20/06/2013
Join us to discover more bird-species in Cambodia
TOUR CODE: ACT014
Day 1: Arrive in Siem Reap
Meet at the Siem Reap Airport and transfer with guide to your hotel in Siem Reap. Remainder of the day is leisure
Meals:
Accommodation: The Mekong Bed & Breakfast hotel
Day 2: Tonle Sap Waterbird and Floating Village
05:00 – Pickup from your hotel by an English speaking-birding guide and travel to Chong Khneas.
05:30 – Board the boat to across the great Tonle Sap Lake to Prek Toal, with breakfast boxed and a full briefing from the guide on the way.
07:00 – At Prek Toal we will pick up a ranger for the boat trip into the core bird reserve flooded forest.
08:30 – Arrive at the treetop observation platform opposite the bird colonies to view the panorama of the flooded forest reserve and teeming bird-life.
10:00 – Arrive back at Prek Toal and Find out how communities live and work on the lake; see the floating schools, markets, and police stations, among others; observe their daily lives.
12:00 – Have lunch in the local floating house.
13:00 – Return boat trip to Siem Reap, arriving back at your hotel around 15:00. Remainder of the day free at leisure to enjoy with hotel facilities.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: The Mekong Bed & Breakfast hotel
Day 3-4: Siem Reap Birding
There are sites like the West Baray, where there are often many herons, waders and kingfishers, along with some forest species like Hainan Blue Flycatcher and Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, as well as Red-breasted Parakeets and sunbirds. In September ACT found a flock of 27 River Lapwings (photo below, taken at the West Baray), a highly sought after species that is very hard to see away from the Mekong River, but may be regular here when water levels are at their highest in Cambodia (August-October). Or we can try for some migrants in the wooded grounds of one of the Wats, such as Wat Atwea just a few kilometres south of the town where we have recently seen Forest Wagtail and Asian Paradise Flycatcher. A short distance further and there are the paddyfields and ponds that stretch to the edge of the great Tonle Sap lake, where many species of wader including Pintail Snipe, Long-toed Stint, Oriental Pratincole, Marsh Sandpiper and sometimes Grey-headed Lapwing. Resident Red-wattled Lapwing are always great birds to watch, and we've been lucky with good views of Greater Painted Snipe at one of our sites close to the lake. Many bitterns, herons, egrets, storks and even occasionally Spot-billed Pelican can be seen near the lake as well, and there is even a chance of an Adjutant flying over! Usually the trips start at 05:30 to make the most of the best time of the day for birdwatching, and we will come back around 10:00 as the day becomes hotter. Alternatively an afternoon and evening trip can be just as productive, especially for waders. Departure in the afternoon is 14:30, returning when it becomes too dark to bird!
You are most welcome to drop by the Amazing Cambodia Travel along Street 26, past the Apsara Theatre just off Wat Bo Road. Our garden has resident Brown-throated and Olive-backed Sunbird, Streak-eared and Yellow-vented Bulbul and from mid-October these are joined by Taiga and Asian Brown Flycatcher and Yellow-browed Warbler. We always keep an eye out for something good like the male Asian Paradise Flycatcher that occasionally dashes through our trees.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: The Mekong Bed & Breakfast hotel
Day 5: Temples and Birds
Koh Ker is approximately 2 hours drive east of Siem Reap on the way to Tmatboey. It is a stunning and unique pyramidal temple built in 931AD, strikingly reminiscent of the structures built by the Central American Maya. Not only is the appearance unique but also the history, as this was the location that became the capital of the Khmer Empire away from the Angkor area for the only time in an otherwise uninterrupted 500 years.
King Jayavarman IV, in 921AD created this new capital for reasons still much debated. It would only hold this position until 944AD however, with Jayavarman IV dying in 941AD and his son – Harshavarman II in 944, King Rajendravarman II returned the capital to the Angkor area in 944AD.
The site has only recently been thoroughly de-mined and visitor facilities are still rudimentary, so it still has an authentic feel of the remote, mysterious jungle temple. It is situated in dry deciduous forest with some semi-evergreen forest and so also has an excellent range of birds, potentially including Black-headed and White-bellied Woodpecker, Velvet-fronted and Neglected Nuthatch, Rufous-winged Buzzard and Indochinese Bushlark. In addition our guides know the location of several pairs of the excellent White-rumped Pygmy-falcon, a key species to see while in Cambodia, and when searching for these you should also encounter the endearing Collared Falconet.
