Cardamom Mountains Cambodia
5 Good Reasons To Do This Trip!
Ancient Ruins:
From the awe of Angkor Wat to the crumbling ruins of Mahendraparvata, you’ll get to see Wonders of the World and lesser-known gems.
Cardamom Communities:
Get a sneak peek into what life is really like for rural villagers who live deep in the Cardamom Mountains. You’ll share dinner, laughs and hammocks in the remote communities of Chambok, Chi Phat and Osoam!
Local Guides:
Many guides in the Cardamom Mountains were once poachers or loggers but have now pledged their lives to preserving their remarkable home. Follow them up mountains, along dusty roads and through bamboo thickets.
Steamy Summits:
Get ready to trek to the highest point in Cambodia, Mount Aural. At over 1,800 metres tall, this two-day adventure is an addictive experience that will have you looking to keep conquering peaks the world over!
Rare Wildlife:
Asian elephants, gibbons and sun bears roam these remote forests. Sightings aren’t guaranteed, but isn’t the chance to spot them in the wild worth the thrill?
Uncover more info by clicking the tabs below!
Trip Details
| Dates | Price AUD (per person twin share) |
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Price
- $1,350 deposit.
- 2 week cooling off period applies.
- Lifetime Deposit. If you need to cancel, your deposit is transferable to other trips.
- Twin Share: we’ll match you with a roomie if you’re travelling solo.
- Private supplement available only for hotel nights max 2 spots
Please refer to our payment terms in the FAQs.
Trip length
13 days, 12 nights
Meeting point
Tara Angkor Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Departure point
Frangipani Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Group size
Maximum 12 for 2025 departures
Maximum 14 for 2026 departures
Participation requirements
- You’re open-minded and open-hearted.
- You try to embrace the little things.
- You love adventure and the surprises that come with it.
- You are gracious to others and a team player.
Fitness
Level 4 – Strenuous
Our Level 4, ‘strenuous’- rated trips are demanding. You’ll need to be in good enough shape to exercise vigorously for hours on end over back-to-back days. Although the days of trekking will be long and arduous, they’ll be punctuated by intrepid experiences and your ‘off-days’ will be closer to a Level 1 rating, with a comfortable amount of walking. Consider preparing well in advance of your trek by getting used to walking for hours at a time through hilly landscapes.
Included
- Meals: 12 breakfasts, 11 lunches and 10 dinners
- Private vehicle transportation, boat rides, and motorbike ride
- 4 nights hotel accommodation
- 3 nights homestay accommodation
- 5 nights jungle stay – hammock
- A top-rated and English-speaking Tour Leader
Not included
- International flights
- Travel insurance (compulsory)
- Personal trekking equipment
- Late check-out at hotels
- Meals and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
- Drinks with included lunches and dinners
- Tip kitty
- Personal expenditure
- Visa Fee
Accommodation Preview
Tara Angkor Hotel, Siem Reap
Community Homestay / Jungle Stay (Hammock)
Frangipani Palace, Phnom Penh
Overview
Trip Summary By Days
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Welcome to Cambodia! | |||||
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Day dedicated to exploring Angkor Wat | |||||
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Hiking in Phnom Kulen National Park | 13km | ||||
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Travelling to Osoam Community | |||||
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First hike in the Cardamom Mountains | 18km | ||||
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Saying goodbye to the Osoam Community and heading to the Chi Pat | |||||
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Veal Ta Prak | 13km | ||||
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Hike to O’Malo waterfall | 9km | ||||
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Breakfast at the waterfall, afterward you will have a short hike and then continue your trip to the Chambok Community | 1km | ||||
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First Day of Mt Aural trek | Light village walk | ||||
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Second Day of Mt Aural trek | 12km | ||||
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Your final trek this morning, afterwards heading to Phnom Penh | 11km | ||||
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Farewell Friends! | |||||
| Totals: | 77km |
Trip Map
Get to Know Your Cardamom Mountains Cambodia Itinerary
What You'll See & Do
Day 1: Welcome to Cambodia!
