be reached
because it locates in the thick forest, lacks of
transporting mean and is dangerous due to having
fierce-wild animals.
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Sen Monorum Waterfall:
Locates at Sen Monorum District in five-kilometer
distance from the provincial town by red soil trail,
Along either sides of the trail, there are
industrial plantations like rubber, coffee and
cashew as well. The local people usually meet each
other at Sen Monorum waterfall during the holidays
and national festivals because it closed to the
provincial town.
Sen Monorum waterfall has three stages:
-First stage: The waterfall has slow speed,
one-meter height and 2-4 meter diameter.
-Second stage: During the rainy season, the
waterfall has strong speed, 6-7 meter height and
8-meter diameter. During the dry season, the
waterfall has 7-9 meter height and 4-5 meter
diameter. At the waterfall, there is a large space
of resting and enjoying.
-Third stage: Locates at one- kilometer distance
from the second stage. The waterfall has 1.5-meter
height only.
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Rum Near
Waterfall:
Locates at Sen Monorum District in
10.5 kilometer distance from the
provincial town. The waterfall has
good location, which is closed to
the industrial plantations like
rubber, coffee, cashew, mango,
Avocado and Pres as well. During the
rainy season, the waterfall has
five-meter height and 10-meter
diameter, and during the dry season.
The waterfall has six-meter and
eight-meter diameter only. At the
waterfall, there are many big trees
projecting the cool shadow to the
area.
Chrey Thom Waterfall:
Locates at Sen Monorum District in
43-kilometer distance from the
provincial town. During the dry
season, the waterfall has 15-meter
height and 2-meter diameter, and
during the rainy season, the
waterfall has 11-meter height and
8-meter diameter. |
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The waterfall surrounded by the plantation of Sro
Lou and there is a big and brandy
tree of Chrey. The Provicail Tourist
office in cooperation with the
territorial authority has arranged
this waterfall spot as the tourist
site instead of Boo Sra waterfall
that unable to be accessible during
the rainy season.
Riverside:
Locates at Koh Nhek District in 150-kilometer
distance from the provincial town. The riverside has
red and golden colored sand, and stretches along the
Sre Pork River mixing with many small islands. The
riverside is the leisure place for the local people
of Koh Nhek District.
Plantation of Pinetrees:
Located at Sen Monorum District in six-kilometer
distance from the provincial town by the National
Road No 14. The plantation of pine trees located on
the highland, which there are many pine trees remain
since 1970 and growing on line, these pine trees
have the same height. The ground covered by a lot of
lollen leaves. It look like the golden colored
carpet. Tourists can enjoy and rest on it without
matting. The history said that, these pine trees
were planted before the Sang Kum Reas Ni Yum time.
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