2 Day Trek

3 Day Trek

4 Day Trek

5 Day Trek

 

 

 

 

Virachey's 'Koh Pong' 1 day Jungle Trek Exclusively available from DutchCo Trekking Cambodia

Jungle trekking into Virachey's 'Koh Pong' community forest - Engaging Indigenous People - Agriculture - Primary Forest - Boat trip Sesan River

High lights: Beautiful panoramic view, submerge in the semi evergreen dry forest. Amazing boat trip on the great Sesan River. Waterfall and river rapids. Enjoy a swim.  Lush and dense forest. Engaging Indigenous Communities

Short description: Close to the Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia triangle, a beautiful forest awaits for you. It's called Virachey's 'Koh Pong' forest. In this forest we conduct an interesting and adventurous 1 day trek. A boat trip on the Sesan river takes you to the Koh Pong community forest. Trek through beautiful  forest and 'Engage Indigenous Communities' Trip lenght: 8 km - Difficulty: Easy

Introduction

In this unique adventurous trek into the Koh Pong community forests, a lot of high lights will pass along your way. Starting at the banks of the Sesan river, visit small settlements, engage with indigenous communities, learn about local farming, fishing and hunting techniques. Visit the high lands and enjoy a breath taking views. You will follow tracks that varies from small tracks leading from one small settlement to another, hunting tracks, wild life tracks and off the beaten tracks. Different sceneries will be presented to you like beautiful panoramic views, mixed forest, secondary forest and the primary forest. Numerous small creeks, streams and a river meander through this beautiful area. We go into the forest, have a great adventures and educative time. No fixed itinerary, and off the beaten track! The Brao people are very friendly and will often invite you into their homes. According to the season you can watch their daily activities

 

Itinerary

O’ Kalung Waterfall 1 Day Hike
Beautiful adventurous 1 day trek. After a 45 minute private car trip on an unpaved road we reach Kachon. From here we take a wonderful boat trip upstream the Sesan river for one hour.

You can enjoy a beautiful scenery  and daily life of the indigenous people on the banks of the river. When we reach Koh Pong, we need to register and pay the entrance fee of $2.50 p.p. (not included) to the commune.

From Koh Pong village we walk around 2 hours to get to the waterfall. We walk trough beautiful forest with some amazing remote panoramic views.

Once arrived at the waterfall, we enjoy our lunch, swim and relax. Around 1.30pm we walk back to Koh Pong. Some parts of the trek are the same while other parts lead you through a different part of the forest. We take the same transport back to Banlung.  This is a relative easy trek and doesn’t require a high level of physical endurance. Trip length approx. 8km.

 

Price from $63.- to $79.-*  *Minimum of 2 persons  The above price is per person
Number Of Person 2 3 4 5 and up	Price Per Person $79.- $73.50 $68.25 $63.-
What is included?      Professional licensed guide Ranger expert tracker Private 4WDR/Minivan Boat trip on Sesan  river Lunch Water - Coffee - Tea	What is NOT incuded?                         Personal expenses Snacks Insurance Entrance fee $2.50 p.p.
What to bring During the actual trek; Long trousers - T-shirt - Closed shoes - Socks - Cap or Hat - Sun cream -   Sun glasses - Camera - Small first aid pocket - Mosquito repellent - toiletery.  No sanitary facilities available!

Important note

This itinerary is written based on our tour research expeditions. It should be read in order to get a good general impression and NOT as a detailed hour by hour itinerary. *DutchCo Trekking Cambodia has the right to change parts, or divert the route of the trek due to weather and terrain conditions and/or in order to follow guidelines of the indigenous rangers without any prior notice.

 

 

Virachey's 'Koh Pong' 2 day Jungle Trek Exclusively available from DutchCo Trekking Cambodia

 

Jungle trekking into Virachey's 'Koh Pong' community - Engaging Indigenous People - Agriculture - Jungle Camping - Primary Forest - Boat trip Sesan

High lights: Beautiful panoramic view, submerge in the semi evergreen dry forest. Amazing boat trip on the great Sesan. Waterfall and river rapids. Enjoy a swim. Jungle Camping. Lush and dense forest. Engaging Indigenous Communities

