Things to do in Sen Monorom
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Sen Monorom
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Cool dry season, the best window: firm tracks, waterfalls still flowing, January mean lows around 17 C with colder nights.
Hot season; trek at dawn and expect Bou Sra at its weakest flow by April and May.
Wet season; greenest hills and the most powerful falls, with mud, leeches and slow or cut dirt roads.
What's on
- Khmer New Year 14 to 16 April in most years
Cambodia's biggest holiday; pagoda visits in Sen Monorom, full buses and resorts.
- Pchum Ben 15 days culminating around early October, lunar calendar
Ancestors' festival observed at local pagodas including Phnom Doh Kramom; transport congestion and reduced staffing.
- Bon Om Touk Three days at the November full moon
Water Festival marking the end of the rains; the spectacle is in Phnom Penh, marked at provincial scale in Mondulkiri.
- Meak Bochea February full moon
Buddhist holy day with evening observances at local wats.
- Visak Bochea May full moon
Buddhist holy day with evening observances at local wats.
Best things to do in Sen Monorom
Elephant Valley Project
Retired elephants followed on foot in forest, with no riding, feeding, bathing or touching allowed.
Mondulkiri Project
Rescued elephants observed and hand-fed in protected forest, with a waterfall swim and no riding, ever.
Bousra Waterfall
Cambodia's largest waterfall, a two-tier drop with platforms, picnic spots and dry-season swimming pools.
Dakdam Waterfall
A quiet, less developed waterfall on a rough side road, valued for having almost no crowds.
Romnea Waterfall
The closest named waterfall to town, a modest forest fall and swimming spot for a half-day loop.
Sea Forest
A hilltop viewpoint over an unbroken roll of forested hills that move like water in the wind.
Phnom DoKramom
A sacred Bunong hill in town with a summit viewpoint over Sen Monorom and the surrounding hills.
Pida Coffee Farm
A working coffee farm on the edge of town for tastings and beans bought at source.
Where to stay in Sen Monorom
Hills outside centre
resort stays, quiet and views
Pool resorts in gardens 5 to 10 minutes from town, reached by shuttle or tuk-tuk.
Central Sen Monorom
project pickups and walking to dinner
Guesthouses, cafes and tour offices on or near the main street, where elephant and gibbon tours collect.
Think twice about
- Far out on the Bou Sra road without transport
Tour pickups may not reach you, tuk-tuks are scarce after dark, and every meal becomes an expedition. Sleep centrally or at a resort with a shuttle.
Best restaurants in Sen Monorom
Route 76 Guest House - Italian Restaurant & Lounge Bar
Pasta, pizza and European dishes in a lounge setting, the town's pick for a sit-down dinner.
Pizza Mondulkiri
Generously topped pizzas from small to extra large, the best-reviewed restaurant in town by volume.
The Hangout
A relaxed bar-restaurant for Khmer food, Western staples and the breakfast local guides rate best.
Bamboo Cafe
Khmer and Asian dishes and coffee at budget prices, the local guide pick for cheap eating.
Cinnamon Cafe and Bakery
The town's bakery cafe, for breads, cakes and a Western-style breakfast between project days.
Chomno Thmey
A 21-year local Khmer kitchen priced in riel, known for fried ginger pork and free rice and tea.
MK Cafe
The local guide pick for best coffee in town, with Mondulkiri beans and working Wi-Fi.
Outdoor things to do in Sen Monorom
Jahoo
A Bunong-run camp for dawn gibbon tracking in Keo Seima, with doucs, hornbills and forest treks.
Mondulkiri Project Jungle Trek
A 17 km guided jungle trek with a Bunong guide to waterfalls, after a hammock night at the Jungle Lodge.
Bou Sra Zipline
A zipline course over the Bou Sra gorge that turns the waterfall visit into a half day.
Putang Village
A Bunong village visited with a local guide for houses, farms, weaving and daily life on the village's terms.
Sen Monorom Waterfall
A small waterfall close to town, an easy add-on to the Sea Forest and Romnea loop.
Best hotels in Sen Monorom
Mayura Hill Resort
Large villas in landscaped hill gardens with an infinity pool, the long-standing top stay in town.
KNN Resort Mondulkiri
A large modern resort with big rooms, mountain views and a large pool, ranked top in town.
Pidoma Resort by EHM
A polished resort with pool, restaurant and spacious modern rooms below the top resorts' prices.
Nature Lodge
Wooden bungalows among trees with a sociable restaurant, the most popular mid-range stay in town.
Tree Lodge
A lodge built around a restaurant balcony with the best mid-range view over the hills and valleys.
Manel Guesthouse
A central guesthouse run by a Bunong host, with good Khmer food and tour pickups at the door.
Route 76 Guest House
A good-value main-road guesthouse with a gym, reliable Wi-Fi and an Italian restaurant attached.
Is Sen Monorom expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $30 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $55 a person |
| Splurge | $120 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Elephant Valley Project: weeks ahead
- Mondulkiri Project: weeks ahead
- Jahoo: weeks ahead
- Mondulkiri Project Jungle Trek: weeks ahead
- Bou Sra Zipline: a few days ahead
- Putang Village: a few days ahead
- Mayura Hill Resort: weeks ahead
- KNN Resort Mondulkiri: weeks ahead
- Book Elephant Valley Project, Mondulkiri Project and Jahoo before travelling, and hill resorts ahead for Khmer New Year, Pchum Ben and Christmas to New Year.
Is Sen Monorom safe?
- Mondulkiri borders Vietnam, not Thailand, and is far from the Thailand border crossings in the west and northwest, which were reported closed, with air as the only route between Thailand and Cambodia.
- Swim at waterfalls only where locals swim and never after heavy rain; stay on used paths in forest and carry full medical evacuation insurance.
Sen Monorom travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Any elephant product that includes riding is a riding operation, whatever it is called; confirm bookings on the two projects' own websites against soundalike names.
- Do not day-trip Mondulkiri from Phnom Penh; at about 12 hours of driving return it is all road.
Getting around Sen Monorom: public transport and more
- Sen Monorom is about 370 km east of Phnom Penh with no commercial airport; allow about 6 hours by road and travel by day.
- In town walk the centre; use tuk-tuks for the hill resorts and rent a motorbike for the waterfall loop, back before dark.
Who Sen Monorom suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Sen Monorom your trip
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