Welcome to Cambodia! You’ll touch down in the “Gateway to Angkor”, otherwise known as Siem Reap. A small city that grew right in the shadow of the world’s largest religious structure – Angkor Wat – landing here is the perfect intro to this Southeast Asian nation.
Wave hello to your driver on arrival. You’ll be gathering together with the Camino crew and trip leader tonight for a welcome dinner, Khmer style. This is just your first taste of Cambodia and already you’ll be left craving more!
Accommodation: Tara Angkor Hotel
Included: Dinner
Day 2: Angkor Wat
It’s only day two but you’re already kicking off the trip with a sure-fire memory-maker! Wipe the sleep from your eyes at 5:00 AM, sharp. We promise seeing the magnificent Angkor Wat at sunrise is worth a few hours of lost sleep, watching the temple silhouettes set against a fiery sky. The stuff of legends and centuries of history, this vast, 12th-century complex doubles as both a site of worship and the funerary temple for King Suryavarman II.
Even 5:00 AM isn’t early enough to beat the crowds, but your guide knows just the spot to avoid other sunrise-seekers. After a spectacular show, fuel up with breakfast at the hotel before exploring the popular South Gate. Later on, the lesser-visited Ta Prohm temple, almost lost to the jungle, is calling. By late afternoon, most of the other visitors have gone, which means you might get this enchanting corner of the complex all to yourself.
Accommodation: Tara Angkor Hotel
Included: Breakfast & Lunch
Day 3: Phnom Kulen
Leave the crowds of Siem Reap behind, because today is all about practicing for the many treks to come! Stretch your legs on your first official hike of the trip, a 13-kilometre walk in Phnom Kulen National Park. The largest national park in Cambodia, this region is a sacred pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists and considered the birthplace of the Khmer Empire. You too will make your own pilgrimage of sorts, trekking through dense rainforest and coming across bat caves, ancient relics and towering, carved stone elephants.
“Phnom Kulen” translates directly to lychee mountain, an ode to the wild fruit-bearing trees that you might get to pluck a snack from along the way. Enjoy an open air lunch, serenaded by birdsong, while admiring abandoned temples. You’ll head back to Siem Reap this evening where you can catch some zzz’s on the last soft mattress you’ll have for a while!
Accommodation: Tara Angkor Hotel
Included: Breakfast & Lunch
Day 4: Osoam Community
Today is all about getting to your next destination, a corner of Cambodia that few other travellers ever get to see. It’s a long day with about eight hours in the car but you’ll break up the drive with a stop for lunch. Use the close quarters to get to know your fellow trekkers more and rest your legs – there will be plenty of hikes ahead!
Before you know it, you’ll be pulling into the Osoam Community, tucked on the edge of the Cardamom Mountains. This rural area will be your home for the next two nights and the perfect jumping off point for some jungle tramps. Break bread over a traditional dinner and get to know your hosts, tomorrow you’ll set off into the forest.
Accommodation: Osoam Eco-Tourism & Cardamom Community
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Day 5: Cardamom Mountains Trek
Fuel up this morning with a local breakfast, swapping stories and laughs with your Osoam hosts. As you finish up, your local trekking guide will join you all to lead you deeper into the Cardamom Mountains. The Cardamoms were once the country’s Wild West, home to poachers, loggers and a stronghold of the Khmer Rouge. It’s a remote corner of the country which means there’s a chance you’ll spot wildlife like sun bears, gibbons and Asian elephants, but even if the animals don’t show, the landscapes are still worthy of your hard-earned footsteps.
Your ultimate destination is also where you’ll be making camp for the night. That’s right – you’ll rest your head in a nice, cosy hammock this evening. Don’t worry about falling asleep, the 18-kilometre trek will no doubt have you ready to hit the hay and you’ll have thousands of glittering stars and the sounds of the rainforest to lull you into a deep slumber.