Short description: Close to the Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia triangle, a beautiful forest awaits for you. It's called Virachey's 'Koh Pong' forest. In this forest we conduct an interesting and adventurous 2 day trek. A boat trip on the Sesan river takes you to the Koh Pong community forest. Trek through beautiful  forest and 'Engage Indigenous Communities' Trip lenght: 15km - Difficulty: Medium/Difficult

Introduction

In this unique adventurous trek into the Koh Pong community forests, a lot of high lights will pass along your way. Starting at the banks of the Sesan river, visit small settlements, engage with indigenous communities, learn about local farming, fishing and hunting techniques. Stay overnight in the jungle, and submerge in a beautiful unexplored forest. Visit the high lands and enjoy a breath taking view. You will follow tracks that varies from small tracks leading from one small settlement to another, hunting tracks, wild life tracks and off the beaten tracks. Different sceneries will be presented to you like beautiful panoramic views, mixed forest, secondary forest and the primary forest. Numerous small creeks, streams and a river meander through this beautiful area. This trek has a high expedition experience. We go into the forest, have a great adventures and educative time. No fixed itinerary, and off the beaten track! At some areas, wildlife tracks are the only paths available. Your foot prints mix with the foot prints of the giant Gaur: a wild buffalo. The Brao people are very friendly and will often invite you into their homes. According to the season you can watch their daily activities. We spend two nights during this trek one jungle camping and one at a remote farm house home stay.

Itinerary

Day 1

You assemble at the DutchCo's meeting point/depot at 08.00 am unless you arranged pick up at

your guests house. Departure time is 08.30 which gives you half an hour to organize your back-packs. At 08.30 we leave by car, minivan or trekking truck northern direction of Voensai. In Kachon we take take a narrow long boat that takes us up stream the Sesan river for about one hour. During this river trip you can enjoy beautiful panoramic views with the High jungle covered mountains of the Virachey NP in the far distance. Most parts of the river banks have dense vegetation where birds find shelter. Small farm houses at the Sesan river bank share the same habitat. Once you arrive at Leng Auw village, you need to register at the village Chief's house and pay an entrance fee of $2.50 p.p. (Not included in the package price). We can make some final adjustments and once we met with the local indigenous ranger we start our trek. We start walking through a

variety of landscapes. Patches of forests alternate with rice paddy fields. Soon we leave civilisation behind and trek through the jungle forests.

 

After a 20 minute walk we have to cross the O’ Plong river. In the dry season (January -May) we can wade across and in the wet season we need to use a bamboo raft or take a small boat. The further north you go, the denser the forest. We take some gentle hill slopes up and down, but mainly the paths are flat. When we arrive at the high lands, you can have a break and enjoy the beautiful panoramic view over the jungles canopy to the horizon. During the trek we take regular breaks to enjoy the surrounding and to rest a little bit. Your guide will explain about forest foods like edible fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants and trees. Also he explains some of the indigenous hunting techniques.

Your guide will explain about forest foods like edible fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants and trees. Also he explains some of the indigenous hunting techniques. We'll arrive at the campsite near a waterfal between 3.30 and 4 pm. Your guide will start boiling some for coffee or tea, while you can refresh in the nearby cascading stream. The hammocks will be tied and the campsite prepared for the night. You can enjoy a nice dinner at the campfire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2

We rise early in the morning and enjoy witnessing how the crickets and other insects get silence, and the birds taking over the orchestra. Breakfast is prepared while you enjoy your hot coffee or tea. Around 8.30 you leave the farm house for the last part of your three day trek. Now we head east back into the forest. Late in the morning we arrive back in Leng Auw village. We take a small boat to cross to the island Koh Pong with lots of sandy beaches (**). Here you can swim and relax while lunch is prepared. After lunch we leave the island for and go by boat back to Kachon. In Kachon transport is waiting for you to take you back to Banlung on a 45 minute trip. Appropriate arrival time in Banlung around 4pm.

(**)The natural appearance of the island changes dramatically between the dry and wet season. With extreme high water levels (September/October) it might not be possible to visit Koh Pong island. 

Price from $126.- to $154.-*  *Minimum of 2 persons  The above price is per person
Number Of Person 2 3 4 5	Price Per Person $154.- $137.- $131.- $126.-
What is included?      Professional licensed guide Ranger expert tracker Private 4WDR/Minivan Boat trip on Sesan  river Lunch day 1 to lunch day 2 Water - Coffee - Tea	What is NOT incuded?                         Personal expenses Snacks Insurance Entrance fee $2.50 p.p.
What to bring During the actual trek; Long trousers - T-shirt - Closed shoes - Socks - Cap or Hat - Sun cream -   Sun glasses - Camera - Small first aid pocket - Mosquito repellent - toiletery.  No sanitary facilities available!

