Road Conditions:
The road between Phnom Penh and Stung Treng has recently been upgraded and sealed (though an unsealed shortcut south of Kratie is more often used as it saves 100km) and can be negotiated rather quickly. But the road between the Stung Treng junction and Banlung is unsealed and despite recent improvements, is still rough with many small bridges and dusty or muddy depending on the season. It is currently being rebuilt, including a long diversion around the proposed lower Sesan 2 hydro dam.
It is possible to get buses to Banlung from/to:
Phnom Penh - Doing this in a single day is now reliable, with 4 'big' buses (Sorya, Rithy Mony, Hy Long, GST; R39,000/$9.70) and numerous minivans (R40,000/$10) servicing the route regularly, departing from 6 - 7:30am. The minivans are faster but the free pickup and dropoff can add 2-3 hours to the 8 hour trip.
Kratie - Takes 5-7 hours. Costs $8. Buses are often late.
Laos- It is possible to buy a ticket to Four Thousand Islands in Laos from Banlung. These are not direct buses; you must take three buses, switching at Stung Treng and at the border, and then a boat to your final destination. Costs $14-18. Laos visas are not available at the border.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Banlung
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Banlung - updated Apr 2024
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Banlung Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
