Cambodia birdwatching 14 day tour

Destination: Siem Reap/Ang Trapaeng Thmor/Tmatboey/Tbeng Meanchey/Okoki/Chhep/Kompong Thom/Kratie

Description: This 14 day tour for bird watching will let you seize an opportunity to witness many kinds of bird in Prek Toal, Ang Trapaeng Thmor, Tmatboey and Okoki. You’ll also have a visit to Angkor Complex as well as other destinations nearby.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner, G=Guide

Day 1: Siem Reap arrival (G)

Arrival at Siem Reap airport; transfer to hotel; sunset at Angkor Wat. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 2: Siem Reap (B, L, G)

Spent exploring the ruins of the old Khmer capital, Angkor, one of the architectural wonders of the world, forgotten in the jungles for almost five hundred years until discovered by French explorer Henri Mouhot between 1858 and 1860. Notwithstanding the restoration work that is on-going, the sense that the jungle is waiting to reclaim Angkor is never far away. Besides giving our full attention to the magnificent carvings and temple friezes at the Bayon, we’ll also find many live birds including Red-breasted Parakeets, Lineated and Coppersmith Barbets, Asian Barred Owlet, Black Baza, Black-headed Bulbuls and Hainan Blue Flycatchers. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 3: Siem Reap/Prek Toal (B, L, G)

We’ll make a full day boat excursion to the impressive protected waterbird breeding colony at Prek Toal – the core area of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve. We expect to see Oriental Darters, three species of cormorants, Spot-billed Pelican, Painted and Asian Open Bill Stork, Lesser Adjutant and Black-headed Ibis, and Grey-headed Fish Eagle, among many other species. We may also find Milky Stork, Greater Adjutant and Brahminy Kite. Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 4: Siem Reap/Ang Trapaeng Thmor (B, L, G)

We’ll have a full day’s excursion to Ang Trapaeng Thmor, another Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) protected area. This wetland reservoir, constructed for irrigation during the murderous rule of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s and 1980s, and surrounded by rice paddies, is now an important bird area, where hundreds of globally threatened Sarus Crane come to feed at this time of year. Other species we expect to find are Comb Ducks, Cotton Pygmy-geese, Purple Swamphens and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, Pied and Easter Marsh Harrier and Watercock. We may also find Small Buttonquail, Australasian Bushlark and, if we are lucky, Greater Spotted Eagles. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 5: Siem Reap/Tmatboey (B, L, D, G)

We’ll have an all-day drive to Tmatboey, in Preah Vihear Province of the northern plains, stopping en route on the dry floodplain of Tonle Sap Lake, near Kompong Thom to search for Bengal Floricans and Manchurian Reed Warblers. Other grassland birds may include Asian Golden Weavers and Streaked Weavers. As we near Tmatboey, we’ll look out for dry dipterocarp woodland birds such as the Alexandrine Parakeet and White-rumped Falcon, and some of the 16 possible species of woodpecker. We’ll settle into our accommodation at the Tmatboey Village Guesthouse, basic cabins with en suite toilets and bucket showers. Winner of the 2007 WildAsia Responsible Tourism award, basic cabins with en suite toilets and bucket showers.

Day 6 and Day 7: Tmatboey (B, L, D, G)

We’ll have two full days birding around Tmatboey. This is one of the richest lowland habitats in SE Asia. Unlike most forest habitats, birds are relatively easy to see in the open dry dipterocarp woodlands, savanna and trapeangs, or wet areas. At times we’ll be seeing birds faster than we can possibly note them down. The diversity of woodpeckers is outstanding, and includes both Black headed and White-bellied Woodpecker. Other medium to large birds include Blossom-headed and Alexandrine Parakeets, Rufous-winged Buzzard, White-rumped Falcon, Blue Magpie and Rufous Treepie. The many smaller birds include minivets, Common Woodshrike, Indochinese Cuckoo shrike, White-browed Fantail, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Brown Prinia, etc. We’ll also expect to see Woolly-necked Storks, but the real prizes awaiting us are the two ibises, the Giant Ibis, and the even rarer and more threatened White-shouldered Ibis, both of which we should see. Giant Ibis, in particular may be heard bugling in the early morning from our little cottages on the outskirts of the village. Overnight: Tmatboey Ecotourism Committee Guesthouse, Tmatboey.

Day 8: Tmatboey/Tbeng Meanchey/Okoki (B, L, D, G)

We pick up supplies from Tbeng Meanchey, the largest town near Tmatboey and drive about 7 hours to Okoki, in Preah Vihear Protected Forest. Okoki is about 20km from the Laos PDR border and 1 of the most pristine areas of dry dipteropcarp deciduous forest in South East Asia. Specially constructed hides give our clients a good chance of seeing the White winged Duck along with many other forest species. Accommodation is in safari style tents with sleeping cots.

Day 9: Okoki (B, L, D, G)

Will be spent birding around Okoki.

“Red-headed Vultures”

Day 10: Okoki/Chhep (B, L, D, G)

After an early morning forest walk to the White-wing Duck pools at Okoki we will transfer to Chhep where WCS supports a vulture restaurant. Chhep accommodations were made with researcher in mind and have little or no amenities. A cook or two (depending on the number of participants) will accompany the group. Overnight: basic wooden house with hammocks for beds Chhep.

Day 11: Chhep/Kompong Thom (B, L, D, G)

Early morning we’ll stake out vultures in the hide, hoping to see the main patrons of the restaurant, the globally threatened Red-headed, White-rumped and Slender-billed vultures. Then transfer to Kompong Thom (approx 8 hours) with the possibility of exploring the Florican grasslands for Bengal Florican if the group did not get enough of them on the way to Tmatboey. Overnight in Kompong Thom.

Day 12: Kompong Thom/Kratie (B, L, D, G)

Transfer to Kratie (from Kompong Thom, approx 6 hours). We will take a boat on the Mekong to look at a diverse section of river with sand and shingle banks. We should find the endemic Mekong Wagtail, in addition to Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, Spot-billed Duck, Small Pratincole and, if we are lucky, the endangered Irrawaddy River Dolphin. Overnight in Kratie.

Day 13: Kratie/Siem Reap (B, L, G)

Early morning birding Kratie, looking for Asian Golden Weaver at a nearby lake then transfer to Siem Reap (approx 8.5 hours). Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 14: Siem Reap departure (B, G)

A leisurely day on your own in Siem Reap until departure; transfer to airport.