 

 

 

Important note

This itinerary is written based on our tour research expeditions. It should be read in order to get a good general impression and NOT as a detailed hour by hour itinerary. *DutchCo Trekking Cambodia has the right to change parts, or divert the route of the trek due to weather and terrain conditions and/or in order to follow guidelines of the indigenous rangers without any prior notice.

 

Virachey's 'Koh Pong' 3 day Jungle Trek Exclusively available from DutchCo Trekking Cambodia

 

Jungle trekking into Virachey's 'Koh Pong' Community forest - Engaging Indigenous People - Agriculture - Jungle Camping - Home Stay - Primary Forest - Boat trip Sesan

High lights: Beautiful panoramic view, submerge in the semi evergreen dry forest. Amazing boat trip on the great Sesan river. Waterfall, rapids,  creeks and small streams*. Enjoy a swim. Beautiful panoramic views. Waterfall and rapids. Jungle Camping. Lush and dense forest. Engaging Indigenous Communities

Short description: Close to the Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia triangle, a beautiful forest awaits for you. It's called the Koh Pong community forest. In this forest we conduct an interesting and adventurous 3 day trek. A boat trip on the Sesan river takes you to the Koh Pong community forest. Trek through pristine forest, follow the tracks of the local hunters, cross some rivers and 'Engage Indigenous Communities' Trip lenght: 25km - Difficulty: Medium / slightly difficult

Introduction

In this unique adventurous trek into the Koh Pong community forests, a lot of high lights will pass along your way. Starting at the banks of the Sesan river, visit small settlements, engage with indigenous communities, learn about local farming, fishing and hunting techniques. Stay overnight in the jungle, and submerge in a beautiful unexplored forest. Visit the high lands and enjoy a breath taking view. You will follow tracks that varies from small tracks leading from one small settlement to another, hunting tracks, wild life tracks and off the beaten tracks. Different sceneries will be presented to you like beautiful panoramic views, mixed forest, secondary forest and the primary forest. Numerous small creeks, streams and a river meander through this beautiful area. This trek has a high expedition experience. We go into the forest, have a great adventures and educative time. No fixed itinerary, and off the beaten track!
At some areas, wildlife tracks are the only paths available. Your foot prints mix with the foot prints of the giant Gaur: a wild buffalo. The Brao people are very friendly and will often invite you into their homes. According to the season you can watch their daily activities. We spend two nights jungle camping.

 

Itinerary

Day 1

You assemble at the DutchCo's Meeting Point/Depot at 08.00 am unless you arranged pick up at your guests house. Departure time is 08.30 which gives you half an hour to organize your back-packs. At 08.30 we leave by car, minivan or trekking truck northern direction of Voensai. In Kachon we take take a narrow long boat that takes us up stream the Sesan river for about one hour.

During this river trip you can enjoy beautiful panoramic views with the High jungle covered mountains of the Virachey NP in the far distance. Most parts of the river banks have dense vegetation where birds find shelter. Small farm houses at the Sesan river bank share the same habitat. Once you arrive at Leng Auw village, you need to register at the at the village Chief's house and pay an entrance fee of $2.50 (Not included in the package price). We can make some final adjustments and once we met with the local indigenous ranger we start our trek. We start walking through a variety of landscapes. Patches of forests alternate with rice paddy fields. Soon we leave civilisation behind and trek through the jungle forests. After a 20 minute walk we have to cross the O’ Plong river. In the dry season (January -May) we can wade across and in the wet season we need to use a bamboo raft or take a small boat. The further north you go, the denser the forest. We take some gentle hill slopes up and down, but mainly the paths are flat. When we arrive at the high lands, you can have a break and enjoy the beautiful panoramic view over the jungles canopy to the horizon. During the trek we take regular breaks to enjoy the surrounding and to rest a little bit. Your guide will explain about forest foods like edible fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants and trees. Also he explains some of the indigenous hunting techniques. We'll arrive at the campsite near a waterfal between 3.30 and 4 pm. Your guide will start boiling some for coffee or tea, while you can refresh in the nearby cascading stream. The hammocks will be tied and the campsite prepared for the night. You can enjoy a nice dinner at the campfire.

