The falls

I'm shy, Dries has boobs! - Ro

After spending time with Seap and Ro's family, and sharing coffee and fruits with them, we decided to continue our Kulen adventure. Ro told us about a nearby, local waterfall. She explained that it flows off the beaten track, in the jungle, but that's the waterfall she visited the most when she lived in Popel village. She continued that she had never been thus far to the touristy waterfalls. It was decided then; we would visit the local falls first, and check out the tourist waterfalls later. Since it was still around noon, we had plenty of time to see both.

The local waterfalls

Once we said our goodbyes we jumped on the motorbikes and Ro's brother and his friends took us to a local waterfall - something completely different than the tourist attraction on Kulen Mountain. The ride to the waterfalls was through the Cambodian jungle on Kulen Mountain. The paths that the bikes rode on were nothing more than animal tracks. The surroundings changed to pure rock and cliffs to jungle again. At last, we rode over a little wooden log that functioned as a bridge, marking the end of our ride.

The bikes dropped us off in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Luckily, Ro knew the way. She showed us a little track we would never have found without her. It led us about 500 meters further down, between two boulders to enter the lower side of the waterfall area. When we climbed down, we encountered a group of local teenagers having a little party on the sandy shore bordering the water. They were barbecuing and drinking some Cambodian beers.

Due to the dry season, the waterfall was degraded to a little stream making its way down the cliff. Because of the low water, we paddled, basking in the sun, taking everything in.

There was a small island in the middle of the stream with a bench and a table. The surroundings were so lush and green, water rippled over a stone cliff a fallen tree connected the cliff to the riverbed. A magical place altogether, very beautiful and peaceful.

Since we were near the water, and it was very hot and humid, I took off my shirt. Ro had never seen a foreigner without a shirt. She exclaimed:'I'm shy, Dries has boobs!'. This cracked us all up and we burst out laughing.

After half an hour, we decided to check out the tourist waterfalls near PreangThom and have a swim there. The water should've been deeper enabling us to submerge ourselves fully in the cool water and fight the heat. To go there, we had to head back to the main village on Kulen Mountain - PreangThom first.

The waterfalls near PreangThom

After our bike ride through the jungle, we arrived back at PreangThom. From there, we hiked to the waterfalls a bit further downhill. The hike took us about 20 minutes to get to the falls and you pass by foodstands and shops with drinks and trinkets. We crossed the river, over a wooden bridge. Saw a spot with hammocks and bathing places in the river. We passed by the first waterfall where the warriors used to bathe before going to battle during the Angkorian period and walked further down to the bathing place of the common people - now used as a tourist attraction.

When we arrived, we found ourselves a nice place to put our clothes on huge rocks lying in the river bed and took a refreshing plunge in the cold water of Kulen Mountain. Ro never swam before and decided to stay close to the rocks, paddling, and watching us swim. Just as the previous times we swam in the river here, as soon as my feet touch the water, fish started nibbling on them. It makes me wonder what they eat when I'm not there. We looked at the beautiful waterfalls and watched a daredevil scaling up the slippery, mossy, wet rocks.

After having a lot of fun, playing and exploring near the waterfalls, we worked up an appetite and went back to the main village to buy something to eat. Nearing the end of our fun day at Kulen Mountain, and - without us knowing at that point - tumbling in the adventure of a lifetime.