In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Cambodia
Banlung
បានលុង
Give Banlung 2–3 nights: one for Yeak Laom lake and the waterfalls, one for a guided jungle or village day. Skip it if you only have a week in Cambodia.
Banlung is the small capital of Ratanakiri, in the far northeast of Cambodia, and the base for a volcanic crater lake, several waterfalls, Virachey National Park and the villages of a dozen ethnic minority groups. Roads here are now sealed, so the old two-day haul is a single long bus ride. There is no working airport, no train and no Grab: you move by motorbike, motodop or a hired car with a driver. Come for the landscape and the villages, not for comfort.
- Country
- Cambodia
- Local name
- បានលុង
- Best months
- Nov–Mar
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (mud, washed-out tracks, some park areas closed)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- US dollars for hotels, tours and restaurants; riel (KHR, about 4,000 to the dollar) for change and small street purchases.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$20–35 excl. bed · Mid US$35–60 excl. bed · High US$60+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Smart, Cellcard and Metfone sell tourist SIMs at the airports with passport registration; a week of data costs a few dollars.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Fire 118 · Ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US and round European pins; newer hotels have UK-style type G.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Round up or leave US$1–2 where no service charge is added.; Tuk-tuk: Round up; US$2–5 extra for a full Angkor day.; Guide day: US$5–10 per person.; Massage: US$1–2 per hour.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water everywhere; many hotels have refill stations.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, restaurants and at the Angkor ticket office and main temples; squat toilets with a hose or scoop on the road. Paper goes in the bin in older places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or a can of beer | US$0.50–1.25 |
| Noodle soup or a rice plate | US$1.50–3 |
| Western main in a guesthouse restaurant | US$3–5 |
| Motodop hop across town | US$1–2 |
| Motorbike rental, 125cc, one day | US$5–7 |
| Car with driver, one day | US$30–50 |
| Waterfall or lake entry | 2,000–8,000 riel |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PNH · Phnom Penh (Techo International)
- No flights to Banlung: the town airfield has no scheduled service. Bus or private car onward, 8–10 h.
- REP · Siem Reap
- Useful if you are coming from Angkor; you still finish the trip by road via Stung Treng or Kratie.
Typical fares
- Banlung → Phnom Penh, big bus
- about US$10, 8–10 h, departs 06:00–07:30about US$10, 8–10 h, departs 6:00 AM–7:30 AM
- Banlung → Kratie, minibus
- about US$8, 5–6 h
- Private car, Phnom Penh → Banlung
- about US$120, 8–10 h with breaks
Get around
Rent a 125cc semi-automatic motorbike for about US$5–7 a day, or a 250cc for about US$10; a car or 4x4 with a driver runs about US$30–50 a day and is the better choice for two or more people in the wet season. Motodops wait around the roundabout and market for short hops. Bicycles rent for about US$1 a day. Outside town almost nobody speaks English, so hire a guide for village visits.
See and do
Known for
- Yeak Laom volcanic crater lake
- Cha Ong and Ka Tieng waterfalls
- Virachey National Park treks
- Ethnic minority villages and cemeteries
- Gem mining around Bokeo
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Yeak Laom crater lake | Motorbike or motodop, about 5 km east of townMotorbike or motodop, about 3.1 mi east of town | About 20 min each way |
| Cha Ong waterfall | Motorbike on the waterfall road, about 7 km from townMotorbike on the waterfall road, about 4.3 mi from town | About 20 min each way |
| Ka Tieng waterfall | Motorbike, further along the same road | About 30 min each way |
| Virachey National Park | Guided trek arranged through the park office or a tour shop in town | 1–3 days |
| Kratie | Minibus about 08:00, or the afternoon bus about 13:00Minibus about 8:00 AM, or the afternoon bus about 1:00 PM | 5–6 h |
| Stung Treng | Bus or minivan, later departures | 3–5 h |
Sleep
- Around Kan Siang lake
- Guesthouses and the top lodge overlook the water, 10–15 min walk from the market; quiet at night.
- Town centre and the roundabout
- Walk to the market, banks and most restaurants; motodops wait here and tour shops are on the same block.
- Highway strip west of the roundabout
- Budget rooms, bike rental and a couple of bars; handy if you leave early by bus.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | សួស្តីsuostei |
| Thank you | អរគុណaw kohn |
| How much is it? | ថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន?thlai ponman |
| Too expensive | ថ្លៃពេកthlai pek |
| Where is the toilet? | បង្គន់នៅឯណា?bongkon nov ae na |
| I do not understand | ខ្ញុំមិនយល់ទេkhnhom min yol te |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Sampeah (palms together, slight bow); higher hands for elders and monks; avoid: Firm handshakes with older women
- Head and feet: Keep feet down and pointed away from people and Buddha images; avoid: Touching heads, even children's
- Temples: Shoes and hat off inside, shoulders and knees covered; avoid: Sitting with feet toward the Buddha; women touching monks
- Keeping face: Stay calm and smile when things go wrong; avoid: Shouting or public anger
- Giving and receiving: Use the right hand or both hands; avoid: Tossing money or objects
- Photos: Ask first, especially of monks and at memorials; avoid: Selfies at Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek
Scams and watch-outs
- Village ceremonies can close a village to outsiders: fresh leaves hung at the gate mean do not enter.
- Ask before photographing people or village sites; fines are possible and some places are taboo.
- Do not eat forest meat: it drives poaching.
- Carry enough cash. Acleda is the main bank and its ATM is unreliable; cards are accepted in few places.
- The Vietnam border at O Yadaw/Le Thanh does not accept Vietnam eVisas: you need a physical visa or visa-free entry.
- Malaria is present in Ratanakiri; talk to a travel clinic before you go.
Ratanakiri is calm and the main risks are practical: unlit roads at night, motorbike crashes, malaria and cash running out. Do not walk or ride after dark, wear a helmet, and keep a second payment card and cash separate from your phone.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Banlung yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Yeak Laom volcanic crater lake
- Cha Ong and Ka Tieng waterfalls
- Virachey National Park treks
- Ethnic minority villages and cemeteries
- Gem mining around Bokeo
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia: www.tourismcambodia.com/
- Wikivoyage: Banlung, revision 5241307 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241307
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Banlungបានលុង
សូមជូនខ្ញុំទៅអាសយដ្ឋាននេះ
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Banlung; most are in Phnom Penh. The US embassy is in Phnom Penh (check the address).
Carry small US dollar notes and riel for change; the riel trades at about 4,000–4,100 to the dollar.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/banlung). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.