The Tours

We are currently offering three tours into the National Park. They are a short tour featuring an overnight stay in the forest, a medium tour featuring a river journey into the park and an extended wilderness trek deep inside the park to the spectacular Phnom Veal Thom.

We wish to advise any potential visitors to VNP during the wet season (June to October) it is likely that heavy rains will be experienced. As such access to Virachey National Park can be very difficult during this time as the roads and tracks to the park may have deteriorated badly. Wet season trekking is also difficult with slippery paths and many leaches but treks are still possible for the hardy.

Following the tour information, you will find details on the tour fees.

At this stage all tours depart from Banlung in Ratanakiri Province (see travel information for more information) with Stung Treng soon to follow as the programme develops.

Group sizes are kept at a maximum of 8 people to reduce impacts on the villages you visit and to maintain the quality and enjoyment of your ecotourism experience. You are also more likely to see or hear wildlife in smaller groups.

Keep coming back to this site as new developments are just around the corner! In the near future we will be offering more opportunities to visit the park and further developing our existing programme with additional activities such as mountain bike riding, kayaking and community guesthouse accommodation in the park.

The tours (as at March 2006)

Short Tour
Duration: 2 days / 1 Night
District: Veunsai

This tour is suitable for people who are new to trekking or who have limited time. It includes travel through traditional Kavet villages, agricultural land and secondary forest, overnight stay in the forest and a leisurely walk along a half-day loop trail in the park. Those groups wanting an extra day will camp the second night at a set of rapids beside the scenic O’Lalay river. Gibbons may be heard calling in the morning and a range of riverside and forest birds seen. Lucky ones may catch a glimpse of a Great Hornbill.

Medium Tour
Duration: 4 days / 3 Nights
District: Taveng

For the more adventurous, this tour includes a four hour river journey up a tributary of the Se San river to a small Brau village on the border of the national park, trekking in the forest and a return journey by inflatable kayak. Stay overnight in the village before commencing a two day overnight trek through a river valley inside the national park. A section of this trek follows the Hoh Chi Minh Trail and, for those groups choosing the 5 day option the trek will include a visit to a waterfall at the head of the valley and a second night camping in the forest. You should awaken to the sound of gibbons calling in the morning and see and hear many birds along the river and in the forest. Visitors have seen snakes and the sign of large mammals and are always impressed by the orchestra of sounds that can be heard when camping out at night in the forest. Spotlighting at night may reveal the presence of civets, slow loris and other nocturnal animals.

The last night will be spent in the village where visitors will have the opportunity to taste the locally made rice wine before waking bright and early to kayak down the gentle O’Tabok river to its confluence with the Se San. A motor boat will then transport you down the Se San river to Taveng town and then by moto back to Banlung.

Extended Wilderness Trek
Duration: 6 days / 5 nights to 7 days / 6 nights
District: Taveng

For the serious trekker, this tour features a visit to Phnom Veal Thom, a spectacular, montane grassland deep inside the park rarely visited by tourists. It operates out of Taveng District and takes 7-8 days return. Visitors will need to be fit as trekking through deep forest for several days is demanding. Your efforts will be rewarded with spectacular scenery and the best chance of all our tours to see elusive wildlife and primary forest.

Costs

All tours are currently priced at $10 USD per person per day. Included in the package are all national park fees, an ecotourism ranger guide, a community guide and a Community Development Levy to benefit local communities around the park.

This rate does not include the cost of transport to and from the park, food or hire of hammocks and blankets if these are required. Our ranger guides will assist you with arranging transport and purchasing food for the trek. You should budget to include the cost of your own food and also food for your two guides. Food costs will vary depending on the number of people in your group (including guides) and the type of food you wish to purchase though the average group expenditure is $ 3-4 USD per person per day for basic food items.

Please check this site closer to the time you plan to visit the park as we are in the process of changing the tour prices to include pre organized food, transport and discounts for larger groups.

More Information

Before you set-out on your adventure, be sure to checkout preparing for your trek which includes valuable information on what to bring, how to prepare for trekking in the national park and safety in the forest.

Finally, the essential information page will explain Park Regulations and other important information you should know before considering a trek.