Chi Phat Community

Chi Phat is mainland South East Asia’s largest remaining tract of rainforest situated directly in the heart of the Cardamom Mountains which is situated in Koh Kong province in southwest of Cambodia on the banks of the Phipot River and comprises four small villages (Chi Phat, Chaom Sla, Kam Lort, and Teuk Laork) an area that has been severely affected by warfare, commercial logging, and hunting. Economic development was stalled for decades due to conflict, abuse of resources and communities by big traders, and the areas’ economic isolation.

The Chi Phat Ecotourism Site was established in 2007 by the environmental NGO called Wildlife Alliance. The Chi Phat Commune is made up of 2,500 people (around 550 families). The people are followers of Buddhism, but do not consider themselves to be very religious by nature. Each family cell is independently organized, with little or no social network to rely on. In the past, the people of Chi Phat experienced great suffering at the hands of the Khmer rouge regime, and are still struggling today to support their families.

Chip Phat offers a number of activities for those looking to travel off the beaten path. The site is located within  the Cardamom Mountains and provides for views of diverse landscapes and wildlife, in addition to exploring small villages and ancient burial sites containing cultural artifacts. After arriving Chi Phat by boat, the various tours activities such as trekking, biking, motorcycling, bird watching tours are ready to gear up, the home stays from a single night to the multi overnight trips are available to accommodate guests as their local family members and friends.

Depending on the length of stay and the trail chosen, the traveler can: view wildlife, bat caves and ancient sites containing burial jars, relax at the numerous waterfalls and rivers, watch birds and nature by motorboat or paddle around in a tradition rowboat for mangrove forest view.  The time spent at Chi Phat , however short or long , is coupled by the warm and hospitable atmosphere that the traveler will experience while staying at campsites arranged by local tour guides and/or guesthouse and home stays owned and operated by villages in the community. “Covering 6% of Cambodia, the Cardamom Mountains are home to endangered and threatened species like Asian elephants, Indochinese tigers, Malayan Sun Bears, Gibbons, and Siamese crocodiles as well as the Irrawaddy and humpback dolphins in coastal areas. The Cardamoms are part of the Indo-Burma hotspot, an internationally recognized biodiversity hotspot, hosting more than half of Cambodia’s 2,300 bird species”.

The Chi Phat Community, together with several NGOs & Responsible Tour Operators are developing ecotourism activities and facilities, which will provide a sustainable alternative livelihoods, help protect biodiversities and enhance their local natural resources.

Naturally, your positive impact of tourism at  Chi Phat should be maximized economic profit to local people due to villagers are employed like: tour guide, cook, staff, locally owned home stay, other supplier chains and community fund which shall be distributed to build a village infrastructure, education, elder support and healthcare services etc.

Mechrey Natural Tourism

Mechrey Natural Tourism is located in Peam Ta Our village, Keo Por Commune, Puok District, Siem Reap. 15 km on the south west of Siem reap. Just only 25 minutes drive, you will arrive at ancient-built port waiting to board the tourists on the boat to discover the attractive nature along the waterway. With one and a half hour exploration round trip, at first you will see a floating village where hundreds of families earn their living depending entirely by fishing in a traditional way by making 2 dollars a day in average. When you go further, there is an old pagoda constructed in 1964 on 2700 m2 island engulfed with water and a stopover to take photos of surrounding natural beauty such as floating houses, traditional fishing, people living, and children rowing boat to school. To travel further, you will go through an impressive flooded forests stretching over 24 km2. The forest is a habitat of hundreds types of fish and waterbirds and from November to May, hundreds of waterbirds will come to this area to look for foods as it is a safe and full of proteins for those birds, especially this area is only 6 km from Conservation of Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, where thousands of waterbirds live and breed. Visiting and Experiencing this newly discovered natural tourist Mechrey will help improve people living standard in the area, where formerly the area is a tug of war battle and no one ever take a look after peace prevail in the area.

Prek Toal Bird Watching

The Tonlé Sap "Large Fresh Water River", but more commonly translated as "Great Lake"  is a combined lake and river system of major importance to Cambodia. The Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997. The Tonlé Sap is unusual for two reasons: its flow changes direction twice a year, and the portion that forms the lake expands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons. From November to May, Cambodia's dry season, the Tonlé Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh. However, when the year's heavy rains begin in June, the Tonlé Sap backs up to form an enormous lake.

For most of the year the lake is fairly small, around one meter deep and with an area of 2,700 square km. During the monsoon season, however, the Tonlé Sap river, which connects the lake with the Mekong river, reverses its flow. Water is pushed up from the Mekong into the lake, increasing its area to 16,000 square km and its depth to up to nine meters, flooding nearby fields and forests. The floodplain provides a perfect breeding ground for fish living and producing center to feed Cambodian people. With its magnificent flooded forests, we bring you to a new unrevealed destination named Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary.

Each year, millions of fish come to spawn in the seasonally flooded forest surrounding the lake, attracting myriad water birds. Villages along the shores live with the rhythm of the season and the floods. Prek Toal is one of the most attractive floating fishing villages on the Tonle Sap lake, with a school, hospital, restaurants, shop and even a pagoda. Just behind the Prek Toal village are flooded forests with bird sanctuaries. Every year, between December and March, thousands of birds come to fish and to breed here.

In Sangker River, two hours boat trip from Siem Reap or Battambang (during a higher level of water), lies a magnificent Prek Toal Biosphere Reserve.  The 31,282 hectares reserve is a haven for many bird species, including large water birds, such as Black-headed Ibis, Brahminy Kite, Herons, Kingfisher, Painted Stork, Milky Stork, Spot-billed Pelican, Grey-Headed Fish Eagle to name a few.  Prek Toal is known to be the best water bird breeding ground in Southeast Asia.  According to one local NGO Osmose, about a decade ago many birds are in near extinction since the locals over harvested their eggs.  Today, the NGO helped the locals improving their lives through income generated from sustainable tourism.

Naturally, your positive impact of tourism at Prek Toal should be maximized economic profit to local people and natural sanctuary at the area, and they shall provide a sustainable alternative livelihoods, help protect biodiversities, and enhance their local natural resources.