 

Day 2

In the morning you rise early. You enjoy a hot coffee or tea. Breakfast will be prepared on a wood fire. After breakfast you organize your back-packs while the team untie the hammocks and prepare for the day.  This part of the track is mainly of the beaten track. So you can expect dense vegetation were a path is often cut with a machete. Beautiful forest with lush vegetation. At some points (this can vary by the season because of the trees canopy) there are some panoramic views to enjoy.

Around noon you'll get to a nice spot for a one hour break to enjoy lunch. If the small river has enough water, you can enjoy a refreshing swim. You change direction and loop in southern west direction. Again wonderful nature awaits for you. At some point you might see the evidence of the Asian black bear try to get some insects out of a big tree. It's always nice to discover new detailed things that is part of the whole.

We’ll continue South west back towards the Sesan River. In the afternoon you’ll arrive at a campsite close to a small stream where you will spent the night. Food is being prepared while you relax. You will have diner together and.

The night hike
Armed with a flash light, we take a small hike around the campsite. What we are looking for are small nocturnal animals. On quite some occasions we've spotted some Lorys Pigmy's (a very small primate) and some Civets (small jungle cats). You can find them in all layers of the trees canopy. We saw some deer as well. Though the chance to see wild life during the trek is fairly small, the chances increase during the night hike. Even if we don't see any wild life, the atmosphere during a night hike is definitely more exciting.    

After the 'night hike' when we are back at the campsite where you can  get comfortable and et hypnotized by the flames of the campfire.

Day 3

Also today you will rise early and enjoy witnessing how the crickets and other insects get silence, and the birds taking over the orchestra. Breakfast is prepared while you enjoy your hot coffee or tea.  Around 8.30 you leave the campsite for the last part of your three day trek. Now we head east back into the forest.  Late in the morning we arrive back in Leng Auw village. We take a small boat to cross to the island Koh Pong with lots of sandy beaches (**).

Here you can swim and relax while lunch is prepared.  After lunch we leave the island for and go by boat back to Kachon. In Kachon transport is waiting for you to take you back to Banlung on a 45 minute trip.  Appropriate arrival time in Banlung around 4pm

(**)The natural appearance of the island changes dramatically between the dry and wet season. With extreme high water levels (September/October) it might not be possible to visit Koh Pong

 

Price From $162.75 to $201.-*  *Minimum of 2 persons  The above price is per person.
Number Of Person   2 3 4 5	Price Per Person $201.- $186.75 $173.25 $162.75

What is included? Professional licensed guide Ranger expert tracker Private 4WDR/Minivan Boat trip on Sesan Camping gear (carried by the guests) Breakfast - Lunch and Dinner Water - Coffee - Tea Local police fee		What is NOT incuded? Personal expenses Back pack Snacks Breakfast day 1 Dinner day 3 Insurance Tips Entrance fee of $2.50 p.p.
What to bring During the actual trek; Long trousers - T-shirt - Closed shoes - Socks - Cap or Hat - Sun cream -   Sun glasses - Camera - Small first aid pocket - Mosquito repellent - toiletery. During the night;  Sandals or flip-flops - Small towel - Flash light - A set of cloths to spent the night. Nights can be fairly cold from November till half February. Hammock and water has to be carried by the guests. Jungle camping is basic. No sanitary facilities available
Important note This itinerary is written based on our tour research expeditions. It should be read in order to get a good general impression and NOT as a detailed hour by hour itinerary. *DutchCo Trekking Cambodia has the right to change parts, or divert the route of the trek due to weather and terrain conditions and/or in order to follow guidelines of the indigenous rangers without any prior notice.

 
  

 

Virachey's 'Koh Pong' 4 days Jungle Trek Exclusively available from DutchCo Trekking Cambodia

Jungle trekking into the buffer zone of Virachey's national park's 'Koh Pong' forest - Engaging Indigenous People - Agriculture - Jungle Camping - Primary Forest - Boat trip  Sesan river - Camp on Koh Pong deserted island

High lights: Beautiful panoramic view, submerge in the semi evergreen dry forest. Amazing boat trip on the great Sesan river. Creeks and small streams*. Enjoy a swim. Jungle Camping, Lush and dense forest. Engaging Indigenous Communities.  Camping on the sandy beach of Koh Pong Island. Visit the sacred burial ground of the indigenous Kachak People. Learn about local farming.

