Banlung, Cambodia: travel guide
The dusty red-laterite capital of Ratanakiri in Cambodia's far northeast, ringed by waterfalls and rubber. Its centrepiece is Yeak Laom, an almost perfectly circular volcanic crater lake of astonishingly clear water held sacred by the Tampuan people, and the town is the launching point for waterfall loops, hill-tribe villages and jungle trekking on the Lao and Vietnamese borders.
- Country
- Cambodia
- Currency
- KHR
- Time zone
- Asia/Phnom_Penh
Top places to visit in Banlung
Banlung Central Market
Market · 4.0 rating · about 0.8 h
The provincial market at the centre of town, where Tampuan, Jarai and Kreung villagers come in to trade: forest produce, woven baskets, cashew, and the raw zircon the province is mined for. Opens at five and thins out by mid-afternoon.
Kachanh Waterfall
Waterfall · 4.2 rating · about 1.3 h
A broad 12 m fall in rubber and jungle 6 km south of Banlung, the easiest of the three classic waterfalls to reach and the one with a real swimming pool below it.
Katieng Waterfall
Waterfall · 4.3 rating · about 1.3 h
A 10 m fall you can walk behind, 9 km south-west of town past cashew and rubber smallholdings, with a rope swing over the pool and a bamboo bridge on the approach.
Yeak Laom Crater Lake
Nature · 4.5 rating · about 2 h · entry USD 2
An almost perfectly round volcanic crater lake 800 m across and 50 m deep, held sacred by the Tampuan and managed by the surrounding villages. A shaded path circles the rim in about an hour, with wooden jetties for swimming and a small…
O'Sinlair (Seven Steps) Waterfall
Waterfall · 4.2 rating · about 1.5 h
A staircase of seven cascades in the Lumphat direction about 20 km south-east of Banlung, each step with its own pool. Much less visited than the three town waterfalls and worth the rough track.
Cha Ong Waterfall
Waterfall · 4.1 rating · about 1.3 h
The tallest of the Banlung falls, dropping about 25 m into a fern-hung gorge 7 km north-west of town. A staircase leads down and behind the curtain; the ravine stays cold and dark even at midday.
Phnom Svay
Viewpoint · 4.5 rating · about 1 h
The hill on the western edge of Banlung, topped by a pagoda and a large reclining Buddha, with the town's sunset view over the plateau and the Ou Chum valley. A short climb from National Road 78.
Kan Seng Lake
Nature · 4.2 rating · about 0.8 h
Banlung's own lake on the northern edge of the grid, ringed by a walking track and a scatter of cafes and lodges. The town's evening promenade rather than a sight, and a five-minute ride from the market.
Where to stay in Banlung
Hotels
- tribal village home stay
- Happy Homestay
- Banlung Hill Top House & Trekking(Mr.Jammy)
- Familyhouse & trekking
- Ratanakiri Homestay
- Molyka Lodge
Getting around
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.
Best time to visit Banlung
- Jun 33°C · MoWRAM/WMO WWIS 1982-2024 normal for June: 250.7 mm over 20 rain days (national station Rattanakiri (WMO WWIS city id 3653), 2.14 km from the stored city centre).
- Jul 33°C · MoWRAM/WMO WWIS 1982-2024 normal for July: 276.4 mm over 24 rain days (national station Rattanakiri (WMO WWIS city id 3653), 2.14 km from the stored city centre).
- Aug 32°C · MoWRAM/WMO WWIS 1982-2024 normal for August: 301.5 mm over 19 rain days (national station Rattanakiri (WMO WWIS city id 3653), 2.14 km from the stored city centre).
- Sep 32°C · MoWRAM/WMO WWIS 1982-2024 normal for September: 277.3 mm over 29 rain days (national station Rattanakiri (WMO WWIS city id 3653), 2.14 km from the stored city centre).
- Oct 34°C · MoWRAM/WMO WWIS 1982-2024 normal for October: 213.6 mm over 27 rain days (national station Rattanakiri (WMO WWIS city id 3653), 2.14 km from the stored city centre).