Tour Dates: Monday 21st February – Sunday 5th March 2028 (Siem Reap to Pnonh Penh)
Tour Price: £4,199pp plus flights
Estimated International Flight Price: London to Siem Reap approx. £900 return
Deposit: £700 per person
Conservation Donation from Wise Birding: £250
Minimum Number: 5 people
Maximum Group Size: 6 people

Target Birds:
Giant Ibis, White-shouldered Ibis, Sarus Crane, Bar-bellied Pitta, Slender-billed Vulture, Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo, Bengal Florican, Milky Stork, Greater Adjutant, Red-headed Vulture, Green Peafowl, Oriental Bay Owl, Mekong Wagtail, White-rumped Falcon and many more!

Target Mammals:
Irrawaddy Dolphin, Black-shanked Douc Langur and Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon and chance for Dhole too

Tour Summary
Cambodia has so much to offer for the general traveller, but more so for the wildlife enthusiast. Staggering history and temples aside, this SE Asian country offer exceptional birding opportunities, with a long list of exceptionally rare birds (and getting rarer), including the iconic Giant Ibis! Its mammals are also very special, with Black-shanked Douc Langur up there as one of Asia’s finest primates. We will visit a number of diverse habitats on this tour from forests to wetlands and of course the mighty Mekong River. More importantly by joining this tour you will be supporting the many great community and government projects set up to protect and conserve many of the key species that we will be looking to find on this tour. Birding in Cambodia is like traveling back in time to explore vast, untouched wetlands and open woodlands, that offer some of the best opportunities in Southeast Asia to see critically endangered species whilst also supporting great conservation projects.

We hope to see around 300 bird species during this tour.

ACCOMMODATION: 13 nights in Cambodia in good quality hotels for 9 nights and more basic accommodation on 4 nights 
5 nights Siem Reap, 1 night Changkran Roy, 2 nights at Community Lodge, 1 night Vulture Restaurant, 1 night Kratie and 3 night Senmonorom.
Note: Changkran Roy (night 4) the accommodation is basic. A wooden building with fan, toilet and bathrooms are shared. Buckets Showers only.
Beong Toal Vulture Restaurant (night 9) Very basic local guesthouse but with A/C or basic camp site.
Meals: Full board from dinner on Day 1 through to lunch on Day 14.

Day 1: Arrive into Siem Reap
If time allows then do local birding near Siem Reap – Phnom Krom Marshland. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight Siem Reap.

Day 2 Full Day Angkor Complex (birding & temple)
Our first birding hotspot is Angkor Temple complex, where we will combine birdwatching with a tour of the Angkor Temples. We will also visit the fabulous Ta Prohm Temple, embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. Intertwined with the temple tour we will see a number of bird species, including the White-throated Rock-thrush, Black-capped Kingfisher, Black Baza, Alexandrine and Red-breasted Parakeet, Hainan Blue and Taiga Flycatchers, among many others. Overnight Siem Reap.

Bengal Florican ©CBGA

Day 3: Full Day Prek Toal, Tonle Sap
Tour will start with a boat trip to Prek Toal Core Reserve for the large waterbird colonies where we will spend the day birding the Prek Toal Biosphere Reserve. We will make stops at various viewing points in this flooded forest allowing us to experience one of the largest concentrations of waterbirds in South-East Asia, including: the Oriental Darter, Spot-billed Pelican, Painted Stork, Milky Stork, Asian Openbill and both Greater and Lesser Adjutants.
If time allows then do more birding near Siem Reap – Phnom Krom Marshland. Overnight Siem Reap

Day 4: Siem Reap to Changkran Roy, Bird Feeding Station
Today we will start early from Siem Reap as we head to Changkran Roy, one of the last remaining evergreen forests near Siem Reap. This is another community managed ecotourism site located just 70km from Siem Reap city and it is the only reliable site for Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo in Southeast Asia. Recently, birding and photography at this site have been very productive with many exciting  species, including Bar-bellied Pitta, Oriental Bay Owl, Blyth’s Frogmouth, Coral-billed Ground-cuckoo, Scaly-breasted Partridge, Siamese Fireback, Green-legged Partridge, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Common Green Magpie, Himalayan Night-heron and more. Our time here will be mixed between birding from the hides and along the trails for both morning and evening sessions. Overnight Changkran Roy Lodge

Day 5: Changkran Roy, Bird Feeding Station & to Siem Reap
Morning and afternoon birding at the hides and birding along the trails. Back to Siem Reap in the evening. Overnight Siem Reap

Day 6: Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Another early start as we explore dry dipterocarp forest, wetland and rice paddies at one of the top bird watching sites close to Siem Reap. It is the feeding ground for the Sarus Crane and around 200 bird species have been recorded at the reserve. These include the imajestic Sarus Crane, Black-necked Stork, Greater Spotted Eagle, Milky Stork, Painted Stork, Oriental Plover and many other species. The site is very birdy so there will be plenty to keep us occupied before having lunch at community restaurant. We will then do some more birding in the area for the afternoon before returning to Siem Reap in the evening. Overnight Siem Reap

Black-shanked Douc Langur ©CBGA

Day 7: Florican Grassland and Northern Plains
We will depart Siem Reap early morning and head to the grasslands of Kampong Thom, in search of the rare and endangered Bengal Florican and the wintering Manchurian/White-browed Reed-warbler. Raptors including Eastern Marsh Harrier, Pied Harrier, and Greater Spotted Eagle, are often seen cruising over the grasslands here. After then we continue to Russei Treb, one of the last strongholds of the very rare Giant Ibis and White-shouldered Ibis.
Dinner at community restaurant. Overnight community lodge or nearby Guesthouse

