Cambodia Wildlife

Southeast Asia is a biodiversity hotspot, and despite its relatively small size, Cambodia is especially wildlife-rich owing to its combination of lowland rainforest, rice fields, the Mekong River, grasslands, and the region’s largest lake, Tonlé Sap. There’s also plenty to see in the greenery around Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, which are impressive enough for their cultural and architectural significance.

We arrive in Phnom Penh in the south, and then spend three nights in Mondulkiri, from which we can take day trips to the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary (to track endangered Southern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbons) and the Dak Dam plateau to admire the landscapes and highland birds not seen elsewhere on the tour. During a boat ride on the iconic Mekong River, we have a chance to see endangered Irrawaddy Dolphins. One night at the basic and remote Vulture Restaurant affords us our only chance to see rare White-rumped, Red-headed, and Slender-billed Vultures. There’s lots to observe on-site at the Tmatboey Ecolodge, which is a stronghold for endangered Giant and White-shouldered Ibises. This all leads up to five nights in the Siem Reap area, including a one-night retreat to the floating village Prek Toal within the Tonlé Sap Biosphere Reserve. The waterbirds here are abundant and easy to see in large congregations. More cryptic birds and mammals inhabit the rainforest around Angkor Wat, our focus on the final full day of the tour.

Join intrepid naturalist leader Josh Vandermeulen on this exploratory tour, our first nature tour to this mega-diverse part of Southeast Asia.