Full Itinerary

We will depart from Banlung, the capital of Rattanakiri province and cross the Sesan River by ferry an hour north of town, where we will be met by our indigenous guides who will show you the secrets of forest life — from catching fish and collecting wild vegetables to building a bamboo raft. The trip is 3 days, but trips can be as long as 10 days if you wish. Venturing deep into the pristine old-growth forest we may get a glimpse of animals like tigers, white elephants, sun bears, gibbons, ibis, hornbills, and countless butterflies and creatures yet to be described by western scientists.

Day 1: 

We leave by car to Voen Sai. At Voen Sai we cross the Se San river by traditional ferry, this is three boats lashed together and is quite an experience in itself. From there we go by motorbike to the village of Kok Lak about 30 minutes away (9 km). Here we will meet our Kavet guide. He will then guide you through diverse landscapes. Around noon we’ll have lunch at a small farm. The further north you get the denser the forest. Soon we’ll enter the primary forest. Here the terrain is gently sloping hills. During the trek we will take some breaks to enjoy the surroundings and to rest a little bit. We’ll arrive at the campsite around 4.30pm, your guide will start to prepare dinner, while you can have a nice swim in the waterfall and later you can enjoy a nice dinner at the camp-fire.

Day 2:

In the early morning you enjoy hot coffee or tea. Breakfast will be prepared on a wood fire. After this, the trek is mainly off the beaten track. So you can expect dense vegetation where a path is often cut with a machete. Around noon we’ll get to a nice spot for lunch along the river in the bamboo forest. After lunch we’ll start to build our raft (bamboo boat) you can join in, if you wish. Once it is complete, we will start down the stream to visit an ethnic minority farm house where we will spend the night. Enjoy swimming and then the  sunset from the hilltop near the farm house.  After dinner we will sit with our hosts and sample their rice wine.

Day 3:

In the morning after breakfast, we’ll start to prepare everything on the bamboo raft again. Continuing downstream you can enjoy the scenery along the beautiful riverbanks and we can also have some swimming on the way back towards the village. Around noon we’ll have lunch at the ethnic minority village (home of the ranger). Then after lunch we’ll head back to Voen Sai by motorbike where we will be picked up for the trip back to our hotel about 4.30pm.

Things to bring:

• Walking boots / sturdy footwear
• Torch/ Flashlight
• Towel
• Mosquito repellant
• Long sleeved top and trousers for jungle walking
• Suncream
• Sunglasses
• Binoculars
• Camera
• Malaria prophylaxis
• Sleeping bag liner or top sheet
• Small first aid kit
• sandals or flip flops
• toileteries