1- Bokor Mountain The road to the summit of Bokor Mountain is pock-marked and strewn with rocks; vehicles crawl up the winding road lined with faded kilometer markers. Through sun-lit gaps in the trees, a glimpse of the sea brightens the weary faces of travelers and when they reach the summit, buttons are pressed and car windows slide down to the smell of wild flowers and the bite of cold air. Dilapidated buildings with missing doors and windows for eyes—their façades patched with rust-colored-lichen—watch the arrivals through empty frames. In the early twenties, these solemn quiet buildings were once the lively heart of the famed ‘Borei Bokor’ or ‘City of Bokor’. In 1922 King Sisowath agreed to the construction of this settlement. A settlement, with schools, a hospital, a pagoda and a Christian church, hotels, a post office, a power plant and a water-supplying plant. Bokor became a haven for French holiday-makers. During the Sangkum Reastr Nyum era (1955-1970), led by Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, ‘Borei Bokor’ was famed for its windswept beauty and incomparable scenery. In 1961, King Norodom Sihanouk, ordered the renovation of all public buildings and the construction of additional buildings to beautify the area to entice more visitors.  The French having left, Bokor then became a week-end holiday resort for Cambodian civil servants from Phnom Penh. Cambodia enjoyed a certain prosperity then, on a par with other Southeast Asian countries. But the civil war of the following two decades almost destroyed ‘Borei Bokor’ and its beauty was forgotten. But slowly, it is emerging from the rubble. The Cambodian government has honored the settlement, and the mountain’s, history. It is now a protected national park. Director of Bokor National Park Chey Yuthearith says about 10,000 people lived in ‘Borei Bokor’ during the Sangkum Reastr Nyum era. They were civil servants, businessmen and farmers, who grew vegetables, fruit trees and tea. “But now only a group of 50 park rangers live atop Bokor,” Chey says.  “This area is colder than any other place in the whole kingdom. At certain times of the year, in the evenings, the temperature drops to as low as 10-16°C and rises to a mere 22°C during the day.” “The Bokor summit is 1,079m above sea level. The national park is 42km from Kampot and it is 32km from the junction of National Road 3, at the foot of the mountain, to the peak.” According to a 1993 Royal Decree, Bokor National Park covered an area of 140,000ha including the former City, but Chea says the entire area of the park covers 150,000ha. The director complains that as there are too few rangers for such a vast area it is difficult to patrol illegal loggers and poachers. For sightseers, Chea says there is a 60m, three-tiered waterfall in the Park and 20km from the old ‘City of Bokor’, there is a large, flat area of rock with grasses growing between the cracks in lines, like dikes in a rice field. This place is called Veal Srae Muy Roy or Plain of a Hundred Rice Fields. “There are also many kinds of wild animals in the forest, tigers, elephants, oxen, buffalo, deer all roam here and there are more than 230 species of birds.” Prum Socheat is a staff member at the Khmer Women’s Voice Center and Sary Nitha works at an organization assisting women in crisis. They are visitors at Bokor and they offer their impressions of the mountain-top. “I feel as if I were flying or walking in the sky like in my dreams. When I peer down from where I stand, I see clouds floating along the waist of the mountain far away,” Prum says. “Here, you feel the coldness reaching into your heart,” Sary says. “No waterfall is as cold as Bokor waterfall. I will never forget the scenery of the mountain. It is like a daydream in the sky.” 2- Kirirom Mountain Vendor Area There are few signs in the national park, and those that do exist are only in Khmer so it is not easy to get around unless you speak Khmer and are able to ask many times where you are and where different sites are. The center of traffic in the park is this vendor area, a sort of crossroads. As we tried to find out directions to various sites within the park, we bought some snacks from this woman: rice, jackfruit, and coconut wrapped in a banana leaf and roasted on the little grill to her left. The large green objects on the platform are jackfruit. The development of the vendor area is underway, and one of its future attractions will be this display with a stuffed mountain goat and a sun bear, one of two species of bear within the park. The case is barely big enough for one of the animals, and they are already starting to disintegrate because the case is not sealed. Waterfalls The vendor area is located near Waterfall #1, and many park patrons buy food from the vendor stalls and take it to these small shelters spaced along the stream that creates Waterfall #1. Most American picnickers would consider the surrounding shelters too close for comfort, but for Asians who tend to favor community and rarely experience being alone, having another group immediately on either side is no problem at all. Various friends had spoken in glowing terms of the three waterfalls of Kirirom park. We