Discovering Cambodia’s Adventure Scene

The past of Cambodia is populated by modern horror and astonishing antiquity, but this enigmatic country offers a present full of alluring adventures.

Though tiny, Cambodia’s burgeoning adventure scene is slowly opening thatched doors to the country’s most remote corners, revealing spellbinding diving on remote reef systems, epic hiking through untrammeled jungle terrain, and a diversity of Mekong River experiences.

Caving & Climbing

The 203 gruelling steps that lead up, then down – way, deep down – to the cave temple of Phnom Chhnork open up an other-worldly, subterranean realm. Phnom Chhnork is a short, 8km hop from the cosy town of Kampot, featuring Funan-era shrines (5th – 7th centuries), monuments to the deity Shiva, and relics that pre-date even the great Angkor Wat. Say hello to the stalactite elephant that defiantly congests one of the passageways (for luck, of course).

Nearby is the Phnom Sera cave system, home to so many ancient treasures that you’ll enter feeling like Indiana Jones, if only for a day (entry fees are roughly $1). Visit the caves at Phnom Sorsia if you’re into bat caves. Kampot-based guides offer tours combining rock climbing, via ferrata, abseiling, and caving, flecking your underground adventure with colourful anecdotes, legends, and lore.

Diving

Pretty gritty Sihanoukville is known for its lively backpacker vibe, golden stretches of sand, and spectacular diving and snorkelling. Visitors hoping to encounter whale sharks can board a skiff bound for Koh Prins, about five hours from shore, where unblemished soft coral, countless reef fish, turtles, and exotic nudibranchs await. Cambodia’s diving epicentre comprises three main islands: Koh Prins (Big Island), Koh Moan (Chicken Island), and Naked Island. Caves, sheer vertical cliff faces, and deep trenches are hallmarks, but due to generally gentle underwater currents, even novice divers can explore the deep blue. Night diving at the Anemone Garden presents a unique experience where you can mingle with blue-spotted stingrays, energetic moray eels, rare bamboo sharks, catsharks, and more. Many of the outer islands, although uninhabited, serve as excellent getaway destinations for divers seeking relaxation with sand between their toes and sunshine on their shoulders.

Trekking

Endangered gibbons provide a captivating soundtrack to Cambodia’s adventures, where the cacophony of raindrops on the jungle canopy can seem as loud as any subway train. Hiking here involves traversing one of the world’s few remaining wild frontiers.

Virachey National Park

Way, way removed from the banana-pancake trail, in Cambodia’s remote northeast, lies humbling Virachey National Park, the largest parcel of protected land in the country. Here, the intrepid lace their boots tight, clutch machetes in sweaty palms, and venture deep into the jungle, time-travelling to a world long forgotten. Far more rugged than the jungles in neighbouring Thailand, trails (where they exist) can be punishing in difficult weather, but the rewards are great—some might glimpse tigers while others might spy on clouded leopards. Treetop ecolodges offer a unique experience for hikers looking to sleep eye-to-eye with gibbons and exotic birds. There are no vehicles inside the park; some areas have never been explored. A multiday trek leads to grassy Phnom Veal Thom, where the only way back is by foot or inflatable kayak. This is an eight-day, seven-night adventure that showcases Cambodia’s greatest hits: spotting wildlife including gibbons, sambar deer, and noisy hornbills, bathing in waterfall whirlpools, traversing rivers and streams, and overnighting in hill tribe villages.

Banlung

Local guides (a must) can be arranged via Banlung, but overnight stays with local Kavet villagers offer a profound cultural awakening for most hikers, who find life in the jungle quite challenging. Banlung, a frontier outpost, serves as the trailhead for many treks: a trio of towering waterfalls (Chaong, Katieng, and Kachang) are 8km, 9km, and 6km outside of town, respectively; the Yeak Laom Crater Lake (5km) features a loop trail that leads intrepid hikers to a remote hill tribe village; and an impressive wat, Rahtanharahm, nestled in the foothills of the Eisey Patamak Mountains, is just 1km from town. A trail from Rahtanharahm leads into the mountains, where a giant reclining Buddha overlooks the vast countryside.

Paddling

The mighty Mekong River is the lifeblood of Southeast Asia, and kayaking the delta promises an exhilarating experience. Lucky paddlers may spot the Irrawaddy dolphin, a gentle giant known to occasionally skim the surface alongside kayaks and skiffs. Given the river’s breadth, kayaking opportunities are nearly limitless in Cambodia, allowing days of exploration from one remote village to the next, or a few hours paddling from a put-in in Phnom Penh. While fewer visitors venture onto the Tonle Sap River, those who do are richly rewarded. The Tonle Sap ecosystem boasts remarkable biodiversity, with over 200 recorded plant species, 150 fish species, numerous freshwater snakes, a wide variety of bird species (many endemic and endangered), and even the rare Siamese crocodile and Mekong giant catfish. Outfitters have increasingly emerged throughout the country, particularly in the capital.

Cycling

Don’t leave Cambodia without cycling around Angkor Wat, a 12th-century World Heritage–listed monument and the world’s largest religious site, located close to Siem Reap. Ride from crumbling tower to ancient pagoda to serene pond, enveloped in boundless positive vibes.