All things come in time. The remote province of Ratanakiri in the country’s northeast has finally opened to visitors. Some of Southeast Asia’s least-known ethnic minorities await us, along with virtually unexplored natural areas. Spectacular landscapes with huge rivers, lakes and waterfalls, diamond mines and villages whose way of life would delight any anthropologist.
Dani S., our man in Cambodia, shares his reasons for travelling there.
What is Ratanakiri?
One of Cambodia's most remote provinces located in the northeast, bordering Laos and Vietnam.
The attractions of Ratanakiri are lush nature and, above all, ethnic minorities: peoples isolated in a remote land. They had relatively little trouble even with the Khmer Rouge, who paid them little attention. They do not wear elaborate costumes or hold spectacular ceremonies. They have had little contact with Westerners, so even today they look at them with curiosity and keep a certain distance. What they lack in spectacle, however, they make up for in interest.
The most spectacular are its cemeteries with totems which is a singularity in Southeast Asia and, at the same time, a mystery. But their villages are no less curious, and their way of life is frankly different from the rest of the country. Sometimes their open customs (such as providing the eldest daughter with a house separate from the rest of the family to receive her “friends”) are extraordinarily surprising given the closed morality of today’s Cambodians. They are animists, they speak their own language and not everyone knows Khmer. They are minorities of which there is little information and very little study. And, most importantly, a small number of individuals of each ethnic group remain, which unfortunately indicates that they will end up disappearing since they receive no special treatment from the government (the teaching of their schools is in Khmer and their own language is not taught).
In addition Ratanakiri has very beautiful landscapes, jungle, impressive waterfalls, open-pit diamond mines, rubber plantations and its northern end is part of Virachay National Park not yet fully explored today.
Ratanakiri surprised me because it is almost completely different from the rest of Cambodia: its landscapes are nothing like the central plains, and its ethnic minorities differ from the Khmer.
Cambodia in summer
Our summer coincides with Cambodia’s rainy season, between June and September, when the landscape is especially green. Rain usually falls in intense but brief showers in the afternoon or at dusk, so most planned activities can go ahead. Temperatures are warm and humidity high, but the temples and landscapes are at their most vivid, with fewer travellers.
In regions such as Ratanakiri, the vegetation is at its most lush, making the experience especially appealing to those seeking a more authentic, less-visited environment.
Travel to Cambodia 3 August
This route, with a single departure on 3 August, includes an extension to Ratanakiri, one of Cambodia's most remote and least-explored provinces. Far from the usual tourist circuits, we discover jungles, volcanic lakes and local communities. It offers a different perspective, a slower pace and a closer connection with Cambodia's natural and cultural surroundings.
Cambodia✔️ Departure 27 DEC 2025
✔️ Price from 2400€
Individual travel in Cambodia
Authenticity, adventure and real connections on local transport. We explore Cambodia on local buses between Phnom Penh, Battambang and Siem Reap, sharing journeys, glances and experiences with local people and discovering the country from within. We explore temples, markets and rural landscapes up close, ending with a relaxing stay on Cambodia’s southern coast.
✔️ Daily departures
✔️ Price from 1500€ + flight