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Trapeang Sre–Loc Ninh Around 20km southeast of Snuol. Trapeang Phlong–Xa Mat Little-used (and difficult to reach) crossing around 70km east of Kompong Cham. Guesthouses in Banlung sell through bus tickets from Banlung to the town of Pleiku, in the central highlands of Vietnam (around a 6–7hr journey from Banlung). O Yadaw–Le Tanh The most useful of the three border crossings into Vietnam, 70km east of Banlung along a good road. Trapeang Kriel–Nong Nok Khiene Popular crossing 57km north of Stung Treng. Heading into Vietnam, you’ll need to have acquired a visa in advance, since none are issued at the border. Entering Laos and Cambodia, visas are issued on arrival (roughly $30–40 for a Lao visa, depending on your nationality $20 for a Cambodian visa). In the southeast of the region, tranquil Sen Monorom, the main town of Mondulkiri province, sees fewer visitors but offers further trekking and wildlife-spotting opportunities, as well as visits to some of the spectacular waterfalls that dot the area.Įastern Cambodia currently has four international border crossings: one with Laos, and three with Vietnam. East of Stung Treng, Banlung, the capital of Rattanakiri province, is developing into a major centre for treks into the nearby highland jungles of the Virachey National Park and surrounding countryside. There are more dolphins to be seen at Stung Treng, the most northerly town on Cambodia’s stretch of the Mekong this is also the starting point for rewarding tours of the beautiful surrounding countryside and for crossings into Laos. Further north along the Mekong, Kratie is another old French-era settlement, best known for the rare Irrawaddy dolphins that inhabit the nearby rapids at Kampie. Gateway to the region is the laidback Mekong-side town of Kompong Cham, a quiet provincial capital that retains an air of faded colonial gentility. This centuries-old way of life is now threatened by the encroachment of the modern world and the loss of forest on which they depend. The highlands are also home to Cambodia’s chunchiet population who have traditionally eked out a subsistence living cultivating crops and foraging in the jungle. Rampant logging has taken a serious toll on these formerly pristine landscapes, although some jungle cover survives, providing a haven for wildlife – for the time being, at least. East of the Mekong lie the distant highlands of Rattanakiri and Mondulkiri provinces.