Short description: Close to the Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia triangle, a beautiful forest awaits for you. It's called the Koh Pong community forest. In this forest we conduct an interesting and adventurous 4 day trek. A boat trip on the Sesan river takes you to the Koh Pong community forest. Trek through pristine forest, follow the tracks of the local hunters, cross some rivers, lunch & relax at Koh Pong Island, and 'Engage Indigenous Communities' Trip lenght: 35 km - Difficulty: Medium / slightly difficult

 

Introduction

In this unique adventurous trek into the Koh Pong community forests, a lot of high lights will pass along your way. Starting at the banks of the Sesan river, visit small settlements, engage with indigenous communities, learn about local farming, fishing and hunting techniques. Stay overnight in the jungle, and submerge in a beautiful unexplored forest. Visit the high lands and enjoy a breath taking view. You will follow tracks that varies from small tracks leading from one small settlement to another, hunting tracks, wild life tracks and off the beaten tracks. Different sceneries will be presented to you like beautiful panoramic views, mixed forest, secondary forest and the primary forest. Numerous small creeks, streams and a river meander through this beautiful area. This trek has a high expedition experience. We go into the forest, have a great adventures and educative time. No fixed itinerary, and off the beaten track! At some areas, wildlife tracks are the only paths available. Your foot prints mix with the foot prints of the giant Gaur: a wild buffalo. The Brao people are very friendly and will often invite you into their homes. According to the season you can watch their daily activities. We spend two nights jungle camping and one at the deserted island Koh Pong (**)

Itinerary

Day 1

You assemble at the DutchCo's office at 08.00 am unless you arranged pick up at your guests house. Departure time is 08.30 which gives you half an hour to organize your back-packs. At 08.30 we leave by car, minivan or trekking truck northern direction of Voensai. In Kachon we take take a narrow long boat that takes us up stream the Sesan river for about one hour. During this river trip you can enjoy beautiful panoramic views with the High jungle covered mountains of the Virachey NP in the far distance. Most parts of the river banks have dense vegetation where birds find shelter. Small farm houses at the Sesan river bank share the same habitat. Once you arrive at Leng Auw village, you need to register at the at the village Chief's house and pay an entrance fee of $2.50 (Not included in the package price). We can make some final adjustments and once we met with the local indigenous ranger we start our trek. We start walking through a variety of landscapes. Patches of forests alternate with rice paddy fields. Soon we leave civilisation behind and trek through the jungle forests. After a 20 minute walk we have to cross the O’ Plong river. In the dry season (January -May) we can wade across and in the wet season we need to use a bamboo raft or take a small boat. The further north you go, the denser the forest. We take some gentle hill slopes up and down, but mainly the paths are flat. When we arrive at the high lands, you can have a break and enjoy the beautiful panoramic view over the jungles canopy to the horizon. During the trek we take regular breaks to enjoy the surrounding and to rest a little bit. Your guide will explain about forest foods like edible fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants and trees. Also he explains some of the indigenous hunting techniques. We'll arrive at the campsite near a waterfal between 3.30 and 4 pm. Your guide will start boiling some for coffee or tea, while you can refresh in the nearby cascading stream. The hammocks will be tied and the campsite prepared for the night. You can enjoy a nice dinner at the campfire.

Day 2

Around 6 am the guide and ranger get up to get the campfire going and boil water for coffee or tea. They start preparing breakfast. After you enjoyed your breakfast and the campsite is cleared, we start this day by following the small stream further up stream. In the dry season we can walk close to the stream while in the wet season we walk higher through dense vegetation. You will spent the whole day walking through primary forest. We take regular breaks to take pictures and be taught about the forest. 

We take some gentle hill slopes up and down, cross a few small creeks and enjoy the silence of nature. At the end of the day we reach the campsite for the second night. This campsite is also close to a small stream. You can take a refreshing bath and relax a little while you cool of and rinse the sweat off of your body. Enjoy a great evening at the campfire.

