Region

Eastern Cambodia

Pick two bases, not four: Kratie for dolphins and Mekong islands, Banlung or Senmonorom for hills and forest.

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Plan calculated: Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.

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Key facts · Cambodia

Best months: Dec–Feb
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: US dollar for most prices
Language: Khmer (own script)
Plugs: A · C · G · 230 V
Time zone: UTC+7 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 5Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…

Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
Cambodia ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal; lookalike sites charge extra. Some nationalities can also get a visa on arrival.
Cambodia ↗Angkor Wat and other active temples enforce a dress code: shoulders and knees covered, or you are turned away at the gate.
Cambodia ↗US dollars are used for most tourist prices; carry clean, undamaged small notes and some riel for change under one dollar.

Eastern Cambodia is the country's quiet half: the Mekong's islands and flooded forest around Kratie and Stung Treng, and the red-earth hill country of Ratanakiri (Banlung) and Mondulkiri (Senmonorom). Distances are long and roads are slow, so two bases in four to five nights beats four rushed ones. Come in the dry months, carry cash, and stay on marked paths — this is the region where unexploded ordnance still matters.

Where to sleep

4 places in this region

Sleep base

KratieCity guide
Mekong dolphins, island cycling, easy bus links from Phnom Penh.
Best Nov–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Kratie →
BanlungCity guide
Ratanakiri base: Yeak Laom lake, waterfalls, Virachey treks.
Best Nov–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Banlung →
SenmonoromCity guide
Mondulkiri base: hills, Bou Sra falls, elephant projects.
Best Nov–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Senmonorom →

Transit

Stung TrengCity guide
River confluence and the Laos border run; one night is usually enough.
Best Nov–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Stung Treng →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

4 nights: Kratie 2 + Banlung 2 (fly or bus out of Banlung)
5 nights: Kratie 2 + Senmonorom 3, with a Mekong island afternoon
7 nights: Kratie 2 + Stung Treng 1 + Banlung 3, overland toward Laos

Four bases in four nights means most of your trip is on a bus seat.
Unexploded ordnance: stay on marked trails, never pick up metal objects, and take local advice near the Lao border.
Wet-season storms and flooding (roughly July to November) can cut roads; check conditions before any hill or river leg.
Malaria and dengue are present in the forested east; talk to a travel clinic before you go.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Koh Trong island	Kratie	20 min	check	Ferry across the Mekong; rent a bike on the island and loop it in 2–3 hours.
Kampi dolphin pool	Kratie	40 min	check	Go early morning or late afternoon; boats are shared and the fee is set locally.
Yeak Laom lake	Banlung	20 min	check	Swim and walk the crater rim; a short tuk-tuk ride from town.
Virachey National Park	Banlung	90 min	check	Multi-day guided treks only; arrange permits in Banlung days ahead.
Bou Sra waterfall	Senmonorom	60 min	check	Half-day trip; the road is rough in the wet season.
Chlong	Senmonorom	90 min	check	Remote Bunong village area; go with a local guide and a 4WD in the wet months.

Bags between cities

No luggage-forwarding culture here; you carry your bag between buses, or pay a guesthouse to hold it while you trek.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Kratie	go	go	go	×	×	ok	ok	ok	×	×	go	go
Banlung	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
Senmonorom	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
Stung Treng	go	go	go	×	×	ok	ok	ok	×	×	go	go
Cambodia (country-wide)	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	×	ok	go	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Mekong lowlands (Kratie, Stung Treng)river towns and islands	best	best	hot	hot	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	best
Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri hillsBanlung, Senmonorom and the forests	best	best	hot	hot	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	best

best: dry, mildok: workablehot: short walking windowswet: daily rain

Mekong lowlands (Kratie, Stung Treng): Dry and cooler from November to February; April and May are the hottest months, often above 35 °C (95 °F).Dry and cooler from November to February; April and May are the hottest months, often above 95 °F (35 °C).
Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri hills: Higher and cooler than the lowlands; nights can drop to around 15 °C (59 °F) in December and January. Wet-season mud makes red-earth roads slippery.Higher and cooler than the lowlands; nights can drop to around 59 °F (15 °C) in December and January. Wet-season mud makes red-earth roads slippery.

The dry window is roughly November to March. April and May are hottest; June to October brings rain, greener forest and cheaper rooms.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Phnom Penh	Kratie	Bus or minivan on National Road 7	~5–6 h	Several morning departures; the road is paved the whole way.
Phnom Penh	Banlung	Bus or minivan, often changing at Kratie or Stung Treng	~10–12 h	Long day; a night in Kratie breaks it up.
Phnom Penh	Senmonorom	Bus or minivan via National Road 7 and 76	~7–8 h	Morning departures are the norm; the last stretch is on red-earth road.
Siem Reap	Banlung / Senmonorom	Bus via Stung Treng or Kratie, or a domestic flight to Banlung	~10–12 h by road	The road route is long; check whether the Banlung flight is running before you plan around it.
Laos (Don Det / 4,000 Islands)	Stung Treng	Border crossing and onward minivan	~2–3 h from the border	Check the border status and your own government's advice before committing to this leg.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Domestic flights to Banlung

check

Schedules and operators change; confirm the flight exists for your dates before you build a plan on it.

Shared minivans

buy

The standard way between eastern towns; book a seat the day before and expect to leave at dawn.

Motorbike or tuk-tuk day hire

check

Useful around Banlung and Senmonorom; agree the price and route in writing before you set off.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Mekong river fish, grilled or in sour soup	Kratie and Stung Treng riverside restaurants	Eat early; kitchens in small towns often close by 21:00.Eat early; kitchens in small towns often close by 9:00 PM.
Krolan (sticky rice in bamboo)	Roadside stalls and markets across the east	Cheap travel food; buy it hot off the fire for a bus ride.
Hill-country coffee and honey	Banlung and Senmonorom markets	Sold by the jar; check the seal before you buy.
Bunong and indigenous home cooking	Village stays around Senmonorom and Chlong	Usually arranged through a guide or trek, not ordered off a menu.
Market noodles and rice plates	Kratie, Banlung and Senmonorom morning markets	Breakfast from about 06:00; the best-value meal of the day.Breakfast from about 6:00 AM; the best-value meal of the day.

Go next

Kratie

Bus from Phnom Penh, ~5–6 h

The easiest first stop in the east.

Banlung

Bus from Kratie or Stung Treng, or a domestic flight

Ratanakiri base for the lake and Virachey.

Senmonorom

Bus via National Road 76, ~7–8 h from Phnom Penh

Mondulkiri hills and elephant projects.

Stung Treng

Bus north from Kratie

River confluence and the Laos border run.

Phnom Penh

Bus back down National Road 7

Most eastern routes start and end here.

North-western Cambodia

Long bus via Kratie and Kampong Cham, or fly

Siem Reap and the Angkor temples.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Not yet checked

Where to sleep: 3 bases
Day trips: 6, 20 min to 1 h 30
Nights suggested: 4–7 nights
Ways in: 5 listed
Best months: Jan, Feb, Dec (all zones)

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Open Cambodia Up to Cambodia

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialMinistry of Tourism of Cambodia
secondaryWikivoyage: Eastern Cambodia, revision 5194180 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about Eastern Cambodia

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