A Motorbike Adventure in the Cardamom Mountains of Cambodia

We had a lot of ground to cover so headed out in the direction of Battambang in the cool of the morning. Our idea was to take the scenic route and keep off the main roads, however our maps needed some updating after constant heavy rains last year and local construction, or lack thereof, all too common in this part of the world. We diverted through the small town of Bavel for a bite to eat before heading onto unpaved roads past the quite beautiful Kamping Puoy Reservoir. After passing through several quaint villages the road eventually meets Phnom Sampov famous for its bat cave, notorious killing caves and the beautiful pagoda on the top, a must see for any visit to Battambang, from here we head past the famous Banan hill temples for the most ‘direct route’ through to the northern Cardamom Mountains. As it turns out, this wasn’t the case. As the trails got increasingly narrower and slow going we started to realize that our planned destination of Pramaoy town for tonight was most likely not going to happen. In the end we knew it was best to turn back as the trail pretty much dead ended in an old minefield where CMAG were actively working on removing active mines…so back we went. The afternoon was growing long but we decided to push on. However in the fading light we found another trail which led us onto farmland and there we decided to throw in the towel for the day and begin afresh tomorrow.

Danger! Mines! there were plenty of these signs along the way – Photo by Richard Casswell

We spent the night in a small town named Koas Krala, of no significant interest to most tourists, however there was one guesthouse where we could get some rest and after dinner at a surprisingly good roadside shack café (local rice noodles and chicken fried rice piled high with vege’s, but very tasty) we turned in for the night, after a full day of riding. 

Awoke early to find a mechanic to make some adjustments to my bike as it was well shaken up after yesterday’s bumpy trails and hard won kilometers. After an hour or so we were back underway. After missing our mileage goal yesterday we had an even longer ride today in order to make it to the beach for (what would be) a well deserved sundowner. In the fresh light of the bright morning, we easily found the narrow road to lead us on our ascent into the mountains. This section of the ride was not paved but well graded red earth, so the going was good (comparatively for Cambodia). 

Roads across Cambodia are changing rapidly as the country is using the time while international travel is restricted to do many upgrades to the country’s infrastructure, so what could have been an ox cart trail last year is now a highway and what was a scenic village is now a construction site. The great news about that is that previous destinations that were difficult to access will now be on the options list to travel to in a day once travel resumes, therefore opening up Cambodia’s visitors to a wealth of new authentic destinations and reasons to stay longer. 

After a couple of hours we reached Pramaoy, a quaint little market town nestled in the hills and a hub of business for the area and famous for its elephant roundabout. We stopped for strong local coffee and a fresh bowl of Nom banh Chok noodles, a delicious combination of freshly made rice noodles and fish broth heaped with local vegetables (many unrecognisable in the west), it’s one of my favourites. My last time here was 10 years ago and significant changes are evident, but it still maintains its small town charm.

Construction work on the road to Samlout – Photo By Jake Corke

The newly paved highway 55 was our next leg and we knew it would be a nice smooth ride out to the Thai border through the mountains. The 1500 mountain, named after its road with many twists and turns was certainly a riders highlight and a scenic photo opportunity. Beyond that are some of the most extensive landmine fields in the region, if not the world, and their proximity to the road is really quite surprising, not much incentive to go trail finding in this region. The border post of Thmor Da is quite surreal surrounded by landmines and what seems to be a small uninspiring Chinese workers town. After refreshing and refueling we knew we had the most scenic section of our trip, 68km of rough border road down to the coastal town of Koh Kong, the catch is it’s reported to take 6 hours to complete!

