Ratanakiri Province

Ratanakiri of Cambodia located in the remote northeast. It borders the provinces of Mondulkiri to the south and Stung Treng to the west and the countries of Laos and Vietnam to the north and east, respectively. The province extends from the mountains of the Annamite Range in the north, across a hilly plateau between the Tonle San and Tonle Srepok rivers, to tropical deciduous forests in the south. In recent years, logging and mining have scarred Ratanakiri's environment, long known for its beauty.

For over a millennium, Ratanakiri has been occupied by the highland Khmer Loeu people, who are a minority elsewhere in Cambodia. During the region's early history, its Khmer Loeu inhabitants were exploited as slaves by neighboring empires. The slave trade economy ended during the French colonial era, but a harsh Khmerization campaign after Cambodia's independence again threatened Khmer Loeu ways of life. The Khmer Rouge built its headquarters in the province in the 1960s, and bombing during the Vietnam War devastated the region. Today, rapid development in the province is altering traditional ways of life.

Ratanakiri is sparsely populated; its 150,000 residents make up just over 1% of the country's total population. Residents generally live in villages of 20 to 60 families and engage in subsistence shifting agriculture. Ratanakiri is among the least developed provinces of Cambodia. Its infrastructure is poor, and the local government is weak. Health indicators in Ratanakiri are extremely poor, and almost one in four children die before reaching the age of five. Education levels are also low; three quarters of the population is illiterate.b

Yeak Laom Lake

Yeak Laom Lake is located about 5 kilometers southeast of central Banlung. This beautiful lake is a crater formed after a volcanic eruption over 4000 years ago; the diameter of this lake is about 800 meters and it bears about 50 meters of clear water.

At one end, there are two wooden platforms for tourists to view the lake up close, but some people cannot resist a dip to feel the warmth of the water for themselves.

Cha Ung Waterfall

Cha Ung Waterfall is located about 8 kilometres west from the center of Banlung. The source of this waterfall is from the Svay Mountain where Wat Eisey Patamak is located. Below the waterfall is a cave-like pitch where visitors can stand or sit to watch the waterfall from behind and enjoy the cool mist sprayed gently by the wind.

Kachanh Waterfall

Located in Kachanh Commune, Banlung District, the Kachanh Waterfall is 6 km from Banlung town. The waterfall is 12 meters in length, which flows endlessly along the Kantoeng Stream to the Sre Pork River in Lomphat District. 

Among the stream and rubber plantation, the Kachanh Waterfall provides great scenery for tourists. The stream’s bottom can be accessed by a wooden stair having approximately 72 steps. On the side of the top of the waterfall, big trees branching out cast cool shadows over tourists for picnicking there.