The night hike (Optional)

Armed with a flash light, we take a small hike around the campsite. What we are looking for are small nocturnal animals. On quite some occasions we've spotted some Lorys Pigmy's (a very small primate) and some Civets (small jungle cats). You can find them in all layers of the trees canopy. We saw some deer as well. Though the chance to see wild life during the trek is fairly small, the chances increase during the night hike. Even if we don't see any wild life, the atmosphere during a night hike is definitely more exciting.

After the 'night hike' you can get comfortable. Get hypnotized by the flames of the campfire.

 

Day 3

In the morning you rise early. You enjoy a hot coffee or tea. Breakfast will be prepared on a wood fire. After breakfast you organize your back-packs while the team untie the hammocks and prepare for the day. This part of the track is mainly of the beaten track. So you can expect dense vegetation were a path is often cut with a machete. Beautiful forest with lush vegetation. At some points (this can vary by the season because of the trees canopy) there are some panoramic views to enjoy. Around noon you'll get to a nice spot for a one hour break to enjoy lunch. If the small river has enough water, you can enjoy a refreshing swim. You change direction and loop in southern west direction. Again wonderful nature awaits for you. At some point you might see the evidence of the Asian black bear try to get some insects out of a big tree. It's always nice to discover new detailed things that is part of the whole.

We’ll continue South west back to civilization.

We cross a small river as on day one. In the afternoon you’ll arrive at Koh Pong deserted island (**) where you will spent the night. Food is being prepared while you can have a swim and relax on the sandy beaches.

 

 

Day 4

Also today you will rise early and enjoy witnessing how the crickets and other insects get silence, and the birds taking over the orchestra. Breakfast is prepared while you enjoy your hot coffee or tea. Around 9.00 you leave the island for the last part of your four day trek. We take a boat down stream the Sesan river until we reach the Out Post. Here you can learn how Cambodian local farmers grow vegetables and fruits. A lunch box is prepared which we take to Koh Piek village where we visit the sacred Kachak cemetery. After visiting the outpost, we walk along the sesan river bank to Koah Piek. We will take a small ferry to cross the sesan river to Koah Piek village. Here's where we visit the famous sacred burial site of the Kachak indigenous people. Your guide will tell you about the animist believes of the indigenous people and how they burry their deceased with a great ceremony. After the visit we take the boat back to Kachon. In Kachon transport is waiting for you to take you back to Banlung on a 45 minute trip. Appropriate arrival time in Banlung around 4pm.

(**)The natural appearance of the island changes significantly between the dry and wet season. With extreme high water levels (September/October) it might not be possible to visit Koh Pong island. Instead we organize a home stay.

Price From $216.- to $266.-*    *Minimum of 2 persons  The above price is per person.
Number of persons 2 3 4 5	Price per person $266.- $244.- $229.- $216.-

 

What is incuded? Professional licensed guide Ranger expert tracker Private 4WDR/Minivan Boat trip on Sesan River  Camping Gear (carried by the guests) Breakfast - Lunch and Dinner Water - Coffee - Tea Entrance fee Sacred Cemetery		What is NOT incuded? Personal expenses Snacks Breakfast day 1 Dinner day 4 Insurance Back packs Tips Entrance fee of $2.50 p.p
Important note This itinerary is written based on our tour research expeditions. It should be read in order to get a good general impression and NOT as a detailed hour by hour itinerary. *DutchCo Trekking Cambodia has the right to change parts, or divert the route of the trek due to weather and terrain conditions and/or in order to follow guidelines of the indigenous rangers without any prior notice.

 

 

Virachey's 'Koh Pong' 5 day Jungle Trek Exclusively available from DutchCo Trekking Cambodia

 

 

 

Jungle trekking into Virachey forest - Engaging Indigenous People - Agriculture - 3 nights Jungle Camping - 1 night camping on a deserted island in the Sesan river - Deep Jungle Trek - Boat trip on the Sesan river

 

 

 

  

High lights: Beautiful panoramic view, submerge in the semi evergreen dry forest. Amazing boat trip on the great Sesan river. Creeks and small streams*. Enjoy a swim. Jungle Camping, Lush and dense forest. Engaging Indigenous Communities.  Camping on the sandy beach of Koh Pong Island. Visit the sacred burial ground of the indigenous Kachak People. Learn about local farming.

