why visit banlung?
Banlung lies in the northwest side of Cambodia, away from the beaten tourist track. Its charm comes from the friendliness of its people and, as one of the few Western faces visiting at the time, it was hard to remember that I wasn’t a celebrity. With waterfalls, jungle treks and the chance to see what the lives of remote tribes people are really like, Banlung is as authentically Cambodian as it gets whilst still giving a tourist with a love of nature enough to enjoy.
how to get to banlung
Banlung is accessible by bus or van via any major town or city in the north or west of Cambodia. The most reliable travel routes, however, are from Kratie and Siem Reap, journeys which will take anywhere between 4 and 8 hours via van, depending on how many stops the driver requires to pick up packages and livestock. Being just under an hour from the Vietnam-Cambodia border, Banlung is also reachable from Vietnam as regular buses go to and from Pleiku and it is even possible to find some travelling to and from Ho Chi Minh City.
where to stay in banlung
Garden View Lodge is a cute family run collection of wooden huts on the outskirts of Banlung. The lodge serves food and the family caters for all needs, booking transportation and offering tours and treks around Banlung. The owner, and father of the family, is sometimes uncomfortably pushy with these tours, however this is easily overlooked considering a private double room is less than £5 a night. The only major downside to this accommodation are the neighbouring dogs, which, when walked past at night, do become agitated, so if you aren’t comfortable around dogs as it is, maybe look elsewhere.
how to get around banlung
Throughout Cambodia tuk tuks are extremely cheap and Banlung is no different. They linger around the city centre by the bus station and hollering them is easy. Hiring bikes however, is the best way to see the city and enjoy the surrounding area. Pumpkin Bike Shop allows you to hire a pedal bike for $2 a day and there are plenty of things to see that are just a cycle away.
what to do in banlung
There are plenty of things to do in Banlung, most of them involving nature. Yeak Laom lake is a great place to swim and cycle, Latieng waterfall is also a great swimming spot and the Buddha at Phnom svay provides an amazing view of the surrounding area for sunset. If you are interested in the lives of the indigenous people in the area, Kachanh waterfall is surrounded by replicas of indigenous houses and if you want to delve deeper there are tour companies that provide access to remote tribes. The best of these companies is Cambodia Jungle Trekking, run by the owner of the above mentioned Garden View Lodge. The company runs overnight trips to indigenous villages as well as day trips around Banlung. One of these trips takes you to a secret mine where you’ll see locals at work, climbing down 20 foot holes, and gives you the opportunity to buy gems from them.
where to eat in banlung
You aren’t spoilt for choice when it comes to Banlung’s culinary exploits, but the restaurants that are there are pretty decent. The Green Carrot and Bar Restaurant offers everything from lok lak to pizza making it a great place for travellers with varied palettes. In a similar vein and right around the corner from Green Carrot and Bar, The Corner Restaurant is great when it comes to variety and price and particularly excels when it comes to salads. Reggae Bar and Restaurant also provides a brilliant ambience, and for the more adventurous among you, there are a host of night markets serving cheap local cuisine