BIRDING CAMBODIA

Day 1 Arrival: Siem Reap

(Meals: _/_/_)

You will be met at the airport in Siem Reap by a See Cambodia Differently representative, who will transfer you to your hotel before running through your trip details with you. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy as you wish.

 

Day 2 Birding and Angkor Temples: Siem Reap

(Meals: B/L/_)

Today we usually try to balance the day between the Cambodian birds and the Angkor temples. However if you would rather focus on one area this can also be arranged, or we can do a mixture of the two. The Angkor temples are a fantastic site and hopefully, the time spent at Beng Melea and Koh Ker temples will have wetted your appetite for the Angkor Archaeological site. There are also a lot of Cambodian birds that can be found in the Park including Oriental Darter around the moat, Hainan Blue, Taiga and Asian Brown Flycatchers, White-throated Rock-Thrush, Black Baza, Blue Rock Thrush, Forest Wagtails, Olive-backed Pipit, Greater Racquet-tailed Drongos, Asian Barred Owlets Coppersmith Barbet, Ashy Minivet, Yellow-browed, and Pale-legged Leaf-Warbler, raucous Redbreasted and Alexandrine Parakeets and White-crested Laughing thrushes. We will spend a full day here watching a beautiful sunset amongst the temples before returning to Siem Reap.

 

Day 3 Bird Reserve of Prek Toal: Siem Reap

(Meals: B/L/_)

This morning we travel to the Tonle Sap, the largest natural lake in South East Asia. In the west corner of the lake you can find the Prek Toal core bird reserve, home to the largest breeding colonies of water birds in South East Asia. Covering 22,000 hectares of seasonally flooded forest it provides the perfect habitat for numerous species of water birds. The sanctuary harbours seven species of global conservation significance: Spotbilled Pelican, Milky and Painted Storks, Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black‐headed Ibis and Oriental Darter and has a globally significant population of Grey‐ headed Fish Eagle. Our day begins early; we collect you from your hotel at around 05:30 and travel to Chong Khneas, a port on the Tonle Sap Lake. We transfer to a boat and continue to Prek Toal, the journey we take depends on the season and conditions but we will moor for breakfast at the edge of the primary forest lining. We continue into the reserve and have the choice with regards to lunch, a packed lunch can be provided so you can spend more time in the reserve or if you would prefer we can stop for a Khmer lunch in a floating house back in the village. We then spend the afternoon exploring the Prek Toal reserve in traditional paddle boats, before returning to Siem Reap.

 

Day 4 Sarus Crane Reserve at Ang Trapaeng Thmor

(Meals: B/L/_)

Originally a reservoir built using slave labour during the Khmer Rouge regime, the reservoir has evolved past its dark past into the Sarus Crane reserve. Which is home to over 300 of these magnificent birds with a further 198 recorded bird species on site, 18 of which are globally threatened. Black‐necked Storks frequent the site along with many of the large water birds seen at Prek Toal; Black‐headed Ibis, Milky and Painted Storks, Spot‐billed Pelicans, Oriental Darters, Asian Openbills and Greater and Lesser Adjutants. We spend the day here watching the various Cambodian birds and lunch will again be provided, we then return to Siem Reap where the evening is yours to enjoy as you wish.

 

Day 5 Tmatboey via the Florican Grasslands:

(Meals: B/L/D)

You have a free day to enjoy the beautiful infinity pool or the relaxation huts at the end of the jetty which has stunning views of the ocean. There is also the option to play petanque (Bowls) and relax on the sandy beach.

 

Day 6 Full Day around Prey Veng: Prey Veng

(Meals: B/L/D)

Prey Veng is a remote forest village in the Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary which is currently at the centre of a conservation project. The campsite lies on the banks of an ancient Angkorian Baray or reservoir and is now an important feeding site for many rare birds and mammals. Prey Veng regularly yields 150 species including 3 key birds; Giant Ibis, Greater Adjutant and White-winged Duck. The baray about 2km long by 1km wide is surrounded by thick forest giving cover for the birds during the day and providing a feeding site at dawn and dusk when the White-winged Duck roosts on trees within the baray. For those who would like a break from birding a few hundred metres away from the campsite is a Cambodian temple which is unspoilt by tourists as it is off the beaten track. It is a temple that is well worth a look dating back as far as the Angkor temples and something that you can explore on your own.

