May 1st, 2005 | The lowdown by Gordon Candelin

Yaklom Lake. Meteor vs Volcano

Actually, it doesn't matter how Yaklom was created. It only matters that you have a swim in its beautiful blue waters while you're visiting Banlung.

About 4 kilometers from the city center down some pretty bumpy roads that will be difficult to navigate in the rainy season, Yaklom is managed by local indigenous tribes as part of a tourism development project.

The entry fee is $1, but if you go early enough (before 7am, which I recommend) there might not be anyone there to check, but surely you can spare the dollar. Just before the sun sets is another good time to go in order to avoid the crowds, which tend to hover around the wooden pier that juts out about 20 feet over the lake and is perfect for diving off of.

It is possible to skirt around the edge of the lake, which forms what looks like a near perfect circle surrounded by forest. The banks are lined with bamboo that is sometimes difficult to wade through, but it is worth it if you want to find an even more secluded spot.

Avoid Yaklom like the plague during any major Khmer holidays, unless you want to see the grounds turned into a walk-in trash can. Fortunately the area does seem to be fairly well looked after, and the damage, in the form of cans, bottles, paper wrappers, plastic bags etc. doesn't last for long.

Word of warning - it gets DARK when the sun sets, and if you are in the middle of the lake when it does, you will have an extremely difficult time orienting yourself back towards the pier, so be careful.