In Senmonorom and its vicinity

From Phnom Penh it takes  5 hours by minibus to go  northeast to the province of Mondulkiri. This is a very important region of Cambodia because here are grown coffees, the best black pepper in the world, a lot of fruit,  mountain rice (the long one - very expensive) and cassava.

There is another important reason which attracts tourists: The elephant farms.

According to the rules  of such farms,  old elephants should be  living there in peaceful retirement. They have no work, no trainings, or even no carrying tourists.

Tourists can watch them in their natural environment and possibly assist in the care.

Is that what really happens? It’s  often cruel tourists who want to take a ride on an elephant and see his circus skills. The desire for profit is often badly affected by the behaviour of local owners and in cooperation with investors from abroad make up the farm for the fun of tourists.

This foreign capital is an additional reason for the impoverishment of the local people. A version of exploitation.

We decide to cooperate with a local family company that organizes us (through Pawel) a few days' stay in the jungle. With all the attractions included.

It was great, but it was not easy. The jungle is sometimes unfriendly. Many hours trekking the mountainous terrain is very exhaustive. For me - at my limit.

Compensation is bathing in the numerous waterfalls, watching our guides at work (real jungle people), superb meals cooked made in front of our eyes, and of course, the elephants!

We help with bathing the animals, we feed them, "caress" and admire them. And most importantly: we do everything to make our "tourist" money go directly to the local travel companies and owners of the elephants, not to the rich foreign agencies.

This problem is much more complicated and we should talk about it.

The people here are really worth supporting.

From the Wiki:

“Mondulkiri  province  of Cambodia with the country of Vietnam to the east and south, it is the most sparsely populated province in the country despite being the largest in land area. The capital is the town of Senmonorom.

Senmonorom is the only major town in the province of Mondulkiri. With over 7000 inhabitants, 20 guesthouses, 12 restaurants, 2 bars and one post office, it is often compared to frontier towns in the old American west.

Senmonorom (and the Mondulkiri province in general) is inhabited by the indigenous Pnong people. Pnong tribesmen and tribeswomen are often seen walking along major highways. The town is popular with NGO workers, loggers, and tourists both from outside Cambodia and from Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh.

According to reports from Global Witness, the Mondulkiri province is facing a significant threat from illegal loggers attempting to exploit the area's virgin forests.”