A 2-day jungle trek with the indigenous kachah people

Description

DESCRIPTION

North of Banlung in the buffer zone of the Virachey National park in Ratanakiri province is a beautiful natural area. This mountainous nature Reserve is home to the indigenous Kachah people. Explore the primary, secondary and bamboo forests during this trek. Learn hunting techniques from the indigenous people and learn what you can eat from the forest. Enjoy food prepared on a campfire. Visit their sacred cemetery and learn about their animist believes.

We start our 2-day trek at 8 o’clock in the morning for Kachon which is a 45 min drive. Here we start a boat trip upstream the mighty Sesan River. You can see some beautiful scenery and when the weather is clear you can see the mountains of the Virachey National park as well. After 45 minutes we arrive in Kaoh Piek, a village of the Kachah indigenous people. Our indigenous ranger will join us on our trek.

The first part of the trek leads us through agriculture fields with some farmhouses dotted here and there. Soon we will enter the outskirts of the primary forest and the terrain gets a little hilly. You can enjoy beautiful sceneries and the sounds of the jungle. At one point you will see the Sesan River as a green silver ribbon meander through the landscape. We continue our trek through the primary forest until we reach the campsite at the waterfall around 3pm. We will prepare our campsite, hang our hammocks and cool off underneath the waterfall (some streams dry out in the dry season, so it depends).

The next morning, after we had our breakfast, we walk in a loop back to Koah Piek. The primary forest changes into the secondary. Early noon we will reach the outskirts of Koah Piek village and you will see the first farmhouses appear. We will enjoy our lunch at one of the farmhouses. After lunch we continue further south until we get to the Sesan River. Here we leave our backpacks and visit the sacred cemetery of the Kachah indigenous people. The sacred cemetery has remarkable men high wooden statues. Most of these statues resemble the deceased. Your guide can tell you all about the animist believes of the indigenous people. After visiting the sacred cemetery we take a boat back to Kachon where we will be picked-up to go to Banlung. We will arrive in Banlung at around 4pm.

What to bring

• Long trousers
• T-shirt
• Closed shoes
• Socks
• Cap or Hat
• Sun cream
• Sunglasses
• Small first aid pocket
• Mosquito repellent
• Sandals or flip-flops
• Small towel
• Flash light

Price includes:

• Professional licensed guide
• Indigenous ranger expert tracker
• Transportation
• Rain poncho's
• Backpacks
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Drinks (water, coffee, tea)
• Entrance fee

Price excludes:

• Personal expenses
• Breakfast day 1
• Dinner day 2
• Snacks
• Insurance
• Tips