Observations on Northern and eastern Cambodia

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phuketrichard
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Observations on Northern and eastern Cambodia

Post by phuketrichard »

Am in Banlung, came down from osmach into sr across to steung Treng, up to a friends place on the mekong and across to Banlung.

SR is a small city now ( last visit was 2 years ago) hotels being built everywhere, new shops, new roads, TRAFFIC, its amazing the growth. PUb street is a zoo

Came across a new casino being built on the mekong where the waterfalls are (its like 4,000 islands) north of Steung Treng, 45 kms of dirt road leading to it from the main road, spoke to some Khmers working there, the target market is rich Laotians and they will bring them across by boat. The falls are magnificent!!
this morning took a boat across to a Laos town, 10,000 riel/person there an back. seems 75% of the people living up there are form laos an the kip is used more than the Riel or $$ and my thai was understood more than the gf's Khmer :-)

Cambodians are cutting wood up here like crazy and building new homes everywhere we have driven, never saw a boom like this ever here.
came across 3 small communities of all new homes being built ( some finished) on the 120 km well paved road road between ST and Banlung, 2 communities had over 100 wooden homes and the other about 50. GF suggested this is where He was sent all the people that he kicked off their land to live.
all along the road between sr and st were new homes being build ( the standard wood house on stilts) so its seems the locals are making $$ as a few years ago driving around never saw this much construction.

Amazing Cambodia
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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frank lee bent
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Re: Observations on Northern and eastern Cambodia

Post by frank lee bent »

good report
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Re: Observations on Northern and eastern Cambodia

Post by mammothboy2 »

If you are still in Banlung (AKA Rotanak Kiri) and have your own transport, go and see the spiffy casino hotel bang on the border with Vietnam, the Mittaphep Hotel & Casino.

It is alleged to be wholly or partly-owned by a
well-known timber baron and reputed to have been financed with government 'black money.'

It is also alleged to be losing $6,000 a month.

The punters are all Vietnamese, dressed for a visit to the grocery market and none of them looking at all well-off or particularly happy.

There are very few overnight guests (you can demand, and get, a whopping discount) and there's a lovely big pool; you'll have it all to yourself.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Visitors to Siem Reap should take a trip along Abacus Road (turn right immediately after the Acleda Bank on the way to the airport.)

Feast your eyes on the open-air beer gardens with lovely hostesses eager to make your acquaintance. The last of the beer gardens on the left features searchlights sweeping the night sky. We have no fear of Zeppelin raids.
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Bitte_Kein_Lexus
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Re: Observations on Northern and eastern Cambodia

Post by Bitte_Kein_Lexus »

Cambodia is booming everywhere. I don't go to a place for 6 months and it's a whole different place the next time I'm there.
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Re: Observations on Northern and eastern Cambodia

Post by Anchor Moy »

phuketrichard wrote:
came across 3 small communities of all new homes being built ( some finished) on the 120 km well paved road road between ST and Banlung, 2 communities had over 100 wooden homes and the other about 50. GF suggested this is where He was sent all the people that he kicked off their land to live.

Amazing Cambodia
Think your GF is spot on, if you mean these houses here ? Local populations are being moved to make way for the Lower Sesan 2 Dam.
Image
Image
Image

They are located on the road between O'pong moun and Banlung after the turnoff to the dam construction area. It is a hot windswept landscape with not a tree in sight, and the houses all have sheet metal roofs and no overhangs for shade. It looks like they have just been planted in the middle of nowhere as if that will create a future town and community. When we went past the site, there was really nothing around at all apart from the new houses.
Maybe my perception of what is going on here is wrong, and it will all turn out fine, but from news and local talk, it is clear that not everyone is happy about this relocation to the middle of nowhere.

