Where to experience Cambodia's traditional Indigenous culture

Rising up towards the remote border regions that buffer Vietnam and Laos, the mountainous provinces of Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri have long been a world apart from the rice paddies and sugar palms that define the rest of Cambodia. However, it is a difference that goes far beyond just geography. The region is home to cultures who inhabit distinctive dwellings that mark their territory, and who elevate animism and spirit worship above Buddhism. Known as the ‘Khmer Loeu’ (Upper Khmer), these peoples were exploited as slaves and soldiers for a long time by the dominant ethnicities in the region – the Khmer, Vietnamese and Thai. It is a history which means that, even today, they are often still looked down on by many urban Cambodians.

Mondulkiri translates as ‘the meeting of the hills’, an apt sobriquet for a region that looks more like the Welsh Brecon Beacons than the lowlands of Cambodia. It provides a pine-clad home to the Bunong people, among others, who have traditionally reared elephants to help them eke out a sustainable living from the land. Their villages, made up of thatched dwellings, cling to the hillsides throughout the province and aesthetically blend into the landscape. They are also among the most hospitable of the many peoples of north-east Cambodia, and almost every village visit involves a slug on the communal rice wine jug. Those who are teetotal be warned: it is considered offensive to decline the hospitality of the elders, and politeness can all too easily turn into a serious session.

Many of the minorities of the north-east have abandoned their tribal clothing and motifs for more everyday fashion. The upshot is that the ‘human zoo’ element – and accompanying exploitation – that often comes with bus-loads of tourists jostling for a photograph isn’t seen here. Instead, visits offer more of a cultural exchange, with locals eager to share their lifestyle, tradition and cuisine. If you are lucky, you might even arrive during a celebration or musical performance, during which you may see a copper choeng (traditional gong) being played. Performances typically build into a hypnotic incantation that is fuelled by the ever-present, and free-flowing, rice wine.

With fewer than 200,000 Khmer Loeu living in Cambodia, their lifestyle and culture is under immense pressure from lowland Khmers migrating to the highlands and from the over-development of the natural environment. For now, their future remains in a delicate balance, but the chance for travellers to visit and see the region through their eyes not only provides a vital source of income to different communities, but a visibility too long denied them.

Here are six places to experience traditional culture in Cambodia...

1. Elephant Valley Project, Mondulkiri

The remote and wild Elephant Valley Project pioneered walking-with-the-herd tours in Cambodia more than 15 years ago and works closely with the Bunong people of Mondulkiri to offer a sustainable ‘retirement home’ for former working elephants. Visitors can explore their valley home for a half day or a full day, or volunteer for a week or more to learn about the lives of these gentle pachyderms through their Bunong mahouts. For example, brothers Plouck and Thouk have been with the project since its founding and love to introduce the unique personalities of elephants to visitors.

2. Jahoo Gibbon Camp, Mondulkiri

Jahoo is a community-owned eco-tourism enterprise that operates in the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, which is home to the world’s largest population of yellow-cheeked crested gibbons. Here, a habituation programme, set up in partnership with the local Bunong community, offers visitors the opportunity to accompany Indigenous guides on treks to spot these shy primates in the wild. The community fund receives US$30 per visitor from these tours, which goes to supporting traditional ceremonies and scholarships for children. Bunong guides can also take you to some beautiful hidden waterfalls and cook you up their local speciality: a delicious pork and aubergine stew. gibbon.life

3. Putang Village, Mondulkiri

Putang is not only one of the closest Bunong villages to provincial capital Sen Monorom, but it also allows visitors to experience a traditional homestay in a Bunong house. These are becoming increasingly rare as the Bunong switch to Khmer-style stilt houses, which rise above the seasonal flooding. There are no windows in a Bunong house – just two doors at either end, set under a low thatched roof. Although a fire may be lit indoors for cooking or keeping warm in winter, it might be best to request a ‘no smoking’ room and skip the indoor fire. You will certainly breathe easier at night.

4. Yeak Laom Lake, Ratanakiri

This volcanic crater lake in the jungle of Ratanakiri Province forms a perfect circle and is a sacred space for the Tompoun people who inhabit this region. Despite its revered status, it is acceptable for both locals and visitors to swim here. It is also possible to trek around the perimeter of the water to where there is a Tompoun community centre, which has information on their cultural practices. It even hosts the occasional musical performance during festivals.

5. Veun Sai, Ratanakiri

Veun Sai is a small village on the banks of the San River in Ratanakiri that plays host to a number of different peoples, including Tompoun, Lao and Chinese. The latter settled here more than a century ago and retain a distinct cultural identity, while their Lao and Khmer neighbours are harder to distinguish, unless you understand their individual mother tongues. The Tompoun people, in particular, have unique funeral rites and bury their deceased in nearby cemeteries marked by wooden effigies; it is even possible to visit one of these burial areas in Kachon via a boat trip down the river.

6. The ‘Iron Kuy’ of Preah Vihear

The Kuy people of northern Cambodia were once considered the blacksmiths of the Khmer empire, forging the swords, spears and shields that ensured the armies of Angkor swept all before them on mainland South-East Asia. Originally spread across northern Cambodia, eastern Thailand and southern Laos, the number of Kuy in Cambodia today is now thought to number around 70,000. There are still some villages along the NH64 road, which runs from Kompong Thom to Preah Vihear City, that you can visit where Kuy blacksmiths continue to forge traditional knives and daggers.

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