City: Cambodia
Top Things to do in Cambodia
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What to do and see in Cambodia, Cambodia: The Best Nature & Wildlife Areas
in ASEAN (dark grey) – [Legend]
Restaurants in Cambodia
1. Kulen Prumep Wildlife Sanctuary
2. BeTreed Adventures
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 54 reviews
A unique destination for off-the-beaten-path travellers, nature seekers & adventurers in wild Cambodia. 3 hours by road from Siem Reap town, centred between Koh Ker and Preah Khan of Kompong Svay temples. Activities comprise forest hikes, ancient ruins, wildlife spotting and birding, and even a pair of ziplines across the valley. Working closely with local community to protect this fragile land.
Reviewed By ivow875 - Rijswijk, The Netherlands
We spent 4 days at Betreed Adventures, in a nature reserve close to Preah Khan. Sharyn, who runs the place, is incredibly hospitable and can give you a glimpse into anything you care to know about Cambodia. Her husband Ben focuses on the conservation side and is constantly after poachers and loggers in the area. His stories are fascinating (and mind boggling). It's a great escape to nature, living in the open air stilt house or tree house, hiking with Amelie (one of their daughters) guiding us, ziplining and experiencing all the wildlife around. All the meals were also very tasty. It’s a bit of a challenge to get out here without your own wheels (and even then, tough to navigate) but Sharyn can help arrange transport from Siem Reap/Phnom Penh or suitable main road connections.
3. Airavata Elephant Foundation
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 16 reviews
AIRAVATA is a “new generation” elephant camp, a responsible and ethical alternative to mass tourism. Located a few kilometres South of Ratanakiri’s capital, AIRAVATA is a place where indigenous mahouts treat elephants in the best possible way as they enjoy their work. There, travellers can meet the gentle giants in optimum natural conditions.
Reviewed By cecilejst
We did the afternoon excursion which lasted 3-4h. We started by being introduced to the elephants and their Cornac (elephant rider), offered them bananas to thank them to let us us join them in the forest and went for a 2h walk. We left with 3 elephants. My friends were on one elephant back and i chose to walk beside them. I really recommend doing so, I had a lot of fun walking between them and seeing them from this angle. In the last 10min of the walk, of of the cornac made me jump on the elephant with him, without the chair thingy. and then we went to clean the elephants in the river, that was amazing! Pierre-Yves, the founder of the association tells you about how the elephants were rescued and their individual stories, And how they had to educate the COrnac to not use violence on the animals. He was amazing to listen to! They are now building a village to reproduce the ancient ways and tradition of the region.
4. Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 29 reviews
Reviewed By MEWhileTraveling
Basically, if you’re at all thinking about volunteering here for a week, do it! (they also have a day visit and 1-night program now, if you’re not up for volunteering) First of all, my week here was magical, and going back to work after this vacation was tough - I missed shoveling sand and scooping elephant poop! I had already volunteered with an Elephant Nature Park program at their flagship location in Chiang Mai, and there are a number of differences - this program is in much more need of volunteers, and while the land seems larger, the program is more grassroots - fewer workers, facilities, volunteers, elephants, etc. Overall, it felt much more intimate. Chores - The volunteer program is for everyone of all ages and abilities - you’ll work hard and sweat, but you work in short shifts so no one overexerts themselves. You’ll get an amazing workout, and you get to spend the day outside. You’ll also meet some of the local school children. Food - The home-cooked buffet was always delicious. Everything is vegan, except they sometimes have an egg dish at breakfast. Animals - You’ll get some excellent elephant time - jungle walks are in the chore rotation! - and you’ll feed the monkeys and gibbons as well. Feel free to hang out with the adoptable rescue dogs at the back of the property during your downtime. Nitty Gritty - -Filtered water and ice is provided. Bring a reusable water bottle! -I had brought a cooling rag and a buff, and I’m so glad I did - both, when wet, kept me cool. -Wifi worked surprisingly well, but bring a backup battery or two since electricity only runs 4 hours a day. -Consider bringing earplugs or headphones to fall asleep; between the elephants, dogs, gibbons, and geckos, the jungle is loud at night! -The accommodations are very rustic, but I’d still highly recommend this opportunity for anyone with a sense of adventure. (I’m not a camper or particularly outdoorsy, and I survived just fine, and would do it again)
5. Prasat Banan in Battambang
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
Banan Temple was built in the middle of the 11th and the end of the 12th centuries. The first king who built the temple was King Utayatityavarman II (1050–1066) and was later completed by Jayavarman VII (1181–1219).
6. Pearaing Biodiversity Conservation Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 13 reviews
Pearaing Biodiversity Conservation Center is a peaceful home to hundred species of wetland and water birds, reptiles and mother fish. The center is located 13km southeast of Siem Reap provincial town and is the closest Bird Watching area in Siem Reap. Special for bird watchers and nature lovers.