Beng Melea:
It is possible to combine a visit to Koh Ker with a visit to the fabulous ruined temple of Beng Melea, which is about half an hour back towards Siem Reap. Not only is this large temple thought of as almost the blueprint for Angkor Wat, being virtually the same layout if a bit smaller, it also contains good semi-evergreen forest. This gives the birder a chance to pick up some migrants from the Himalaya during December – March, often including the difficult to connect with White-throated Rock-thrush.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: The Mekong Bed & Breakfast hotel
Day 6: Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm
SIEM REAP FULL DAY TOUR
ANGKOR THOM AND TA PROHM
Head to the ancient Royal city of Angkor Thom with its centre piece, the Bayon temple. At first glance, it may seem like a shapeless mass of stone, but further scrutiny reveals towers with enigmatic faces of former King Jayavarman VII looking into every direction. Continue your exploration with a visit to the Terrace of the Elephants, which served as a platform from where the King could welcome back his victorious army. Attached is the Terrace of the L***r King which holds detailed carvings winding along a narrow passage way that leads to the Baphuon complex. Head back to Siem Reap to rest and to enjoy lunch on your own before continuing to Ta Prohm. This beautiful temple is overgrown with fig trees, giving a haunting yet exotic atmosphere. The magnificent roots of the trees have merged over the centuries with the temple’s huge stone blocks, emphasizing a ‘forgotten city’ feeling. In the late afternoon, visit Artisans d’Angkor, an organization focusing on training unschooled rural youth in traditional handicraft skills. Ancient techniques are still practiced here such as wood and stone carving, lacquering, gilding and silk painting. Bid farewell to the artisans and return to your hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: The Mekong Bed & Breakfast hotel
Day 7: Ang Trapeang Thmor Crane Adventure
05:30 – Pickup at your hotel by an English-speaking biding-guide for the 90 minute trip to ATT, with breakfast provided on the way and stops for interesting wildlife
07:30 – Arrive at Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) ATT station, briefing with the local guide
08:00 – Birdwatching around the reservoir
11:00 – Visit Phnom Srok village and see unique silk items being created
12:00 – Lunch at the WCS station
13:00 – Exploring further bird sites including Dry Deciduous Forest, home of Eld's Deer
17:00– Return to your hotel in Siem Reap
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: The Mekong Bed & Breakfast hotel
Day 8: Stoung Bengal Florican Conservation Area
The Tonle Sap grasslands support over half of the world’s Bengal Floricans. Our guides have a very good track record of finding these Critically Endangered birds and the first of the six targets should be seen within the first few hours of the trip. Whilst we are enjoying the floricans other birds we typically see include Sarus Crane, storks, Pied and Eastern Marsh Harrier, Small Buttonquail, Bluethroat and Red Avadavat. From here we will travel to the Tmatboey eco-lodge, birding in dry forest along the way. We may get a chance at our second Critical species this evening, as we try to see White-shouldered Ibis at a roost site.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: In the community Tmatboey eco-lodge.
Day 9-10: Tmatboey – Dry Forest
At Tmatboey SVC operate a scheme where the local people are paid to protect the nests of the two Critically Endangered ibis present – Giant and White-shouldered Ibis. Consequently our guides have a 100% record of finding these species for visiting birders! We will try to get good views of both species during the time we spend here. The birding is excellent and our guides have made a special effort to locate the day roosts of nocturnal species such as Spotted Wood Owl and Brown Fish Owl so that these can be seen without the loss of any sleep. Tmatboey also supports an incredible 16 species of woodpecker including the fantastic Black-headed Woodpecker, the huge Great Slaty Woodpecker and the scarce Rufous-bellied Woodpecker. Our guides know where to find these and all of the dry forest specialties such as the recently recognised Indian Spotted Eagle, White-rumped Pygmy Falcon, Collared Falconet, Rufous-winged Buzzard, Indochinese Bushlark, Brown Prinia, Neglected Nuthatch and White-browed Fantail at this or nearby sites.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: In the community Tmatboey eco-lodge.
Day 11: Tmatboey, Veal Krous Vulture Restaurant
There will be the chance to do some morning birding at Tmatboey, concentrating on anything that we have not already seen before we travel to Veal Krous Vulture Restaurant. Our local guides will have already set up large safari-style tents for us to sleep in. The vultures will not be fed until the next day, so there will be time for some birding in the dry forest in the later afternoon and certain species may be easier to see here than at Tmatboey.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: at Veal Krous tented camp
Day 12: Veal Krous Vulture Restaurant and return to Siem Reap
As vulture populations have crashed across Asia Cambodia has held onto populations of the three species now considered Critically Endangered. However, owing to a decline in wild cattle populations, Cambodia’s vultures are now reliant on supplementary feeding. Joining this tour offsets the cost of running the ‘vulture restaurant’ and includes the local community in the efforts to save these impressive, macabre birds. A dead cow will be provided to the vultures and from dawn we will be able to watch the spectacle of up to eighty White-rumped and Red-headed Vultures, and sometimes also Slender-billed Vultures feeding on the carcass.
After the vultures have finished feeding we begin the four-hour return trip to Siem Reap. We will break the journey at Beng Melea, a spectacular ruined jungle-temple set in semi-evergreen forest providing a different range of birds. There is a chance of finding some scarce winter migrants from the Himalayas here, such as the difficult to see White-throated Rock-thrush.
1hour reflexology massage at Body Tune Spa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: The Mekong Bed & Breakfast hotel
Day 13: Depart Siem Reap
After breakfast at the hotel free at leisure until transfer to airport for departure flight
Meals: Breakfast
