The Best of Cambodia & Laos

46
PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO CAMBODIA
3
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
Cambodia’s wildlife areas have disappeared
as a result of the ravages of logging.
Endangered species in Cambodia include
three species of gibbon, several species of
wild dog and wildcat, leopard, tiger, Asian
elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros, Thailand
brow-antlered deer, kouprey, giant catfish,
Indian python, Siamese crocodile, and
estuarine crocodile. As of 2001, 23 of
Cambodia’s mammal species and 18 of its
bird species were endangered. Cambodia
has a problem with the illegal hunting of
rare species, something to keep in mind
when shopping in the markets.
There has been some progress in environmental
tourism and attempting to
preserve what is left. In Kratie, for
instance, fisherman no longer use grenades
to fish, thereby killing the endangered
river dolphins. Yet there is also a lot to be
worried about, including the rapid development
of Cambodia’s coastline and
nearby islands, particularly around Sihanoukville.
There is a great deal being built
there, and the developers are almost
entirely unregulated.
ECO-TOURISM IN
CAMBODIA
With the construction of the brand-new
road from the Thai border at Koh Kong-
Hat Lek (near Trat), the Cardamom
Mountains, one of the last areas of forest
wilderness in mainland Southeast Asia, is
set to become the scene for eco-tours, with
Koh Kong as its base. This is something
“Heritage Friendly” Establishments
that will have to be managed very carefully,
if it is to do more good than harm.
Hoteliers have also begun to adapt to the
ecofriendly trend, opening ecoretreats and
a few carbon-neutral options. See “Best
Ecofriendly Hotels & Nature Retreats” on
p. 6 for a few of our top picks.
In Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri, there are
more and more opportunities to enjoy one
of Cambodia’s most remote areas. The
heavy jungle is home to 12 different
Khmer Loeu ethnic minority groups. On
the way, you can stop in Kratie and go
dolphin spotting on the Mekong (p. 148).
The rare freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins
break the surface every now and then, but
they remain powerfully shy.
Wild Asia (www.wildasia.net) is a social
enterprise working to support the conservation
of natural areas and the communities
dependent upon their resources. They
have a big presence in Cambodia and their
website is an up-to-date source of on-theground
environmental initiatives across
the country. Buffalo Trails (www.buffalo
trails-cambodia.com) operates tours on
the Tonle Sap Lake and in the surrounding
countryside. Based in Siem Reap, they
specialize in sustainably run day trips
where they aim to let tourists discover the
beauty of the countryside and daily lives of
local families. Pepy Tours (www.pepy
tours.com) is actually part of a wider
NGO and environmental education project
(PEPY stands for “Protect the Earth,
Protect Yourself”). They run a variety of
Much of Cambodia’s ancient history has been lost, thanks to its violent past and
the continued looting and trafficking of Khmer artifacts. To help prevent this,
look for the “Heritage Friendly” logo. This logo was created by the Heritage Foundation
(www.heritagewatch.org), an organization working to preserve Khmer
antiquities and culture. The presence of the logo indicates that a business or
organization has met certain standards that help protect Cambodian heritage.
Travel to Cambodia is good, but responsible travel is even better.