Accommodation: Jungle Stay, Hammock
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Day 6: Chi Phat
Wake up to the sound of rainforest birdsong – and the clang of pans as your guide whips up breakfast. You might feel a bit like you’re starring in a James Bond movie next, emerging from the jungle just in time to meet your driver and head off to the next destination. Wave goodbye to your Osoam Community guide and speed towards lunch and the village of Chi Phat. Despite being hours to the south, this community is also in the Cardamom Mountains, perched along the banks of the Preak Piphot River.
Your homestay bungalow might be rustic by Western standards, but it’ll feel like you’ve stepped into Shangri-La after a night snoozing in a hammock. Toast to the halfway point of the trek over dinner at the visitors centre, which promises traditional Khmer cuisine and maybe even a glass of rice wine, made by your hosts.
Accommodation: Chi Phat Community Homestay
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Day 7: Veal Ta Prak
If you didn’t already realise you were on an adventure, you will today, when you’re pushing off from the riverbanks in a traditional boat at 5:30 AM. You’ll be just in time to watch this waterway come alive like a golden ribbon in the early light, with the chance to spot wildlife along its banks, shaking off sleep – just like you!
As if the morning wasn’t already exciting enough, you’ll head out for a 13-kilometre trek next, making your way to your jungle digs at Veal Ta Prak. Enjoy a picnic lunch, the perfect fuel for the final push to your campsite with plenty of time to settle in and “Wow!” at your new rainforest home. Tag along with your guide this evening to visit a nearby pond, where animals like to come for a sip. Back at camp your forest cook will be waiting to whip up a dinner worthy of your long day of adventuring.
Accommodation: Antong Prang Campsite, Hammock
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Day 8: O’Malo Waterfall
Rise and shine campers! You’ll get another shot at spotting wildlife this morning. Pull on your hiking boots and hit the trail by 5:30 AM, camouflaging yourself on the shores of nearby ponds. Breakfast and a steaming hot cuppa are calling back at camp and before you know it, it’ll be time to pack up and hit the trail. A nine-kilometre trek stands between you and the gushing O’Malo Waterfall.
There’s plenty of wild-green lushness to snag your attention along the way. That… and the promise of a rinse! If you’re starting to lament the fact that it’s been a few days without a shower, lament no more, because you’re about to get a refresh – jungle style – at the waterfall. Is there anything better than feeling all squeaky clean, digging into a delicious dinner after a long hike?
Accommodation: Jungle Overnight, Hammock
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Day 9: Chambok Community
After so many days falling asleep to the sound of the jungle, you’re practically an old pro at sleeping in hammocks. Did you ever think you’d say those words? Munch on breakfast with views of the waterfall in the distance before a one-kilometre trek back to the O’Key Bridge where a motorbike driver is waiting to whisk you to the main road – and a bigger mode of transportation.
Your next hosts will be waiting to greet you in the Chambok Community. This is one of your first chances to really dive into village life. Spend the rest of the day with the locals, exploring their ‘every day’, hearing their stories and connecting with the curious local children – who have a special surprise in store later in the evening!
Accommodation: Chambok Community Homestay
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Day 10: Mount Aural Trek Day 1
After another peaceful slumber at your Chambok homestay, it’s time to hit the road. The journey takes three hours but you’ll realise why we included this detour as you rumble up to Sre Ken Village, camouflaged on the foot of Mount Aural. Enjoy lunch in this peaceful setting before linking arms and heading down the trail. This time you’ll be following in the footsteps of the local villagers, walking along the flat landscape to your first camp.
Views of the mountain, often swathed in a scarf of hanging mist, will no doubt inspire a bit of pep in your step. That and the promise of camping under a blanket of stars, surrounded by bamboo forest.
Accommodation: Jungle Camp 1, Hammock
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Day 11: Mount Aural Trek Day 2
It’s your second-last day and the most challenging yet! But with almost 75 kilometres already under your belt, there’s no doubt that you’re up to the test. It’s time to hike up to the second camp, trading bamboo thickets for a tangle of rainforest. You’ll reach your first milestone of the day, a small house at 1,200 metres, and your lunch spot.
