Facilities at Phnom Kulen
Water
Staying hydrated matters on Kulen, especially if you’re trekking between sites in the heat. Bottled water is sold at the stalls and restaurants around Preah Ang Thom, but if you’re passing through Anlong Thom, skip the plastic altogether.
Refill for free at Anlong Thom CBTC
The Anlong Thom Community-Based Tourism Center offers a free water refill point for visitors, so you can top up a reusable bottle before or after your trek instead of buying another plastic one.
Ask about water refill when you book your Anlong Thom trek
Toilets
Public toilets on Phnom Kulen are limited to a small number of points, so it’s worth planning around them rather than expecting facilities along the trail itself.
- Preah Ang Thom: toilets are available in the pagoda.
- Popel CBTC: toilets are available at the community center.
- Anlong Thom CBTC: toilets are available at the community center.
Outside of these three points, facilities are minimal, so use them before setting out on a trek or a longer stretch of the visit.
Food & Restaurants
Around Preah Ang Thom, a cluster of small restaurants and food stalls serves Khmer favorites – noodle soups, grilled meats, rice dishes, fresh coconuts and cold drinks – making it an easy spot to stop for lunch before or after visiting the reclining Buddha and the River of a Thousand Lingas.
If your visit includes a trek with one of the CBTCs, though, you won’t need to look for a restaurant at all.
A picnic, set up just for you, on the trail
Every CBTC trek includes a private picnic prepared and served by community members — set up at a scenic spot along the way, whether that’s a creek beneath a waterfall or in the shade at the foot of an ancient temple.
The meal is Khmer home cooking: rice, omelet, stew such as pork with eggplant or chicken, etc. Dessert is also included (fresh fruit, traditional waffles, etc.), with a whole coconut to drink. Vegetarian and other dietary needs can be arranged in advance.
True to the community’s eco-tourism values, there’s no single-use plastic here: meals are packed the traditional way, in pandan-leaf boxes and banana leaf wrapping, cooked fresh by local women in the community.
Let your CBTC know about dietary needs when you book your trek
Kulen Craft
Local Handicrafts & Workshops
Near the park entrance, Kulen Craft is a community-run handicraft shop where local artisans sell what they make by hand — a good last stop on your way out, and a way to bring home a souvenir that puts money directly into the communities you’ve been visiting.
- Locally handcrafted goods: pandan-leaf mats, woven baskets, carved wooden knives and other traditional items, made by artisans from the surrounding villages.
- Every purchase supports the makers directly and helps sustain traditional Kulen crafts for the next generation.
Want to do more than shop? Ask about joining a hands-on workshop with the local women and artisans who make these pieces: learning to weave a pandan mat or basket, or watching a knife being shaped, directly from the people who do it every day.
Other Practical
Facilities
- Parking: available near the main checkpoint at Preah Ang Thom and at each CBTC; a driver arranged for the day can wait or reposition while you trek.
- Shade and rest points: covered areas near Preah Ang Thom and at the CBTCs offer a break from the sun between sites.
- Cash only: no ATMs on the mountain; withdraw what you need in Siem Reap before heading up.
- Waste bins: limited outside the main sites and CBTCs. Please carry out what you carry in, and use CBTC bins where available, to help keep the trails and waterways clean.
Facilities at a Glance
|
Water |
Toilets |
Food |
Craft & Workshops |
|
|
Preah Ang Thom |
Bottled water for sale |
Available |
Restaurants & food stalls |
Kulen Craft near entrance |
|
Popel CBTC |
[Confirm refill availability] |
Available |
Picnic included on CBTC trek |
Ask CBTC about workshops |
|
Anlong Thom CBTC |
Free refill point |
Available |
Picnic included on CBTC trek |
Ask CBTC about workshops |
Want everything sorted before you go up?
Book your trek directly with a CBTC and your water refill, picnic,
and a local guide are already taken care of — with the option to add a craft workshop along the way.