Scientists for the Mekong : https://www.mekongeye.com/2016/02/11/ca ... elocation/
Cambodians Seek Compensation for LS2 Dam Relocation
SIX* Villages to be Displaced by ‘Lower Sesan 2 Dam’ – Many Refuse to Leave & Ask for Fair Compensation

ImageImageImage
Relocation scheme3, Srepok River, Cambodia

It is obvious from the photos above, why the communities refuse to leave their houses and river and why they reject the “Relocation scheme”… It is ridiculous for fishermen to be relocated to a highway, and so far from the river they know and love…

It can be clearly seen that the land surrounding the houses is too small and barren. This “Compensation scheme” in no way “improves the lives nor the standard of living of the displaced communities” as falsely advertised !

See short video of Community Meeting in Srae Kor clearly stating they will not relocate as the compensation scheme is so bad (in Khmer, with English comments):
:pardon: Sorry to hijack your thread PR, but you reminded me about this relocation scheme, which really sticks in my throat. Those houses looked like shit to me.
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Re: Observations on Northern and eastern Cambodia

Post by Username Taken »

It looks like a typical white-man designed reservation for Aboriginals in Oz.
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Re: Observations on Northern and eastern Cambodia

Post by Username Taken »

phuketrichard wrote:Am in Banlung, came down from osmach into sr across to steung Treng, up to a friends place on the mekong and across to Banlung.

SR is a small city now ( last visit was 2 years ago) hotels being built everywhere, new shops, new roads, TRAFFIC, its amazing the growth. PUb street is a zoo

Came across a new casino being built on the mekong where the waterfalls are (its like 4,000 islands) north of Steung Treng, 45 kms of dirt road leading to it from the main road, spoke to some Khmers working there, the target market is rich Laotians and they will bring them across by boat. The falls are magnificent!!
this morning took a boat across to a Laos town, 10,000 riel/person there an back. seems 75% of the people living up there are form laos an the kip is used more than the Riel or $$ and my thai was understood more than the gf's Khmer :-)

Cambodians are cutting wood up here like crazy and building new homes everywhere we have driven, never saw a boom like this ever here.
came across 3 small communities of all new homes being built ( some finished) on the 120 km well paved road road between ST and Banlung, 2 communities had over 100 wooden homes and the other about 50. GF suggested this is where He was sent all the people that he kicked off their land to live.
all along the road between sr and st were new homes being build ( the standard wood house on stilts) so its seems the locals are making $$ as a few years ago driving around never saw this much construction.

Amazing Cambodia
Great report Richard!

When you get your pics on-line, please post the link to your site. :thumb:
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phuketrichard
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Re: Observations on Northern and eastern Cambodia

Post by phuketrichard »

Casinos are not what i enjoy visiting, ( losing $6,000/month is peanuts) went to Bokor mtn last nov and i loved the 34 km beautifully paved road to the top of a TOTALLY empty casino and hotel.
Heading out to the volcano an a few waterfalls tomorrow :-)
got Honda will travel :-)
----------------
between O'pong moun and Banlung
yep,
as to the homes, there were also some small wooden ones on stilts, not all small cement homes. Nothing around,( the land was cleared for the wood to build), no rice being grown, few trees, no shops,not even a place to get ur moto fixed and buy a cold drink

ST to Banlung is less than 2 hours
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Re: Observations on Northern and eastern Cambodia

Post by ExPenhMan »

Terrific report, PR. Love these out-of-the-way places. Now, I just have to get there.

And yes, the SR Pub Square is a total zoo, with squabbles over the noise from the earschplittinloudenboomer 2nd floor clubs, high-density tuktuk scrums and the inevitable roaming Chinese squads.
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Re: RE: Re: Observations on Northern and eastern Cambodia

Post by General Mackevili »

I need to get up to northern Cambodia. The ONLY time I was up there was when I took a bus to Laos.

That might have been when I first met you, Richard. You were driving all over the place from Thailand.

Nice report and hope we can see some pics.
Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote:Cambodia is booming everywhere. I don't go to a place for 6 months and it's a whole different place the next time I'm there.
Very true.
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