There are just 813 metres left between you and the summit of Mount Aural and we know you won’t let a few pesky strides stand in your way. Follow your guide, eventually spotting the Buddhist temple and stoic Cambodian flag that mark your victory! Take the time to do a little celebratory dance with the gals and your guide, pray for luck and prosperity in the temple, and take in the views. You’ll head back down the misty trails to camp for one more precious night of fire-roasted dinner, steamed rice and hammock sleeps.
Accommodation: Jungle Camp 2, Hammock
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Day 12: Phnom Penh
Soak up your final morning in the jungle, waking up to the sound of bird chatter and the sight of sunrays streaming through the rainforest canopy. The smell of breakfast cooking over the open fire might also be enough to rouse you! Make your way back down the mountain, lingering over your steps of the trek and the community guides who shared them with you. Before you know it, you’ll be waving goodbye to Chambok and saying hello to Cambodia’s capital!
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Camino Women trip without a farewell dinner for the books! Gather together one last time to toast your trekking adventures over a well earned beer and typical Khmer dishes like Kampot Crab Rice and Saraman Beef. Your swanky Phnom Penh hotel will no doubt feel luxurious – although your definition of the word might be a bit different after so many nights spent in the rainforest.
Accommodation: Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Day 13: Farewell Friends!
Grab one last glimpse of Phnom Penh and its tangle of motorbikes, glittering spires and colorful rooftops as you hug your fellow trekkers close and make promises of future trips! A driver will be waiting to whisk you off to the airport to catch a flight home – or maybe to your next destination? You’ll spend the whole journey reminiscing on the incredible 12 days you spent in Cambodia’s remote corners.
Included: Breakfast
FAQs
Prior to the payment of your full balance, the final price may change if there is significant variation in the AUD:USD exchange rate. Our trip pricing is determined by what the exchange rates are at the time of publishing the trip.
The pricing on this trip is based on an exchange rate of 1 AUD:0.62 USD.
A deposit of 1,350 AUD is required to hold your spot. Payment can be made by credit card (fees apply) or bank deposit.
There is a cooling-off period of 2 weeks. (Applicable to all bookings made 110 days in advance.)
We have implemented a ‘lifetime deposit’ guarantee. Deposits are not refundable, but they are transferable at any time, right up until the first day of the trip.
The final balance of the trip is required 120 days in advance of the departure date. Our suppliers require upfront payment well in advance to guarantee availability.
Please refer to the full terms and conditions for further information.
Australians and New Zealanders require visa to enter Cambodia. We will be providing more guidance on visas closer to the trip departure.
Level 4 – Strenuous
Our Level 4, ‘strenuous’- rated trips are demanding. You’ll need to be in good enough shape to exercise vigorously for hours on end over back-to-back days. Although the days of trekking will be long and arduous, they’ll be punctuated by intrepid experiences and your ‘off-days’ will be closer to a Level 1 rating, with a comfortable amount of walking. Consider preparing well in advance of your trek by getting used to walking for hours at a time through hilly landscapes.
Most of our trips have a tip kitty because many cultures have diverse rules when it comes to tips. We’ve found it to be the easiest way to combat over-tipping, under-tipping or having the tip fall into the wrong hands. Our goal is for guests to relax and know that the complexities of tipping are taken care of, on their behalf.
We’ll be updating this section with the tipping amount and how it’s distributed, soon.
You’ll spend 4 nights in hotels, 3 nights in community homestays, and 5 nights sleeping under the open sky in a hammock deep in the jungle.
At the homestays, you’ll stay in simple twin-share bungalows with varying bathroom facilities. Expect basic but functional setups—some may have shared bathrooms with cold water showers, while others might offer a few extra comforts.
This trip begins in Siem Reap, and ends in Phnom Penh. We recommend that you fly into Siem Reap International Airport, as that is where your hotel transfer will be waiting for you.
The most convenient departure airport is Phnom Penh International Airport. Both transfers – on arrival and on departure are included in your price.
The official currency of Cambodia is the Cambodian Riel (KHR).
