This province is chock full of natural beauty, with thickly forested mountains, powerful waterfalls and the lush green rolling hills of the western side. Add to that the communities of hill tribe people who are not affected by mass-tourism, as they are in neighboring Thailand, and you have an area that is very attractive to the adventure traveler. The town of Sen Monorom is the best base camp for travelers who want to explore the surrounding areas.

It’s very picturesque with sandbars and big islands out front and bends in the river. Unlike in many towns around Cambodia, the war years were fairly kind to the French architecture and the roads, at least in the town itself. There are some nice-looking homes of French and Khmer style scattered about, adding to the pleasant feel of the place.

Bordering Vietnam’s central Highlands and Laos are the remote provinces of Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri, both with thickly forested hilly terrain, hilltribe people, and abundant wildlife. Commercial enterprises in the region include logging gem mining and rubber plantations. A fertile basalt plateau with red dusty soil lies between the Sesan and Srepok rivers. The provincial capital of Sen Monorom is the best reached from Vietnam ; Ratanakiri is accessible by air from Phnom Penh.

The main attraction, other than the Mekong and its peaceful banks, is Wat Nokor which is a curious combination of an 11th century temple and a modern pagoda. An interesting legend surrounds this structure and you can read about it here. A few kilometers further east are Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei, two hilltop pagodas with their own unique legend. The Khmer Rouge made a mess of things here and between the two hills lies one more of Cambodia's many killing fields.

Situated about 292km from Phnom Penh Battambang is Cambodia’s second largest city an elegant riverside town, with a population of perhaps 80,000. Quiet and serene, it was founded on the bank of the Stung Sangker river in the 11th century. It is home of unique historical sites like Wat Ek Phnom, a temple built by Suryarvanam I (1002-1050) in the 11th Century, Wat Toul Baset which dates back to 7th century and Wat Poveal Museums which displays Khmer arts.

Bokor, a 1000m plateau, is home to a wide variety of animal and plant species, spans 1,400 square kilometers. But the park is now under threat by illegal hunting and logging, and has only 50 rangers to protect it. A new conservation project is now underway and gives hope to Bokor's future. Rangers are being trained and equipped to patrol the park and work cooperatively with local communities. This project needs your help, please do not litter in the park.

Phnum Kulen is considered by Khmer to be the most sacred mountain in Cambodia and festivals. It played a significant role in the history of the Khmer empire, as it was from here in 802 that Jayavaraman II proclaimed independence from Jaya, giving birth to modern-day Cambodia.