Bo Keo Populated Place

Bo Keo is a district of Ratanakiri best known for gem mining in the surrounding countryside. The town has grown considerably in recent years thanks to the opening of the nearby Vietnamese border and the trade the new crossing has brought.

While much of the mining in Ratanakiri is now run by international concessions, many locals still dig the traditional way, lowered down a hole straight into the earth and digging with a pick. Few miners strike it rich, but there is gold in these hills, along with a variety of gems and minerals produced by volcanic activity hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Bo Keo lies about 25 miles (40 km) east of Ban Lung on Route 78. Ask your guesthouse or hotel to arrange transport, or simply hire a motorbike and drive east along the paved highway.

• What is it: A mining town turned border-crossing town on the easternmost edge of Ratanakiri Province.
• Nearest town: Ban Lung, 25 miles (40 km) west; Ban Lung is 3-4 hours east of Stung Treng, and the bus from Phnom Penh runs via Stung Treng in around 12 hours.
• When to go: Anytime, but best in the cool, dry months of November through January.
• Don’t miss: The town market and traditional mining techniques.