 

Day 7 - 9 Prey Veng and Tmatboey: Tmatboey

(Meals: B/L/D)

The Tmatboey Ibis Site is 1 of only 2 known nesting sites in Asia for the Giant Ibis that use large trees in the forest away from the village to nest. Tmatboey is a remote Khmer village of 220 families situated in the centre of the Northern Plains of Cambodia, within the Khulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary, the country’s largest protected area. Woolly‐necked Stork are relatively common and can be seen in flocks of over 40. Greater‐spotted Eagle regularly over‐winter and Grey‐headed Fish Eagle and White‐rumped Falcon occur at low densities. The Pale‐capped Pigeon is another highlight along with an amazing diversity of woodpeckers and Brown Fish Owl, Spotted Wood Owl and Brown Wood Owl. We stay in Tmatboey over night and have the opportunity to take a short walk through the open forest to where the Whiteshouldered Ibis come to roost at sunset. The next day will start early at around 4.30am and go in search of the Giant Ibis. You can discuss with the Guide how you wish to spend the day outside the sunrise and sunset birding. Packed lunches can be arranged if you want to spend more time in the forest, such as night drives / walks to spot the owls and the Savannah Night Jar . The village of Tmatboey is remote and self‐sufficient and we can organise an optional village tour, which takes in local trades as well as the school, a market garden, a still for sugar palm wine and points out the projects that the visitor’s conservation contributions have assisted with.

 

Day 10 Tmatboey & Vulture restaurant at Veal Krous

(Meals: B/L/D)

After a final morning birding at Tmatboey we have breakfast and depart for Dongphlete village in the Chhep Protected Forest. Here as part of a local conservation program there is a vulture restaurant to feed the 3 critically endangered species of vulture; Red‐headed, White‐rumped and Slender‐ billed. You will have the opportunity for some sunset birding where you may catch sight of of Crested Treeswift, Black Baza, or Collared Falconet. After dinner an early night is recommended as we rise early for the vulture restaurant at Veal Krous near Dongphlet, where tents will be set up for the night.

 

Day 11 Vulture Restaurant: Kompong Thom

(Meals: B/L/D

We wake early and make our way to the hiding positions not far away from the cows carcass. After a wait you will see the vulture feeding on the carcass, oftern as many as 70 vultures are present from the 3 critically endangered types (Red‐headed, White‐rumped and Slender‐billed) also Cinereous and Himalayan Griffin have been seen in the past. We then depart for Kompong Thom which is approximately a 5 hour drive. On the way it is possible to stop in the Tonle Sap Grasslands for some more bird watching before we arrive at our destination.

 

Day 12 Kompong Thom then transfer to Kratie

(Meals: B/L/D)

After an early rise and a last look for grassland specialists on the flood plains near Kampong Thom we will transfer to Kratie. The journey from Kompong Thom to Kratie is about 5 hours arriving early afternoon, which should allow Asian Golden and Streaked Weaver to be spotted (the Baya Weaver is a sighting at ATT)

 

Day 13 - 14 Kratie, Mondulkiri and Seima Protected Forest

(Meals: B/L/D)

We start the day with a trip up the Mekong to the Kampi Pool where the Irrawaddy Dolphin can be seen from a boat as well as the Mekong Wagtail. We then spend the next two days in search of the Orange necked partridge the Green Peafowl which is found in the thick bamboo Seima protected forest as well as many other species. Such as the white-browed Scimitar Babbler, Germain’s Peacock Pheasant, Red-vented Barbet, Scaly-breasted, Orange-breasted partridge and the Pale-capped Woodpecker. Cambodia may also be the best place in the world for woodpeckers. Great Slaty can be spotted at forested sites throughout the trip and at SPF noteworthy sightings include; White-bellied, Pale-headed, Heart-spotted and Black-and-buff Woodpeckers. The presence of a fruiting tree draws in myna’s, barbets, pigeons and hornbills and the pigeon shown above. The SPF is home to the largest population of Black-shanked Douc in the world, along with Northern Pig-tailed and Long-tailed Macaque and Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon, which are regularly seen. Groups have also spotted Gaur close to the WCS Station. 

 

Day 15 Birding in the Seima Protected Forest: Siem Reap

(Meals: B/L/_)

We spend the morning birding on the trails around Keo Seima before we begin the long drive to Siem Reap (approximately 8 hours). Once we arrive in Siem Reap the evening is yours to do as you wish!

 

Day 16 Departure: Siem Reap

(Meals: B/_/_)

Depending on your flight time you may have some free time this morning to spend as you wish. We will pick you up from your hotel to transfer you to the airport in plenty of time before your flight departs.   

 

 

Price per person sharing subject to change and availability

 

 

Includes:

• Airport pick up and drop off

• Overnights as mentioned

• Excursions as mentioned

• Transportation in private A/C vehicle

• English speaking guide

• Meals as mentioned (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner – excludes drinks)

• All taxes

 

Does not include:

• All international flights and visa fees, currently $30 per person

• International airport tax (Included in Airline Ticket)

• Meals, unless mentioned differently

• Beverages and personal expenses

• Other excursions and entrance fees

• Travel insurance (cover against all cancellation costs, medical expenses, including repatriation and evacuation in the event of accident of illness)