Cardamom and Elephant Mountains
Cambodia · Asia
About Cardamom and Elephant Mountains
Cardamom and Elephant Mountains is a region of Cambodia and includes the provinces of Battambang, Koh Kong, Pursat, Kampong Speu (or Kampong Spoe), Kampot, Kep, Pailin and Sihanoukville.
Cardamom and Elephant Mountains travel guide
Understand
One of the least developed regions of the country, the mountain areas suffer from poor infrastructure and remain heavily mined. The coastal areas around Sihanoukville are being actively developed for tourism but as yet remain largely unspoilt and still offer peaceful beaches.
Getting there
The region is linked to Phnom Penh by 3 paved roads;
National Highway 5, running from Phnom Penh, via Battambang to Poipet National Highway 3, running from Phnom Penh to Kampot National Highway 4, running from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville The region is linked to Thailand by 2 paved roads;
National Highway 57, running from the Ban Pakard/Pailin border crossing to Battambang National Highway 48, running from the Trat/Koh Kong border crossing, joining National Highway 4 north of Sihanoukville. Reaching the northern mountainous region from Koh Kong is possible but represents more of an adventure than a transport connection. Expect tough conditions, even for a dirt bike.
Sleep
Book lodging ahead of time in the high season (winter).
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.