Short description: Close to the Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia triangle, a beautiful forest awaits for you. It's called the Koh Pong community forest. In this forest we conduct an interesting and adventurous 5 day trek. A boat trip on the Sesan river takes you to the Koh Pong community forest. Trek through pristine forest, follow the tracks of the local hunters, cross some rivers, camping on Koh Pong Island, and 'Engage Indigenous Communities' Trip lenght: 45 km - Difficulty: Medium / difficult

 In this unique adventurous trek into the Koh Pong community forests, a lot of high lights will pass along your way. Starting at the banks of the Sesan river, visit small settlements, engage with indigenous communities, learn about local farming, fishing and hunting techniques. Stay overnight in the jungle, and submerge in a beautiful unexplored forest. Visit the high lands and enjoy a breath taking view. You will follow tracks that varies from small tracks leading from one small settlement to another, hunting tracks, wild life tracks and off the beaten tracks. Different sceneries will be presented to you like beautiful panoramic views, mixed forest, secondary forest and the primary forest. Numerous small creeks, streams and a river meander through this beautiful area. This trek has a high expedition experience. We go into the forest, have a great adventures and educative time. No fixed itinerary, and off the beaten track! At some areas, wildlife tracks are the only paths available. Your foot prints mix with the foot prints of the giant Gaur: a wild buffalo. The Brao people are very friendly and will often invite you into their homes. According to the season you can watch their daily activities. We spend four nights during this trek. Three nights jungle camping, one on the deserted island of Koh Pong in the Sesan river.

Itinerary

Day one

You assemble at the DutchCo's office at 08.00 am unless you arranged pick up at your guests house. Departure time is 08.30 which gives you half an hour to organize your back-packs. At 08.30 we leave by car, minivan or trekking truck northern direction of Voensai. In Kachon we take take a narrow long boat that takes us up stream the Sesan river for about one hour. During this river trip you can enjoy beautiful panoramic views with the High jungle covered mountains of the Virachey NP in the far distance. Most parts of the river banks have dense vegetation where birds find shelter. Small farm houses at the Sesan river bank share the same habitat. Once you arrive at Leng Auw village, you need to register at the at the village Chief's house and pay an entrance fee of $2.50 (Not included in the package price). We can make some final adjustments and once we met with the local indigenous ranger we start our trek. We start walking through a variety of landscapes. Patches of forests alternate with rice paddy fields. Soon we leave civilisation behind and trek through the jungle forests

 

 

 

After a 20 minute walk we have to cross the O’ Plong river. In the dry season (January -May) we can wade across and in the wet season we need to use a bamboo raft or take a small boat. The further north you go, the denser the forest. We take some gentle hill slopes up and down, but mainly the paths are flat. When we arrive at the high lands, you can have a break and enjoy the beautiful panoramic view over the jungles canopy to the horizon. During the trek we take regular breaks to enjoy the surrounding and to rest a little bit. Your guide will explain about forest foods like edible fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants and trees. Also he explains some of the indigenous hunting techniques. We'll arrive at the campsite near a waterfal between 3.30 and 4 pm. Your guide will start boiling some for coffee or tea, while you can refresh in the nearby cascading stream. The hammocks will be tied and the campsite prepared for the night. You can enjoy a nice dinner at the campfire.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2

Around 6 am the guide and ranger get up to get the campfire going and boil water for coffee or tea. They start preparing breakfast. After you enjoyed your breakfast and the campsite is cleared, we start this day by following the small stream further up stream. In the dry season we can walk close to the stream while in the wet season we walk higher through dense vegetation. You will spent the whole day walking through primary forest. We take regular breaks to take pictures and be taught about the forest. We take some gentle hill slopes up and down, cross a few small creeks and enjoy the silence of nature. At the end of the day we reach the campsite for the second night. This campsite is also close to a small stream. You can take a refreshing bath and relax a little while you cool of and rinse the sweat off of your body. Enjoy a great evening at the campfire.

 

 

 Day 3

In the morning you rise early. You enjoy a hot coffee or tea. Breakfast will be prepared on a wood fire. After breakfast you organize your back-packs while the team untie the hammocks and prepare for the day. This part of the track is mainly of the beaten track. So you can expect dense vegetation were a path is often cut with a machete. Beautiful forest with lush vegetation. At some points (this can vary by the season because of the trees canopy) there are some panoramic views to enjoy.