Thai border road military checkpoint for Covid19 – Photo by Jake Corke

Very quickly civilization was left behind and what a great ride it was, with stunning scenery of lush jungle clad mountains and steep river valleys to be had all along the way. Traversing some very rocky and in some places, heavy bull dust took its toll on the bikes (and us) but it was worth it. This road is used primarily by the military as the mountainous ridge is quite literally the border to Thailand. Comically there were checkpoints where we had to and sanitize and have temperature checks; however the military guys were very friendly. At one checkpoint there is a lookout where you can see the gulf of Thailand and the beautiful island of Koh Kut in the distance. The afternoon was hot and with the end in sight, we stopped for a quick beer with some local guys who were ‘fixing’ the road. As the sun was beginning to descend we made it into Koh Kong and to our beach stay for the night, just in time for sunset, and sure enough that section of the trip did take almost 6 hours. It was time for a beachside BBQ, washed down with some cold beers to the sight of a beautiful sunset and then drifting off to sleep with the sounds of the lapping waves.

Cambodian sunset at Koh Kong after a long ride – Photo by Richard Casswell

After two long days of riding we took a break day and after breakfast we went to explore the picturesque fishing village of Phumi Pak Khlang with its floating houses and walkways. Next was a visit to the old airport now only used for helicopter landings, which Kouprey Adventures has access to for our VIP guests to avoid travelling by road.  This afternoon’s visit was to Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary famous for its huge mangrove forest, where a visit is possible along an elevated walkway, followed by a boat ride out into the estuary to explore the natural waterways. The evening was spent on the riverfront in Koh Kong town, we purchased dishes of Lort Cha (Khmer fried pin noodles) filled with an array of vegetables and succulent pork and chicken, from a push cart to finish off the day. 

With another long ride ahead today and it was time to leave the coast and head back through the mountains. The trail is well defined and we followed the cement dam road virtually all the way into Osoam. This ride is another stunning one with seemingly endless jungle and the good road makes it very enjoyable, even on the steep climbs and sharp corners. After a quick photo stop at the huge Chhay Proay waterfall we made it into Osoam, the only real place of note in the last 100+km. To cut off a bit of distance and add in something a little scenic, we took the small local ferry across the Stung Atai Dam, which was an experience in itself, as you can see in the picture, it can only fit 3 motorbikes, made of wood and chugs along with a small longtail motor engine.. The road back into Pramaoy past the imposing Phnom Samkos (Cambodia’s second highest mountain) was a mixed bag of rutted, tough old trails and the newly graded, soon to be, highway. Now well into the afternoon, we needed to decide, go home or go on….

Small ferry ride at Osaom Stung Atai Dam – Photo by Richard Casswell

So onwards we went and selected the rural town of Samlout in Pailin Province to overnight. Once again, we were met with extensive road construction along much of the route as the Kingdom continues upgrading it’s roads and infrastructure. Accommodation was basic tonight but after a long day of riding and dust it’s of no concern, so after some great spicy Thai style noodles (there is not a huge amount of selection in these towns) we hit the hay.

As it was to be the last day of this trip, and the temperature was quite fresh to start with we had an early start. Heading north we came to Pailin where we stopped for Cambodia’s breakfast staple, bbq grilled pork and rice with spices. After a quick visit to Phnom Yat Pagoda, the town’s focal point atop a hill, it was time to press on. The road from here on was well paved and winds its way along the Thai border passing through pretty villages and border (land) ports. One of the highlights is when the road climbs to the mountain of Phnom Proek, with its huge limestone cliffs and pretty village in the valley below. A little further on at Sampov Lun we hung a right on the road that leads us back to Bavel where our journey really began. From here it’s a blast back into Siem Reap where our trips always end with celebratory cold beer at Viva by the old market.

A truly great trip through some of the best scenery Cambodia has to offer and into its still very remote Cardamom Mountains and over some of the most challenging roads. As a result of this trip we are now able to create even more new experiences for our guests in ‘off the beaten path’ locations. We are happy to share our intimate knowledge of Cambodia with guests and partners, feel free to get in touch. For more adventures feel free to check our other blog posts including our recent Eastern Cambodia Adventure.

Now we’re planning for the next trip, who knows where that will lead us.