Popokvil Waterfall, Bokor National Park
Close-up of the first tier of Popokvil falls in Bokor Park.
Just a few kilometers from the hill station is the mountain's most interesting natural sight, Popokvil waterfall. The falls lie at the edge of the highland march which covers much of the mountain-top. Due to the poor state of several bridges that cross the streams zig-zaggin over the hill, you have to walk the last kilometer or so to the falls. It's a pleasant enough walk, and if you're lucky you may catch sight of some wild-life, such as giant red squirrels or monkeys.
The falls, at least on my visit, were rather unusual. We crossed over a running stream just a few steps from the edge of the falls, but when we arrived at the falls, there was the sound of a waterfall, but no water in sight. It seems that the water seeps into cracks in the stone bed of the creek before reaching the falls. It then re-appears out the face of the cliff forming the falls. This behavior probably depends on the season, and the resulting water levels.
The falls actually form two tiers. The top-most tier you first catch sight of falls in several streams onto a large shelf of stone. The edge of this shelf forms the second tier, which has a more traditional waterfall look. It can be a bit tricky reaching the bottom of the falls, but the view is worth it. At the bottom of the falls, the water disappears again into a large rock-fall.
For more photos of Popokvil falls, see the on-line photo gallery at my Chieng Fa travel journal.