Everyone was going stir crazy on the weekend and we all needed some fresh air and some space. I wanted to get the new truck dirty and Karma needed a run badly so we packed up and headed 140kms south to Kirirom National Park. I had not been there since my second visit to Cambodia back in 2006 and I remembered how cool and refreshing it was.It is a hell of a drive along the Death Highway to get out there but well worth it as it is very very green and the “altitude” ( damn….forget to check the altimeter in the LC ! ) means it is much cooler than ground level.

Leakhana and I monkey at Kirirom back in 2006

We took as right hand turn when we got there and it the red dirt that took us out to the waterfalls and Mr Bo’s “romantic cafe” ( a thatched bush shack ) and then headed back, swung left and headed up the lake that we had swum in back in 2006. What a surprise awaited us ! All the nice thatched picnic huts were no derelict and there was no food or swimming platforms to be had. However, it now made a very nice camping spot with plenty of shade, plenty of timber for cooking fires and your own private lake !Note to self for future trips !

Lush lake

Ghost shacks

After a couple of hours of driving around we decided lunch was in order so headed to another lake we knew had lunch shacks. Here we found plenty of Phnom Penhers out for the day enjoying the open space and we were soon ensconced in our own little hut on the less than pristine waterway. Karma was having a ball scaring the shit out of the local mutts ,Grace ran around shoe-less and played in the dirt and I lay down and stared into the sky whilst we waited for the South East Asia’s most expensive chicken and beef dishes to arrive. Two plates of basic grub, 4 beers and shack hire cost $25. Second note to self – never eat there again. Take BBQ!. What a rip off.

Our lunch hut $2.50 rental fee

Srey Pek and Angus kip out

Karma in the Cruiser

Grassy glades and pine trees. Pine trees ????? WTF !

Grace and our future camp site