Kirirom to Chiphat

[bill]

I finally got to do this route last week. Shiran who runs Straydog Adventures in Sihanouk Ville, Cambodia kindly invited me to come along on one of his tours.



Bikes loaded in Sihanoukville and headed to Kirirom National Park to meet 3 more riders




Turns out the guesthouse in Kirirom was closed for renovations so it was a night in the hammocks down by the river shacks.


Topping up with fuel (from bottles) at river shacks the next morning.




Start of the trail out of Kirirom towards Kamlot




[FONT=&quot]Soon turns into ox cart track


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Lunch stop at one of several river crossings




[FONT=&quot]Trail flattening out and getting sandy as we approach Kamlot


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Rocky river crossing near Kamlot




The same river crossing is also a good place for a swim and/or camping



Kamlot village. Gasoline from bottles available, snacks, bottled water.



The original plan was to camp in the hammocks in or near Kamlot.
However we’d had a good run so far, only minor offs and one bent gear lever, so we decided to press onto Chiphat.
Normally its a two day ride but the dry conditions made a big difference.


A large section of the trail between Kamlot and Chiphat looks like this and includes several nice river crossings. This area is part of the Elephant Corridor.




We arrived in Chiphat ~6pm, big smiles all round !


Downtown Chiphat the next morning




There’s clean guesthouses and good food available in Chiphat. The town has a nice feel to it.



Bike ferry in Chiphat

 

[bsacbob]

Looks like you had a good trip with free bathtime thrown in, the Slumdog Curry place looks interesting. How much was the GH in Chipat ?

I have taken the liberty of adding Straydog Tours to the Cambodia section for information.

 

[bill]

Looks like you had a good trip with free bathtime thrown in, the Slumdog Curry place looks interesting. How much was the GH in Chipat ?

I have taken the liberty of adding Straydog Tours to the Cambodia section for information.

Bob

The GH in Chiphat was $5/night for a fan room and share bathroom.
Our total bill for room, dinner/drinks and breakfast was $15 per person.

Thx for adding the link to the info section

 

[alexuk]

can you post/PM the .gpx?

 

[bigntall]

Bill - Any idea how much water that rocky stream crossing flows once earlier in the year? Would it be passable say in November usually? Any chance of an elevation profile of the route?

StrayDog tours is run by an awesome guy and a cut above the average tour operator. If you're over there and need a guide, he knows his stuff.

I'm amazed how green the section between Chipat and Kirirom still remains. You can only imagine how much rainfall the area receives. This picture was taken along the same ridge but farther north in December.

This is your picture Bill 3 months later. Surprisingly similar.

Was the climb up from Kirirom steeper than the descent down the ridge to Chipat?

Thanks for your report Bill, you've added something to my checklist now. Do you have any more info on the "Elephant corridor"?

 

[bill]

Any idea how much water that rocky stream crossing flows once earlier in the year? Would it be passable say in November usually? Any chance of an elevation profile of the route?

Justin

I believe its passable in November and a tough two day ride given there's more water lying around.

Left to right, Kirirom to Chiphat

StrayDog tours is run by an awesome guy and a cut above the average tour operator. If you're over there and need a guide, he knows his stuff.

You met Zeman from Cambodia Expeditions when you were over here. I was out there a few weeks ago with Zeman. This particular ride was with Shiran from Straydog Adv. Both good operators nonetheless.

Was the climb up from Kirirom steeper than the descent down the ridge to Chipat?

When its dry, the ascent/descent from Kirirom was less technical than the smugglers trail descending into Chiphat.
I haven't tried either when its wet and slippery.

 

[bill]

Do you have any more info on the "Elephant corridor"?

This article gives a brief insight.

Victory! Destructive Titanium Mine Denied Permission to Move Forward - Wildlife Alliance

Shiran tells me they saw wild elephants one morning when camping at a river near Kamlot, between Kamlot and Chiphat.