Senmonorom

Sen Monorom is the capital of Mondulkiri Province in Eastern Cambodia.

Understand
Sen Monorom lies at an altitude of 800 m which makes it a little bit cooler than Phnom Penh, especially at night.

The city is rapidly developing and so is the tourist industry. You will not find untouched or unspoiled nature or ethnic groups. But even though you might not be the first tourist to lay your eyes on Sen Monorom it is probably one of the least visited areas in Cambodia and many of the ethnic groups still live much as they always have, but this may soon end if the tourist industry keeps growing.

Get in
From Phnom Penh: vans and buses take one hour to get through the Phnom Penh traffic before they hit the open road, so leaving at night or very early morning has its pluses. The east—west linking Sen Monorom to Phnom Penh via the junction town of Snuol (head north from here for Kratie, Stung Treng and Ratanakiri; head south for Loc Ninh in Vietnam) and Kampong Cham is not in great shape. Potholes mark the road from Phnom Penh, making it bone-jarring much of the time. (Kim Seng Express minivans don't have working aircon, so trips can be hot until sundown. Not all their seat belts are in working order. Mekong Express is not an express. Rithya collects many bad reviews for unsafe driving and over-crowding. Indeed, passengers from perhaps half of all minivan companies report 'terrifying' driving.)

A minivan from Phnom Penh costs US$15 and takes about 7 hours.

The bus service from Siem Reap has about 50-50 good and very negative reviews. The main complaint is that it's sold as an express minivan taking 8 hours, but the company often puts passengers (without warning) in an older-style bus that makes many stops and takes 13 hours.

The north road to Ban Lung in Ratanikiri is passable in the dry season, but not too fun in the wet season. The best route is still the long way round via Kratie, but that may change.

Get around
The centre of Sen Monorom is quite small and can be explored on foot, but a bicycle can also be a lot of fun. However, if you want to venture off into the forest then the easiest way to get around is on a motorbike.

See
There is not much to see in the city. There is a small market next to the bus station. This is the gateway to Mondulkiri Province, a unique part of Cambodia. Sen Monorom is not touristy and has jungle, rolling grass fields, hill tribes, waterfalls, and winding dirt roads.



Buy
You can buy scarves and other handicrafts made by the minority people in the shops around the city as well as coffee and honey. Nature Ledge and the Middle of Somewhere provide genuine hand woven scarves and crafts if you are after a more authentic product.

Eat

 * Bamboo Cafe (in the middle of the main street, opposite Hefalump). Cheap, safe, cool. Good quality Khmer food + Western drinks such as apple juice, & fresh passionfruit juice. Nice teenage kids serving the tables (chance for a Khmer lesson, which they enjoy giving). US$3.
 * Bamboo Cafe (in the middle of the main street, opposite Hefalump). Cheap, safe, cool. Good quality Khmer food + Western drinks such as apple juice, & fresh passionfruit juice. Nice teenage kids serving the tables (chance for a Khmer lesson, which they enjoy giving). US$3.
 * Bamboo Cafe (in the middle of the main street, opposite Hefalump). Cheap, safe, cool. Good quality Khmer food + Western drinks such as apple juice, & fresh passionfruit juice. Nice teenage kids serving the tables (chance for a Khmer lesson, which they enjoy giving). US$3.
 * Bamboo Cafe (in the middle of the main street, opposite Hefalump). Cheap, safe, cool. Good quality Khmer food + Western drinks such as apple juice, & fresh passionfruit juice. Nice teenage kids serving the tables (chance for a Khmer lesson, which they enjoy giving). US$3.

Go next

 * By bus to Kratie, 4 hr.
 * By bus to Siem Reap, 10-13 hr, US$11. Those buying an 'express mini-bus' ticket sometimes find themselves on an old-style bus making many stops.