Banlung

Banlung is a dusty town on the Ratanakiri plateau where everything, roads, buildings and clothes, takes on the colour of the local red laterite soil in the dry season. It is the base for the province: Yeak Laom, a near-perfect volcanic crater lake a few kilometres out, managed by the local indigenous community; the Katieng, Kachanh and Chha Ong waterfalls in the forest nearby; gem mining pits worked by hand; and treks to Tampuan, Jarai and Kreung villages and into Virachey National Park. Highland communities here have their own languages and burial practices, with carved wooden figures on graves in the forest. The province has lost a great deal of forest to rubber plantations in the past two decades.

What you actually see

• Yeak Laom crater lake - a round volcanic lake used for swimming.
• Forest waterfalls - Katieng, Kachanh and Chha Ong within a short ride.
• Gem pits - hand-dug workings around the town.
• Highland villages - Tampuan, Jarai and Kreung communities and their cemeteries.

When to go

November to March for the roads and the trekking. The rains from June to October make the red tracks impassable in places. February to April is hot and dusty. Nights are mild rather than cold.

Honest expectations

Roads are red dust in the dry season and red mud in the wet. Village visits need arranging through guides who have a relationship with the community; arriving unannounced is intrusive. Deforestation across the province is severe. Facilities in town are basic.

Nearby

Yeak Laom lies east; Virachey National Park is north.