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Ratanakiri - often also spelled Rattanakiri or Ratanakkiri (the spelling varies) - is one of the remotest regions in Cambodia. Situated in the country's mountainous northeastern corner and bordering Vietnam, the province offers visitors a unique insight to a world almost unchanged over hundreds of years.
Ratanakiri is home to many of Cambodia's indigenous ethnic minority groups, who live much as they have ever done amid the the mountains and jungles of the region. Trekking tours are a major draw here, and we're happy to say that there are also Elephant treks available for the less energetic! The area is also renowned for gem mining, and some bargains are available - as ever, when it comes to quality and authenticity, it's very much buyer beware here. Other popular purchases include minority tribal handicrafts and wood carvings.
Accommodation is pretty much limited to the provincial capital on Banlung city, a sleepy backwater offering a real "frontier-town" experience, and most travellers base themselves here before heading into the jungles on organised treks. Getting to Ratanakiri is not overly hard - there are plenty of buses from Phnom Penh every day and many travellers opt to take the ferry. Or you can choose to fly - PMT is currently the only airline serving the province - although foreigners pay about three to four times the local fare and quality - and safety - of the service is questionable. To explore Ratanakiri further, and for details of special deals currently on offer for ElephantGuide.com users, simply select your channel of choice at left and let The Elephant guide you.
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