Two Sore Backs

The road from Battembang to Rainbow Lodge takes you through the  gorgeous Cardamom Mountains. We had learned about the Lodge and the Cardamoms from our daughter Cara’s friends Kate and Taylor, @unpavedleave on Instagram, and we had seen an amazing photo display of the region at The Factory Phnom Penh.  We were excited.

The private vehicle we had hired for the trip was expensive compared to taking a bus to Phnom Penh and then another bus to Tatai. Imagine our surprise when the driver missed the Cardamom Mountain turn off and kept heading towards Phnom Penh.

I was riding in the front seat and scrambled to show him a Google map while gesturing for him to turn around. He brought out his phone and the English translation of his Khmer phrase was “road too difficult to build”.

We messaged the transport organizer and he replied “driver knows how to go to Rainbow Lodge”.

So, onward we went almost to Phnom Penh before turning southwest towards Tatai.  What are you gonna do?

Ironically, the highway for at least a hundred kilometers east of Tatai was a car-destroying construction disaster, and we later learned that the Cardamom Mountain road, also partly under construction, wasn’t too bad.

In any case, we eventually got to Tatai and transferred to a longtail boat for the short trip up river to the resort.

Directions to our bungalow: left at the jackfruit tree, left at the cats.

Rainbow Lodge is inspiring. They are off-grid, powered by solar panels and minimal backup. Food, which was excellent, is included in the price and many of the fruits and vegetables are grown in gardens on the property.

Staff here are genuinely committed to sustainability and, in particular, wildlife protection.

The administrator here, Gee (short for Gerald – he’s a British ex-pat), besides being a frustrated accountant, spends most of his spare time photographing birds. The number that he’s catalogued is amazing, and the lodge is fast becoming a favourite with Cambodian birders.  Sitting in the common area at dawn or dusk was almost sensory overload from all the sounds of the jungle, especially the birds.

Our first organized activity was a 6-hour jungle hike to a secluded swimming hole, and then on to the Tatai Waterfall, guides by Piroom, who is also the general manager. 

It had rained very briefly the night before, so the jungle was hot and steamy.

We were hearing Gibbons – a type of small ape – in the distance. They are terrified of humans having almost been poached to extinction.  Here Piroom is calling them. It sounds uncannily similar to the real thing.

Piroom’s knowledge of the jungle and how he notices virtually everything, even the smallest of insects, was impressive.  His dedication to conservation and the environment comes through strongly.

One bit of wildlife we failed to photograph was the leech I found attached to my shin. Val had one too – we scraped them off in a panic! (This despite the fact that we were both wearing long pants – pro tip: tuck your pants into your socks while trekking in the jungle.)

These leeches were not in water. They are land-based and can dry out completely.  The very short rain shower the night before was all it took to bring them to life.

Val and I were well-cooked by the time we reached the swimming hole. It didn’t take long to scrape off the leeches and put on the bathing suits for a refreshing swim.

We had our lunch at the waters edge. I had ordered pork larb, which was delicious and well worth packing in. (It was piping hot from the wok when I put it in my pack.  Not ideal for what was already a steamy hike!)

Putting our sweat-soaked runners and hiking clothes back on was not the best experience. I’m sure the temperature was pushing well past 40 with the humidex.

We heard more Gibbons while hiking between the swimming hole and the falls. Piroom and Nicky, one of the other guests, snuck through the jungle to try and see them.

Piroom managed to see them, but from quite a distance. Val and I stayed behind to minimize noise.

The falls were a welcome site. It has been a long and challenging hike in the heat.

Piroom spotted these fruits on the way back to the lodge.

We stopped for a few minutes so Piroom and his step-father could harvest some of them.

Having them with dinner that evening was discussed, but it didn’t happen.  We think the kitchen ladies took pity on us – the fruits apparently result in relationship-testing flatulence.

On the following day we decided to paddle through the mangroves. Nicky had left and was on the way to Battambang, so it was just Chris and ourselves. This left room for Piroom’s son, which was nice.

The mangroves were pretty cool.

They were a bit like being in a maze.  After paddling for an hour or so, Piroom gave each of us a chance to navigate back to the big boat. That didn’t go so well, so Piroom took over and we made it back.

The next part of the trip was for clamming. We anchored in a shallow area between two islands and everybody hopped out.

We were in about three feet of water. To find the clams, you basically walk along until you notice a hard bump in the sand. Then you use your feet to dig the clam out.

Piroom and his father could do this with one foot and I honestly cannot figure out how.  I needed to use both, kind of like salad tongs, and once I had pulled it out I had to take a deep breath and go under water to grab it from between my feet.

Every once in a while I find myself doing something so awkward that it feels like I’m in a Mr. Bean episode. This was one of them. 

Fortunately we had some experts so it didn’t take too long before we had enough for dinner. We also got a couple crabs, but they were so small I have no idea how they were even used.  

With fresh seafood onboard, an impromptu cooking class was arranged. Shortly after arriving back at the lodge, everything was ready to go.

We actually cooked Fish Amok, which is a common dish in Cambodia. The clams were served later on to give them more time to spit their sand.

Fish Amok is made with coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, salt and a paste made from chilis, lemongrass, turmeric and herbs. Fresh greens are wilted into the dish, and it has a funky, cheesy taste that comes from a special ingredient: “rotfish”. Rotfish is exactly that – a pungent paste made from fermented fish meat.

Piroom had an interesting take on it. He said he hated cheese until he realized it was similar to rotfish, which he loves.

The ingredients, except for the fish, were mixed together and brought to a boil. The mixture was then folded into the raw fish, which was then spooned into banana leaves, topped with coconut cream and mild chili, and steamed. The result was delicious!

We slept well that night, despite the heat.

The following day was moving day. Time for a few photos before the boat ride to Tatai where we expected to catch a fast ferry to Koh Chang. (The fast ferry didn’t pan out – kind of like the car trip through the Cardamoms.)

Rainbow Lodge was an amazing experience. Many thanks to Kate and Taylor – @unpavedleave – for letting us know about it!  If you’re considering an Asia trip, their Instagram is highly recommended.