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CAMBODIA including Laos

Sunday 6th March - Friday 18th March 2011
(13 days)

Laos Pre-Tour Extension from Tuesday 1st March (5 days)

Leader: Dave Farrow

Group Size Limit: 9

Tour Category: Easy at times, but mostly Moderate

The Mekong Wagtail is a recently described species that is endemic to a handful of Indochina's rivers. It is not surprisingly threatened by human activity on its preferred waterways (Pete Morris)

(Note: This is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)

After decades of war, terror and isolation, Cambodia is now once again accessible to the outside world. This little-known and seldom-visited country, characterized by ancient temples, mighty rivers and remote forests, plays host to some avian delights which are nowhere else found so easily. Ancient Cambodians lived, very much as many of them still do today, in houses on stilts, existing on a diet of fish and rice.

After centuries of wars with the Thais and later the Spanish and Portuguese, the French arrived in 1863 and virtually turned the nation into one of their colonies until eventually, under the guidance of King Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia regained her independence in 1953. Following the unsuccessful US bombing of suspected communist base camps in 1969 and subsequent invasion, the Khmer Rouge emerged victorious in 1975 when Phnom Penh fell to Pol Pot’s regime and the country entered is most violent and disastrous period of history. Pol Pot’s men systematically killed more than two million Cambodians, targeting the educated in particular, in their brutal attempt to turn Cambodia into a Maoist, peasant-dominated agrarian cooperative. Currency was abolished, postal services halted and the population became a work force of slave labourers, effectively cut off from the outside world. In 1978 the Vietnamese invaded, forcing the Khmer Rouge to flee to the jungles along the Thai border from where they sporadically fought the new Vietnamese-backed government. They were eventually outlawed and effectively lost any remaining power with Pol Pot’s death in 1998 (his death was greeted with anger in Cambodia and elsewhere as he was never brought to trial). Hun Sen now leads the nation and this one-eyed strong man has proved to be a stabilizing force for a country with such a tortured history.

Fortunately, throughout the troubles, much of Cambodia’s natural and cultural heritage remained intact, although logging (a much needed source of income for the cash-strapped government) is continuing at an alarming rate. Now that travel is safe and easy, this fascinating country already receives a good deal of attention from backpackers and cultural tourists, eager to visit the amazing temples of Angkor Wat.

Happily for us, conservationists have also been hard at work in the last decade and have recently made some unexpected discoveries. The most exciting of these was the discovery of a good population of the legendary Giant Ibis and a new species of wagtail, the Mekong Wagtail. Straddled between Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia shares much of its avifauna with those countries, so this is a tour for the more adventurous birding traveller that is specifically designed to look for the specialities that either do not occur in these neighbouring countries or which are rarely seen in them.

We will begin our adventure by flying to Siem Reap in the northwest of the country. Here we will search for the endangered sharpei subspecies of Sarus Crane and visit the waterbird colonies of Tonle Sap (home to breeding Lesser and Greater Adjutants, Milky Storks and Spot-billed Pelicans). We will also visit the incomparable Angkor Wat temple complex. The 100 or so remaining temples here are the sacred remains of what was once a much larger administrative and religious centre and are one of the world’s cultural wonders.

We will then make an expedition in four-wheel-drive vehicles to the remote north of the country where we will look at a series of forest pools where we have an excellent chance of finding the incredible Giant Ibis, the rare White-shouldered Ibis, the spectacular Black-headed Woodpecker and the seldom-seen Swinhoe’s Minivet.

After exploring some grasslands in the centre of the country, where we will hope to find the spectacular Bengal Florican and the more subtly interesting and little-known Manchurian Reed Warbler, we will drive east to Kratie and take an exciting boat trip on the mighty Mekong River where we will see the recently-described Mekong Wagtail and the fascinating Irrawaddy River Dolphin.

We will finish our journey in the cool hill forests at Bokor where, amongst a host of interesting forest species including the spectacular Great Hornbill, we will hope to find the rare and seldom-seen, near-endemic Chestnut-headed Partridge before we make our way to the coast and then Phnom Penh for our flight home.

During the optional pre-tour extension there will be chance to explore the little-visited and rather reclusive country of Laos. Here we will be able to see the newly-discovered Bare-faced Bulbul, which occurs in an accessible area of beautiful karst limestone forest in the Annamite mountain range. Several other interesting species occur in this little-known area, including the near-endemic Sooty Babbler and another recently described species, Limestone Leaf-Warbler.

Birdquest has operated tours to Cambodia since 2003.

Accommodation & Road Transport: At Siem Reap and Bokor the hotels are of normal Birdquest standard. At Kampong Thom, Kampot and Kratie the hotels are rather simple but perfectly adequate and all rooms have private bathrooms. At Tmat Boey in Preah Vihear province we will be staying for three nights in a basic guesthouse accommodation in the village. Road transport is by minibus and by 4x4 vehicles and roads are very variable in quality (ranging from good highways to rough tracks).

Walking: The walking effort is easy to moderate (including some long walks in flat terrain).

Climate: Mostly hot (occasionally very hot) though cooler at Bokor. Generally ‘dry’ heat though occasionally it can be fairly humid. Sunny weather may be interspersed by occasional cloudy periods and showers.

Bird Photography: Opportunities are worthwhile.

Linking Birdquests: This tour can be linked with Vietnam or with Thailand in 2011. Please contact us for further information.

Pricing

Pricing is available in £ | $

Tour Price: $4080 Siem Reap/Phnom Penh. Pre-Tour Extension: $1490 (starting in Vientiane). Price includes all transportation (including Vientiane-Siem Reap flight), all accommodations, all meals, bottled water, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.

Single Room Supplement: $360. Pre-Tour Extension: $90.

Deposit: $440. Pre-Tour Extension: $150. If booking more than 12 months before departure, the initial deposit is only $220.

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.

Pricing is available in £ | $

The rare Greater Adjutant is present in small numbers at Tonle Sap, and can be seen alongside Lesser Adjutant and Milky Stork (Pete Morris)

The incredible temples at Angkor Wat are set in amongst some fine forest and never fail to impress. These three images speak for themselves! (all by Dave Farrow)