Day 8: Full Day Northern Plains
We will devote the next two days to the Giant Ibis and rare birds of the dry dipterocarp forest. The Northern Plains are  home of the iconic Critically Endangered Giant and White-Shouldered Ibises, both highly significant not only for their rarity but also for their symbolic role in wildlife conservation efforts in Southeast Asia. Similarly, the White-shouldered Ibis is a highly sought-after species in the sanctuaries’ diverse habitats. Other target species at Northern Plains include White-rumped Pygmy-falcon, Pale-capped Pigeon, Asian Woollyneck, Black-headed Woodpecker, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Chinese Francolin, White-browed Fantail, Indochinese Bushlark, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Violet Cuckoo, Indian Spotted Eagle, Franklin’s or Savannah Nightjar, Large-tailed Nightjar, Oriental Scops-Owl, Barn Owl, Brown Fish-Owl, Spotted Wood-Owl, Brown Wood-Owl. Overnight community lodge or nearby Guesthouse

Giant Ibis ©CBGA

Day 9: Northern Plains & Vulture Restaurant
We will spend our final morning birding the northern plains looking for any species that we might be missing before returning to the community lodge for lunch. We then drive for around  3 hours to the Vulture Restaurant, arriving at Boeng Toal for late afternoon where we will take a short trek and enjoy some birding around the forest. This is a true highlight with the chance to see three critically endangered vulture species as well as good chances for Dhole too.
Here we spend the night under canvas and once we have settled in we will then spend the afternoon at the vulture hide. Boeng Toal Vulture Restaurant is located in remote forest, within the Chhep Wildlife Sanctuary, 15km from the nearby village Dangphlet, in Preah Vihear Province. The Vulture Restaurant is a feeding program set up by the Cambodian government and conservation NGOs, to help sustain three critically endangered species of vultures; Red-headed Vulture, White-rumped Vulture and Slender-billed Vulture. There has been a drastic decline in vulture numbers, mainly due to Diclofenac poisoning. While in Cambodia, these populations are also threatened by a lack of food. Joining this tour offsets the cost of running the ‘vulture restaurant’ and includes the local community in the efforts to save these impressive birds. Overnight Basic Homestay or camping at Vulture Restaurant

Day 10: Vulture Restaurant & Kratie Mekong River
A return morning visit to the vulture hide and birding the nearby trails. After an early lunch we will continue our travels to Kratie. Evening birding at the rice paddies and wetlands on the other side of the Mekong River. Overnight Kratie

Day 11: Kratie Mekong River & Keo Seima
Today we take a boat trip along the Mekong River for two hours for Mekong Wagtail and Irrawaddy Dolphin and other birds. During the late morning we will continue trip to Mundulkiri province, in the eastern plains. Here, we will explore Bamboo forest, dry dipterocarp forest, evergreen and semi-evergreen forest. This protected area is one of the most important reserves for wild birds and mammals. We will spend the final hours of the day birding at Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary. Overnight Senmonorom

Day 12: Keo Seima & Dak Dam Highland
Today will be devoted to the region’s primates, with the likely possibility of Black-shanked Douc, Yellow-cheeked Gibbon, among others. The area is also excellent for birding with Crimson Sunbird, Black-throated Sunbird, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Banded Broadbill, Bar-bellied Pitta, Red-vented and Indochinese Barbet, Phylloscopus warblers, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Black Eagle and maybe also the Scaly-breasted Partridge.
Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight Senmonorom

Day 13: Dak Dam Highland
Morning birding at Dak Dam Highland near Vietnam Border. Remaining forest patches here hold an interesting collection of birds unlike any other site in Cambodia. Black eagle, Pale-capped pigeon, Indochinese Barbet, Blue-winged Siva, Silver-eared Mesia, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Rufous-capped Babbler, Black-chinned Yuhina, Black-crowned Parrotbill, and Black-browed Fulvetta are some of the records from this site. Overnight Senmonorom

Mekong Wagtail ©CBGA

Day 14: Keo Seima & Siem Reap/Siem Reap airport or Phnom Penh/Phnom Penh airport
We will spend our last morning birding to Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary and then set off around 9am in the direction of Phnom Penh. We will make one stop along the way at the Chaktomuk Marshland to locate a newly discovered species, the Cambodian Tailorbird. The tour will conclude late afternoon at Pnonh Penh. If wishing to transfer back to Siem Reap, this can easily be arranged, but please arrange your return flight for the following day.

If flying from Pnonh Penh, please arrange a late evening flight.

Please note this is a flexible itinerary which may need to be adjusted slightly dependent on arrival / departure times, weather conditions and the most recent information from our local guides

Leaders: Wise Birding leader and local guide throughout
Included in cost: All transport and accommodation, all meals, services of local guides, carcass for Vulture Restaurant, boat trip to Prek Toal & Mekong River, all drinking water and entrance fees.
Not included in cost: International airfare, insurance, tips, drinks, laundry, flight / airport tax
Single Supplement: not available for Northern Plains / Changkran Roy / Boeng Toal
Difficulty: Mostly easy though some of the parks we visit does have steep terrain in places.
Climate: Mostly hot and sunny
Tour Start Point: Siem Reap International Airport
Tour Finish Point: Pnonh Penh International Airport
Suggested Airlines: Singapore Airlines or Thai Airways