Reviewed By Yippee1204
We are mid-level birders and were having quite a bit of trouble finding more than a few species in Siem Reap. Pearaing Biodiversity Conservation Center is making headway with the protection of birds in their local community, which will hopefully expand to communities beyond their borders. Our trip was late November, a time when waters are low and so the boat trip was impossible. Our tuk tuk driver picked us up in Siem Reap and we were met by our guide Sam on arrival in one of the villages participating in the Center’s projects. Sam took us to the local market and educated us on most of the vegetables...what they are, what they are used for and where they come from. Many locally grown. He purchased some delicious rice and banana snacks for our trip. We also toured a local rice and vegetable farm before heading out on our birding trip. In a space of about two hours we identified 19 species, 16 of which were new to us. We drove dirt roads to get to mostly wetlands and rice fields in our pursuit. It was an excellent morning! Get out of the city and craziness of temple tours and see the countryside! It is stunning! This experience was much more than birding. We highly recommend it for our guide Sam, the excellent conservation work being done with the local communities, and the awesome scenery!
7. Anlung Pring Community led Ecotourism
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 10 reviews
See wildlife in a sustainable way: the professional guides can show you the cranes, and your fee will help support the local village. Learn to cook with the locals, or learn traditional weaving and bring home a souvenir we make together. Explore the villages by bicycle, relax, and see how people and nature are living together for the future in Cambodia.
Reviewed By elliotc230
So incredibly privileged to have been the first tourist of the season to see the sarus crane arrive to their feeding grounds. After being told they hadn’t arrived yet in previous emails, the amazing team at the Anlung Pring emailed with such excitement to say they arrived as we were emailing! So a quick dash out on the motorbike to see the world's tallest flying bird, a dozen other wetland bird species and the beautiful wetlands they all feed in. If you ever get to Kampot, Cambodia get down and check out this amazing community based conservation project. It was so beautiful to see Boona, his wife, the rangers and the entire community so excited to see” their friends” the Sarus cranes return. Check out mekongcrane.com. The center is incredibly easy to find! It is accurate on google maps, took me 1 hour by scooter, and it well sign posted the entire way. Look out for the signs in the pictures with this review. I went on my own, and spent a few horus there, however I would recommend booking a full day tour, or even the overnight home stay which can be seen on the website. My day was very spontaneous and based on the cranes literally arriving at the same time I got there. Check it out and support this amazing local project!
8. Angkor Wat Home Stay And Naturalist Observatory
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
A place dedicated to protecting and researching on the wild life in Angkor archeological park Nature, Ecology,Ornithology, Botanical,Mycology, Entomology, Herpetology, Mammalogy, Agriculture, Forestry, Gardening, Flowers
Reviewed By Antoinevillab - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Just close to Angkor Wat , you will find Christophe who is a fantastic naturalist guide and you will discover the incredible Khmer jungle. Do it!
9. Sam Veasna Conservation Tours
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 160 reviews
Sam Veasna Conservation Tours (SVC) runs birding and wildlife viewing trips with unique access to Wildlife Conservation Society sites across Cambodia. Our mission is to sustain Cambodia’s wildlife and communities through ecotourism. Our tours are designed to show you the best of birding, wildlife and nature, the real places of Cambodia. We take you places that are ‘off the beaten track’ in wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas as well as the more famous ‘must-see’ destinations. We work with local guides in the rural areas taking you to places which are beyond reach of others presenting you with the best chance to see key species, explore diverse locations and get to know the amazing locals. Revenue generated from our tours is used in many unique ways to conserve Cambodia’s threatened wildlife and help to promote sustainable community growth.
Reviewed By akiyof2020
We went on a full day tour with Sophear at Sam Veasna in January (dry season). What an amazing trip. Both my husband and I saw a variety of engendered birds while we were boating down Tonle Sap lake and then we got to the 2-3 story bird watching tower, we saw thousands of birds - nesting and swirling in the sky. We saw painted sporks, pelicans, adjutants (and many, many more). It was like being on a National Geographic TV show. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and he was good at spotting birds. It was one of our highlights on our trip to Cambodia!
10. Banteay Srey Butterfly Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 472 reviews
Banteay Srey Butterfly Centre is a Butterfly Exhibit in the heart of Angkor, near Siem Reap, Cambodia. Founded in 2009 and one of the largest enclosed butterfly centres in Southeast Asia. BBC is featuring a live display of Cambodian butterflies. Revenue generated by tourist admissions provides support for local poverty alleviation and conservation projects.
Reviewed By wendystclair
After seeing a ton of Temples this beautiful little sanctuary was an ideal stop. Such a great garden and friendly staff. I’m so glad we did not miss this gem.
