To Know Before Coming

National park entrance ticket

Phnom Kulen National Park is managed separately from Angkor Archaeological Park, so an Angkor Pass does not cover it, and a Phnom Kulen ticket does not cover Angkor. This ticket is what gets you up the main road to Preah Ang Thom, the reclining Buddha, the River of a Thousand Lingas and the main waterfall.

Price: $20 USD for foreign visitors at Phnom Kulen. Cambodian nationals enter free with ID; children under 12 don’t need a ticket but must show a passport at the checkpoint for proof of age.
Where to buy: at the ticket office at the base of the mountain, or at the ticket Office in town, where you can negotiate a lower price ($13).
Payment: cash (USD or Riel) at the gate; card payment is only available through agencies that accept it in advance.

Road access times — read this before planning your day

The road up to Preah Ang Thom is one-way and changes direction partway through the day, so timing matters more here than at most Cambodian sites.

Up the mountain: 7:00 AM – 11:30 AM only. Arrive before 11:30 AM or you won’t be able to drive up that day.
Park closes at 4:00 PM, at which point the road switches to one-way down.
If you’re combining the main road sites with a community trek (Anlong Thom or Popel), plan your morning around the 11:30 AM cutoff first, then build the trek timing around it.

Community-based tourism center (CBTC) trek fees

Visiting the Anlong Thom or Popel Community Protected Areas requires booking directly with the relevant CBTC, separately from the national park ticket above.

Book your trek

What to Expect on the Mountain

Phnom Kulen is a rural national park, not a resort — facilities are basic, and spread across a few key points along the plateau rather than concentrated in one place. Knowing where to find water, toilets, food and shops before you set off makes the day much smoother.

Bring cash: there are no ATMs on the mountain, and card payments are not reliable this far from Siem Reap.
Bring a reusable water bottle: you can refill it for free at the Anlong Thom CBTC, and it cuts down on plastic waste on the trail.
Mobile signal is patchy once you’re off the main road, so download or screenshot anything you need (maps, contact numbers) before you go up.
Wear comfortable, closed shoes: most facilities sit a short walk from where vehicles can park.

Staying Overnight

There’s no walk-in accommodation inside the Community Protected Areas. If you’d like to spend the night in Anlong Thom or Popel, whether in a homestay or at a resting hut, it has to be arranged in advance directly with the CBTC.

Request authorization ahead of time: contact the CBTC at least 5 days before your visit so they can confirm availability and arrange a host household or hut.
Overnight stays help the community directly, but capacity is limited, so last-minute requests may not be possible.
[Insert contact method: phone/WhatsApp/email/booking form for each CBTC.]

Safety & Regulations

Both Community Protected Areas ask visitors to follow the same core rules, since they exist to protect the same forest, the same archaeological sites and the same villagers’ safety. A few rules differ slightly between the two centers because of local terrain: those are listed separately below.

Safety

Use the community’s transport and guide services rather than your own motorbike: it’s safer, and it directly supports the community.
Always wear a helmet if riding a motorbike as part of the trek.
Don’t split off from the group without telling your guide first.
Take care on rocks near rivers and waterfalls: surfaces are often slippery, and unnecessary risks aren’t worth it.

Environment

Don’t leave any garbage behind: if you brought it in, please carry it back out.
Refill your water bottle from the community’s filter station before setting out on the trek.
Never burn garbage.
Don’t eat or drink in the river or directly at a waterfall: use the designated rest areas.
Hunting of any kind is forbidden.
Don’t pick wild flowers, orchids or any other plants from the forest.

Behavior

Keep music off in the forest and at picnic or resting areas.
Don’t remove stones from rivers, waterfalls, temples or rock shelters.
Never touch carvings, sit on fragile structures, move or take archaeological artifacts, or leave graffiti.

Where the two communities’ rules differ

Topic	Anlong Thom	Popel
Motorbike use	Guided motorbike transport is part of the trek to remote sites — helmets required.	Motorbikes are not allowed on walking tracks or in resting areas — these are foot-trails only.
Riverbed & waterfalls	Follow your guide’s directions around river crossings.	Don’t walk in the riverbed itself — take the jungle trail if you want to reach a second waterfall.
Eating & drinking near water	Not at the river or waterfall.	Not at the river or waterfalls — rest-huts only.
Removing stones	No stones from the river, temples or rock shelters.	No stones from the river or waterfalls.