Mondulkiri Province

A world apart from lowland Cambodia, Mondulkiri Province is the original Wild East of the country. Climatically and culturally, it's also another world, which comes as a relief after the heat of the plains. Home to the hardy Bunong (Pnong) people and their noble elephants, it is possible to visit traditional village and learn about elephants in their elephant at the Elephant  Valley Project. The landscape is a seductive mix of pine clumps, grassy hills and windswept valleys that fade beguilingly in to forests of jade green and hidden waterfalls. Wild animal, such as bears, tigers and especially elephants, are more numerous here than elsewhere, although sightings are usually limited to birds, monkeys and the occasional wild pig.

  Mondulkiri means 'Meeting of the Hills', an apt sobriquet for a land of rolling hills. In the dry season it is a little like Wales with sunshine; in the wet season, like Tasmania with more rain. At an average elevation of 800m, it can get quite chilly at night, so carry something warm.
  Mondulkiri is the most sparsely populated province in the country, with just four people per square kilometre . Almost half the inhabitants come from the Bunong minority group, with other minorities making up much of the rest of the population. There has been an influx of migrants in recent years, drawn to the abundant land and benign climate. Fruit and vegetable plantations are popping up, but hunting remains the profession of choice for many minorities. Conservationists have grand plans for the province, creating wildlife sanctuaries and initiating sustainable tourism activities, but are facing off against speculators and industrialists queuing up for natural resources.

Source Information	Link:
Article	LonelyPlanet
All Images	Flickr
Youtube Video	Mondulkiri Province

Share on Google Plus