“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.”
– Henry David Thoreau
The second day of our elephant excursion with the Mondulkiri Project, in the Senmonorom province of Cambodia, included an 18km jungle trek. The Iquitos in me, can’t pass up a jungle opportunity!
As day one with elephants ended we stayed at the Jungle lodge with the members of the Mondulkiri Project. A beautiful, simple lodge nuzzled in a sea of green.
A group of about 15 of us joined together on traditional Cambodian dining mats and were given bamboo shoot soup. I snuck a glance of them preparing this dish before dinner.
They added all the spices and vegetables including lemon grass and eggplant into a bamboo shoot they had foraged and prepared it over the fire. Served with steamed rice of course because in Cambodia no meal is complete without rice. And trust me I sure don’t mind!
With the temperature quickly dropping, after dinner they gave us rice wine to help warm our bodies and ensure a good night sleep (a traditional custom in their village). It tasted similar to sake! We all knocked them back in bamboo shot glasses they made as well. They are pretty handy with bamboo, huh?
Over to the leaf hut with hammocks overlooking the forest, it was time for bed. It was my first time sleeping in a hammock overnight! Though they provided us with insulated hammocks and a thick blanket, I was still pretty cold all night. That’s my fault for leaving all my warm weather clothes in the states. It was such a serene night sleeping in the fresh air and waking up to such a breathtaking view!
After Nutella pancakes covered in about 60 pieces of cut up banana we were off to conquer 18 kilometers! The landscape was beautiful varying from thick bamboo shoots, to rural farmland to lush Forrest! We swam and visited three waterfalls along the way and had the most amazing lunch with what other then veggies cooked in a bamboo shoot and you probably already know. RICE!
The most fascinating part of the trek was coming across a plethora of cashew trees from freshly planted to 30 years old.
Did you know Cashew trees grow attached to a tart fruit? You can eat the fruit but it’s not exactly the most tasty. Very chalky and very tart. I prefer the cashew instead!
By the end of the day we finished the trek at the village of our tour guide. He invited us into his home and showed us around the street long village he lived in. It was straight out of a movie. I’ve never seen so many animals wandering around the street. There were Roosters, chickens, baby chicks, pigs, tiny piglets running across the street back and forth, cats, dogs, cows, water buffalos etc. They were everywhere! It was amazing! And children playing and running all around us! It was such a pleasure to visit this village and see how much life it had!
Recommendations.
Mondulkiri Project, Elephant Sanctuary
- One day elephant adventure tour includes: walking and feeding elephants in the jungle, swimming and washing them, and lunch. 50USD 8am-4pm
- Two day elephant & jungle trek includes:
- Day one. Walking, feeding, swimming and washing elephants, traditional hill tribe cooking for lunch and dinner, and an overnight stay in a hammock at the jungle lodge.
- Day two. 18km trek with expert Bunong jungle guide to visit waterfalls, a cave and the hill tribe farms within the jungle. (breakfast and lunch included). 80USD tour ends 5 pm on day two.
You can find more information about their conservation efforts and partaking in a tour at: www.mondulkiriproject.org
Accommodation in Sen Monorum
- Tree lodge bungalows. 7USD
