Kirirom, the Pine Hills

A cool plateau of pine forests, waterfalls and the ghostly ruins of an old royal hill station, a few hours from the heat of the capital.

Area

Further afield

Start from

Phnom Penh

Distance

about 110–120 km south-west

Time needed

1–2 days

Best season

November – May; waterfalls are best in the rainy season

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

Car or bus toward Sihanoukville along National Road 4, then a turn-off into the hills

Tickets & rules

Small park entry fee; community fees at Chambok

Why go

Kirirom is a surprise in a country of rice fields and palm trees: a plateau of pine forests, with cool air, the smell of resin and the sound of the wind in the needles. It is a national park, and it feels like a different country after the hot plains.

There are waterfalls, picnic areas, walking trails through the forest and fine views from the edge of the plateau over the Cardamom foothills. On weekends Cambodian families come up to escape the heat and to picnic by the streams. During the week the hills are quiet.

Nearby, the community-based ecotourism project of Chambok offers walks through the forest to a tall waterfall, with homestays and local guides. It is a good way to spend a night out of the city.

The story

The name Kirirom means something like Happy Mountain. In the 1960s King Norodom Sihanouk developed the plateau as a hill station, a cool retreat with villas, a royal residence and a church, a place where the elite of Phnom Penh could escape the heat.

The war years of the 1970s brought this to an end, and the buildings were abandoned. Today you can find the ruins of the old residence and other buildings among the pines, quiet and slightly eerie.

The park was declared a protected area in 1993. It covers a range of habitats, from pine forest to dense evergreen forest and grasslands, and it is home to many birds and other animals, though they are shy.

Chambok is a village community that has organised ecotourism since the early 2000s to protect the forest around it, providing walks, homestays and food, with money going back to the community.

Getting there

Kirirom lies off National Road 4 toward Sihanoukville. By car it takes around two and a half to three hours from Phnom Penh, depending on traffic. Buses to Sihanoukville can drop you at the turn-off, but you then need local transport up into the hills, so a private car or a driver is much easier.

There are a few resorts and guesthouses in the park and homestays around Chambok.

A suggested plan

1. Day 1 morningDrive from Phnom Penh to Kirirom.
2. Day 1 afternoonWalk among the pines, visit a waterfall and the ruins of the old hill station.
3. Day 1 eveningWatch the sunset over the hills and spend the night in the park.
4. Day 2 morningWalk to the Chambok waterfall with a community guide.
5. Day 2 afternoonReturn to Phnom Penh.

Where to stay

Stay in one of the resorts or guesthouses within the park, or in a community homestay near Chambok for a simpler, more local experience.

Good to know

• Bring a light jacket; it can be cool at night.
• Waterfalls are fuller in the rainy season, but trails are muddier.
• Use local guides at Chambok; it supports the community.
• Bring cash; ATMs are rare in the hills.