Around noon you'll get to a nice spot for a one hour break to enjoy lunch. If the small river has enough water, you can enjoy a refreshing swim. You change direction and loop in southern west direction. Again wonderful nature awaits for you. At some point you might see the evidence of the Asian black bear try to get some insects out of a big tree. It's always nice to discover new detailed things that is part of the whole.

We’ll continue South west until we reach a beautiful campsite close to a small stream. While DutchCo's team prepares the campsite you can enjoy the natural surrounding after you took a refreshing bath in the stream.

The night hike (optional on request)

Armed with a flash light, we take a small hike around the campsite. What we are looking for are small nocturnal animals. On quite some occasions we've spotted some Lorys Pigmy's (a very small primate) and some Civets (small jungle cats). You can find them in all layers of the trees canopy. We saw some deer as well. Though the chance to see wild life during the trek is fairly small, the chances increase during the night hike. Even if we don't see any wild life, the atmosphere during a night hike is definitely more exciting.

After the 'night hike' when we are back at the campsite you can get yourself comfortable. Get hypnotized by the flames of the campfire

Day 4

In the morning you rise early. You enjoy a hot coffee or tea. Breakfast will be prepared on a wood fire. After breakfast you organize your back-packs while the team untie the hammocks and prepare for the day. This part of the track is mainly of the beaten track. So you can expect dense vegetation were a path is often cut with a machete. Beautiful forest with lush vegetation. At some points (this can vary by the season because of the trees canopy) there are some panoramic views to enjoy.

Around noon you'll get to a nice spot for a one hour break to enjoy lunch. You change direction and loop in southern west direction. Again wonderful nature awaits for you. At some point you might see the evidence of the Asian black bear try to get some insects out of a big tree. It's always nice to discover new detailed things that is part of the whole.

We’ll continue South west back to civilization. We cross a small river as on day one. In the afternoon you’ll arrive at Koh Pong deserted island (**) where you will spent the night. Food is being prepared while you can have a swim and relax on the sandy beaches

Day 5

Also today you will rise early and enjoy witnessing how the crickets and other insects get silence, and the birds taking over the orchestra. Breakfast is prepared while you enjoy your hot coffee or tea. Around 9.00 you leave the island for the last part of your four day trek. We take a boat down stream the Sesan river until we reach the Out Post. Here you can learn how Cambodian local farmers grow vegetables and fruits. A lunch box is prepared which we take to Koh Piek village where we visit the sacred Kachak cemetery. After visiting the outpost, we walk along the sesan river bank to Koah Piek. We will take a small ferry to cross the sesan river to Koah Piek village. Here's where we visit the famous sacred burial site of the Kachak indigenous people. Your guide will tell you about the animist believes of the indigenous people and how they burry their deceased with a great ceremony. After the visit we take the boat back to Kachon. In Kachon transport is waiting for you to take you back to Banlung on a 45 minute trip. Appropriate arrival time in Banlung around 4pm.

(**)The natural appearance of the island changes significantly between the dry and wet season. With extreme high water levels (September/October) it might not be possible to visit Koh Pong island. Instead we organize a home stay.

Price From $270.- to $322.50*    *Minimum of 2 persons  The above price is per person.
Number of persons 2 3 4 5	Price per person $322.50 $300.- $286.25 $270.-

 

What is incuded? Professional licensed guide Ranger expert tracker Private 4WDR/Minivan Boat trip on Sesan Hammock/blanket (carried by the guests) Breakfast - Lunch and Dinner Water - Coffee - Tea Fees local police Entrance fee sacred cemetery		What is NOT incuded?                  Personal expenses Snacks Breakfast day 1 Dinner day 5 Insurance Back packs Tips Entrance fee of  Koh Pong $2.50 p.p.
What to bring During the actual trek; Long trousers - T-shirt - Closed shoes - Socks - Cap or Hat - Sun cream -   Sun glasses - Camera - Small first aid pocket - Mosquito repellent - toiletery. During the night;  Sandals or flip-flops - Small towel - Flash light - A set of cloths to spent the night. From November till half February the nights can be fairly cold. Camping is basic. No sanitary facilities available.
Important note This itinerary is written based on our tour research expeditions. It should be read in order to get a good general impression and NOT as a detailed hour by hour itinerary. *DutchCo Trekking Cambodia has the right to change parts, or divert the route of the trek due to weather and terrain conditions and/or in order to follow guidelines of the indigenous rangers without any prior notice.