Tatai waterfall and the Cardamom Mountains

Tatai waterfall sits on the Tatai river in Koh Kong province, on the southern edge of the Cardamom Mountains, one of the largest and wildest rainforests left in South-East Asia. The falls are a broad set of rock shelves rather than a single high drop, and the river around them is lined with a handful of remote jungle lodges. It is the easiest way to spend a few nights inside the Cardamoms without a full expedition.

Most travellers race past Tatai on the bus between Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and the Thai border. That is a shame. Slow down here and you get green river mornings, kayaks, forest walks and nights with little more than frogs and generators for company.

The Cardamom Mountains

The Cardamoms run for about 300 kilometres through south-west Cambodia and into eastern Thailand, from the Gulf of Thailand coast up towards Pursat. Their highest point, Phnom Aural at 1,813 metres, is also the highest mountain in Cambodia. The seaward slopes catch the full force of the monsoon, with 3,800 to 5,000 mm of rain a year, and that rain feeds dense evergreen forest.

The range is one of the most important wildlife refuges in the region. Wikipedia’s summary of survey work lists at least 62 globally threatened animal species, including Cambodia’s largest population of Asian elephants, clouded leopards, dholes and Siamese crocodiles, and more than 450 bird species. Tatai lies on the edge of Southern Cardamom National Park, protected in 2016 and covering 4,104 square kilometres.

1. 15th to 17th centuries
   Highland communities place their dead in large ceramic jars and log coffins on remote rock ledges. Researchers are still recording these jar burial sites today.
2. 1979 to 1990s
   After the fall of Phnom Penh, the rugged, roadless Cardamoms become one of the last strongholds of the Khmer Rouge, which kept the forest largely closed for two decades.
3. 2000s
   Logging, poaching and land clearing grow as the area opens up. Conservation groups, including Wildlife Alliance, begin ranger patrols with the Cambodian authorities.
4. 2016
   Southern Cardamom National Park is declared, joining a chain of protected areas across the range.

Tatai waterfall and the river

The Tatai river is wide, deep and slow for most of its length, flowing out of the hills through forest and then mangroves to the sea. Near the old highway crossing, the riverbed steps down over a series of broad rock ledges, and that is Tatai waterfall.

In the dry season the water spreads thinly over the shelves, leaving warm pools and flat rocks for sitting and swimming. In the wet season it turns into a loud, brown, powerful torrent that is spectacular to watch and dangerous to enter. Either way, it is a pretty spot, framed by trees and quiet for most of the day.

You can reach the falls along a short track from the main road, or more memorably by boat from the Tatai bridge, a trip of about 20 minutes. The lodges upriver all run boats and will usually include the falls in a stay.

Things to do around Tatai

Best time to visit

Koh Kong is one of the wettest parts of Cambodia, so the season matters more here than almost anywhere else in the country.

• November to April (dry season): the best time overall. Rivers are calm and clear, trails are walkable and the falls are safe for swimming in the pools. Late in the season the waterfall flow is much lower.
• May to October (wet season): very heavy rain, especially from July to September. The forest is at its greenest and the waterfall at its most dramatic, but swimming is out and some trails and boat trips may not run.
• Time of day: mornings for wildlife and paddling; late afternoon for the mangroves and the sunset.

How to get there

Tatai is on National Road 48, the road that links Sre Ambel and the Sihanoukville area with Koh Kong town and the Cham Yeam border crossing into Thailand. The village and bridge are about 20 kilometres before Koh Kong town.

If you are travelling by bus, tell the driver you want to get off at the Tatai bridge and let your lodge know your arrival time. A private car with driver is much easier, especially if you want to combine Tatai with the coast.

Practical information

Visiting responsibly

The Cardamoms are under real pressure from land clearing, sand dredging on the rivers and illegal hunting. Staying at locally run lodges, hiring local guides and joining community projects such as Chi Phat puts money into keeping the forest standing.

A suggested two nights

1. Day 1, afternoon Arrive at the Tatai bridge, boat to your lodge, swim and settle in
2. Day 1, sunset Boat downstream to the mangroves and the river mouth
3. Day 2, dawn Kayak on the misty river while the birds are active
4. Day 2, late morning Guided forest walk and a visit to Tatai waterfall
5. Day 2, afternoon Rest in the heat, or a boat trip to a second set of falls
6. Day 3 Continue to Koh Kong and Peam Krasop, or head back towards the coast

Tatai fits well with the rest of the south. Many travellers come here from the islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem, or pair it with Bokor National Park near Kampot. See our wildlife experiences and river experiences for more ideas.