went only to Waterfall #1 (not a very captivating name!) but it was lacking something--water. In the present dry season, the water flow was only a trickle. The whole setting of the stream and fall (actually more of a rapids here) made us want to return in the rainy season, though. More impressive at this time than the waterfall was the small lake located above it. The water is tea-colored, from the minerals in the soil, we learned. It was quite a peaceful and serene sight although it may have a different appearance when hundreds of picknickers are about. This small dugout rested at the edge of the lake. It is made from the bottom end of a palm tree trunk. The palm tree is a very valuable and useful part of the environment in the area. The palm nuts give oil for cooking; the palm fronds make thatched roofs and walls; and the tree trunks become dugout boats and firewood. Various Things This is a pine tree seedling that survived when a section of the Kirirom forest was burned. We saw quite a few fires burning during the hours we were walking, and at the information center we read that the fires are intentionally set so that grazing wild animals are forced out into the open where they are easier targets, or else those who set the fires want to claim the land although it's government land in a park. In an somewhat remote area of the pine forest in the park, we ran across these concrete platforms, set into a fan shaped plot, almost like an outdoor amphitheater. However, sharp stones are cemented into the flat top sections of the slabs as if to keep someone or something away. We could figure out no reason or purpose for the platforms on which Kathy Kremer is standing. We hiked in the large pine forest, the only one in Cambodia, for several hours and then came back to where our driver had parked the car and was waiting for us. We decided to try the guesthouse for lunch, and here we are in front of the steps leading up to its restaurant. The guesthouse has five or six rooms and the retaurant just four tables. Most Cambodians would eat food from the vendors near the waterfall. Visitors Center The Kirirom National Park, whose official name is Preah Suramarith Kossmak, is about 80,000 acres of forested land on a rare plateau in southwestern Cambodia. The elevation is about 2,200 feet, high enough to support a large pine forest quite distinct from most of the country's tropical jungle. Our last stop in the park was a newly renovated visitors center which was small but quite impressive. The visitors center has some really attractive displays although there are too many for such a small space. Still it was refreshing to see such high standards applied to the center. Especially rewarding was meeting the woman in the picture, the manager of the center, who obviously was proud of her country, her park, and her job representing it to the public. Next to the visitors center are the ruins of a large old mansion. Pictured here is a tall, multi-part chimney on a foundation surrounded by a wooden deck that is falling dangerously apart. The house was a hot-season estate of Cambodia's King Sihanouk but it was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge who were not finally driven out of this area until 1992. more info., please visit kirirom Hillside Resort 3-Sihanoukville Sokha Beach   Sokha Beach is the most popular beach. It is a high quality beach with many facilities available. So wide that even at high tide it can be enjoyed. Grass and shade from the palm trees will add to your enjoyment. Soft drink vendors, bungalows and even a seafood restaurant are all within walking distance. The southern end which is a short walk offers a rocky point which you may do some snorkeling and even staying dry you might see some marine life at low tide. Enjoy this beach now as construction is planned in the near future. Ochheuteal Beach   Ochheuteal Beach is developed at one end and quite and peaceful on the other end of this long and narrow beach. Many nice hotels can be found on the developed end along with some great seafood restaurants. Sand fleas can sometimes be a problem so bring some repellent just in case. There are some decaying old building that are worth a look at the quite end of this beautiful beach. Independence Beach   Independence Beach was named after the long closed down Independence hotel. Although used by weekenders it is less crowded than the other beaches. Long and narrow this beach is better at low tide. The northwest end is better because it's wider there. A seafood restaurant and fresh water lake can be found there but don't swim there as you might meet an old crocodile. A grassy park with many kinds of statues is there for your relaxation as well as a few monkeys along the road to the decaying Independence hotel. Victory Beach   Victory Beach is divided by a rocky point. The southern beach (shown) is also known as "Hawaii Beach" and is home to a good seafood restaurant and a lot of peaceful sand. The northern side is where the shipping port and a park are located. A great place to watch the big ships come and go. Budget bungalows & restaurants can be found close by.

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