Best of Cambodia Birding

10 Days: Siem Reap ♦ Angkor ♦ Prek Toal ♦ Kompong Thom

Prey Veng ♦ Tmatboey ♦ Boeng Toal Kratie ♦ Phnom Penh

Giant Ibis by Jonathan C. Eames

Day 1: Arrive Siem Reap Arrive at Siem Reap International Airport and transfer to hotel. In the afternoon visit the fantastic Angkor temple site, one of Asia’s greatest archaeological sites. Overnight at Siem Reap. Day 2: Angkor A full day tour of the Angkor temples includes the magnificent 12th century Angkor Wat, the fabulous Ta Prohm Temple, embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers, the mysterious Bayon Temple and the Terrace of Elephants. Overnight at Siem Reap. Day 3: Prek Toal Biosphere Reserve An early start to transfer to Cambodia’s great lake, Tonle Sap. The day is spent birding at the Prek Toal Biosphere Reserve by boat and from watchtowers in the flooded forest. Prek Toal has one of the largest concentrations of waterbirds in South-East Asia with Oriental Darter, Spot-billed Pelican, Painted and Milky storks, Asian Openbill and Greater and Lesser adjutants among the species that can be seen. Return to Siem Reap in the late afternoon after a visit to the small GECKO (Global Environmental Chhong Kneas Office) visitor centre if the water level allows. The itinerary may vary depending on local conditions at Tonle Sap. Overnight at Siem Reap. Day 4: Siem Reap to Prey Veng via Kompong Thom Leave Siem Reap after breakfast for the grasslands at Kompong Thom to search for the rare and endangered Bengal Florican and wintering Manchurian Warbler. Raptors including Eastern Marsh Harrier, Pied Harrier and Greater Spotted Eagle are often seen cruising over the grasslands here. In the afternoon continue on to Prey Veng. Overnight at Prey Veng.

Day 5: Prey Veng A full day birding in the open dry dipterocarp forests of Prey Veng. The main target here is the rare and seldom seen White-winged Duck, now restricted to just a few isolated sites in South-East Asia. Overnight at Prey Veng. Day 6: Prey Veng to Tmatboey Depart Prey Veng in the morning for Tmatboey to search for the critically endangered Giant and White-shouldered ibises. Giant Ibis is only found at remote waterholes called trapeangs far from human settlements and tracking these secretive birds can involve long walks. Overnight at Tmatboey. Day 7: Tmatboey A full day at Tmatboey to allow more time to find the two critically endangered ibis species. Other sought-after species at Tmatboey include Greater Adjutant, Black-necked Stork, Greater Spotted Eagle, White-rumped Pygmy-falcon and Pale-capped Pigeon. Overnight at Tmatboey. Day 8: Tmatboey to Boeng Toal Leave Tmatboey by road after a final morning of birding and head to Boeng Toal. Overnight at Boeng Toal is in tented accommodation. Overnight at Boeng Toal. Day 9: Boeng Toal to Kratie An early start to visit a vulture restaurant where the diners could include endangered White-rumped, Slender-billed and Red-headed vultures as well as other species such as Greater Adjutant. The restaurant sometimes also attracts rare mammals including Golden Jackal and Dhole. In the early afternoon continue to Kratie by road. Asian Golden Weaver, which breeds in reed beds around Kratie, is a target on arrival. Overnight at Kratie. Day 10: Kratie to Phnom Penh A morning boat trip to search for the recently described Mekong Wagtail which can be found on the stony islands in the river. In addition to the wagtail, Spot-billed Duck, River Lapwing, River Tern, Small Pratincole and the extremely rare and endangered Irrawaddy River Dolphin are all possible here. Continue from Kratie to Phnom Penh stopping en route to look for another recently described species, Cambodian Tailorbird. Transfer to Phnom Penh International Airport on arrival at Phnom Penh for international departure flight.