Chambok Ecotourism

Chambok ecotourism site is just nest to the Kirirom National Park. Be prepared for some exercise about 4 kilometers trek, interaction with local villagers, and discovery of Cambodia’s unique natural biodiversity, visitors will enjoys with other activities such as: hiking, ox-cart riding, renting bicycle, picnicking, bird watching, bathing at the stream and the waterfall, and visiting a bat-cave. Furthermore, visitors can possibly have a lunch in the villager’s house prepared by local women, including fruit and coconut at the waterfall.

Ecotourism, Asia’s new buzzword, seems at first glance to be the ideal way to ‘save the forest’, although without the support of local communities and a constant stream of visitors, ecotourism remains a pipedream. Phnom Penh based NGO Khmer Community Development (KCD) think they have found the ideal balance.
Phnom Penh based NGO Khmer Community Development (KCD) think they have found the ideal balance.

Chambok Eco-tourism Resort, around 70km from Phnom Penh in Kampong Spue province, is just a few kilometres away from Kirirom Hillside resort. But while Kirirom is an upscale luxury retreat, Chambok is successful and sustainable community project. Unlike many similar schemes, Chambok is run with definite and realistic aims in mind – conservation that benefits local communities through tourism. “Ecotourism is very important for community development,” explained Chan Sokha, KCD’s director. “Chambok is managed by the community, but benefits from it. The project supports families and the community.”

To raise awareness, KCD offers training for would-be guides at $3 per day. The training is popular; around twenty students usually take up the offer. KCD also uses Cambodian volunteers as the unpaid positions are a cheap way to recruit hardworking staff and provide a chance for the unemployed to gain experience and practice speaking English. Twenty-two year-old volunteer Cheam Piseth said “improving language” was his primary concern, though he could easily parrot the ‘NGOese’ associated with the project.