Welcome to Cambodia! Upon arrival in Siem Reap a travel-to-nature Asia guide/representative will be at the airport to greet and take us to our hotel. Please look out for your name-card once you exit out of arrival area.

We will then experience the best of the city excursion. This afternon tour offers the ideal introduction to Siem Reap, complete with city highlights & hidden gems. An opportunity to see Siem Reap like the REAPERS.

We will explore major attractions such as the Theme’s Gallery, Royal Residence & Holy Shrine and we will visit SATCHA workshops, built exclusively with Cambodian bamboo from Kampong Cham from traditional know-how with contemporary design inspired by Khmer ornaments, host 50+ artisans and 15 different know-hows: Carving stone, wood, bamboo, and leather. Weaving rattan, seagrass, water hyacinth, silk, cotton. Painting and lacquer, Jewelry and Silver plating.
We will grab our last chance with authentic half-day opportunities to explore Siem Reap attractions beyond the temples, birds & wildlife.

Accommodation: The Aviary Hotel

Today we will begin our exploration early in the morning. Our guide will pick us up from the hotel and straight to Angkor Wat for Sunrise. Our expert guide will explain some of the finer details, as well as Angkor Wat the greatest surviving architectural monuments in Asia—the temples of the ancient city of Angkor. They represent the heart and soul of Cambodia and other nearby temples.

The lush forest around Angkor Wat temple Complex is equally rewarding for birding. Depending on the time of the year, we will aim to see Hainan Blue Flycatcher, White- throated Rock Thrush, Forest Wagtail, Oriental Pied-Hornbill, Red-breasted and Alexandrine Parakeet, Asian Barred Owlets, and Hill Mynas, Greater Flameback, Black-hooded Orioles and more.

Please note that locations for birding may be flexible depending on location of bird species and the number of tourist on the day. Back to Hotel in Siem.

Accommodation: The Aviary Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We will visit Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary and Ramsar Site located within the Tonlé Sap Biosphere Reserve at the north-west corner of the Tonlé Sap, a huge lake fed by the mighty Mekong River. Prek Toal host the largest breeding colonies of big and glabally threatened waterbirds in Southeast Asia.
Key bird species of global significance here: Spot billed Pelican, Milky Stork, Painted Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black headed Ibis, Grey headed Fish Eagle, and Oriental Darter,

We will return back to Siem Reap late in the afternoon.

Accommodation: The Aviary Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today we will visit Sarus Crane Reserve. Leaving early in the moprning we should arrive in about couple of hours. On the way we will stop at some fertile farmland and open fields looking for birds & wildlife. Saruc Crane are often seen feeding here in the fields and other birds like Black-browed, Oriental Reed Warbler, Cinnamon, Yellow and Black Bittern can sometimes be found in this area. We will take a break here for breakfast.

Once arrived, we will explore the reservoir and surrounding grassland as well as small pocket of deciduous dipterocarp forest looking for more Sarus Cranes and hopefully we might see critically endangered Eld’s Deer here. If time permits we will try to explore the dry woodland and try to find the roosting trees for owl species like Spotted Wood Owl, Asian Barred Owlet, Spotted Owlet.
Other key birs seen are Comb Duck, Pheasant-Tailed and Bronze- winged Jacana, White-throated Kingfisher, Grey-headed Swamphen, Lesser Whistling Duck and Cotton Pygmy Goose and more. We will then visit Phnom Srok Village to see unique silk item being created. May we buy them and support local economy a bit.

In between we will enjoy ou lunch at the bird station. Late in the afternoon we will be back to our hotel in Seam Reap.

Accommodation: The Aviary Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning we will leave Seam Reap behind and drive Thmat Boey to sight the most critically endangered species: The Giant Ibis and the White shouldered Ibis.
En-route to Thmat Boey, we will visit Bengal Florican Conservation Area, one of the most important breeding grounds for Bengal Florican, which is critically endangered with the world population estimated at only 1000 -2000 birds.
A prepared breakfast will be served when we arrive at the site. We will explore surroundnig. Our guides have a very good track record of finding these Critically Endangered birds, the first of the six targets, they 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, Manchurian Reed Warbler, Pied and Eastern Marsh Harrier, Small Buttonquail, Bluethroat, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler, Marsh Harrier,
Pied Harrier and Red Avadavat.

We will continue travelling to the Tmat Boey. On the way we will stop for lunch. Birding in dry forest along the way is equally productive. White-rumped Pygmy Falcons are often sighted. Arrive at Tmat Boey we check-in to the Tmat Boey Ecolodge which is located within Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary. Established by the Ministry of Environment and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Cambodia Program, this area is the flagship site for a unique project aimed at linking wildlife tourism, conservation and development within the community to help preserve. After we are settled in, we may get a chance to see our second Critically Endangered species in the evening, as we try to see the White- shouldered Ibis at a roosting site.

Accommodation: Eco Lodge/Conservation Site
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

04:30 ~ 18:00 – Wake up to search for the Giant Ibis and the White shouldered Ibis followed by a full day of birding.

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.

Tmat Boey 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 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.

,We also explore the eastern part of the village at the Tmatboey River. Pale-capped Pigeon may be found, Blue-bearded Bee eater, Orange-Breasted Trogon, Banded-Bay Cuckoo and Stork-billed Kingfisher and many more species that can be seen here. Indochinese Ground Squirrel, Cambodian Striped Squirrel and Northern Tree Shrew may sometimes seen around odge area.

Today and the following morning are very flexible as we rely on trained local guides to give us up-to-date information on key species sighting location and we move on accordingly. Prepared breakfast and lunch will be provided at the birding sites. Hot dinner at the Eco-lodge in the evening. In the evenings and night time your guide will provide you an opportunity searching for Savanna Nightjar, Oriental Scops Owl and Collared Scop’s Owl.

Accommodation: Eco Lodge/Conservation Site
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After early breakfast, we will explore the surrounding habitats concentrating on anything that we have not seen during our previous excursions.
After lunch we travel to Kampong Thom, it will take 2.5 hours to reach there. Kampong Thom is the capital of Kampong Thom Province in Cambodia. Nevertheless, it is a pleasant and relaxed place and a good starting point for exploring the countryside and the temples of Sambor Prei Kuk and the surrounding shady forest habitats that hold significant birds of our interest.
Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk, Archaeological Site of Ancient Ishanapura:
The archaeological site of Sambor Prei Kuk, “the temple in the richness of the forest” in the Khmer language, has been identified as Ishanapura, the capital of the Chenla Empire that flourished in the late 6th and early 7th centuries AD. The property comprises more than a hundred temples, ten of which are octagonal, unique specimens of their genre in South-East Asia. Decorated sandstone elements in the site are characteristic of the pre-Angkor decorative idiom, known as the Sambor Prei Kuk Style. Some of these elements, including lintels, pediments and colonnades, are true masterpieces. The art and architecture developed here became models for other parts of the region and lay the ground for the unique Khmer style of the Angkor period. Unlike Angkor, the temples are constructed from brick and sandstone. The complex consists of three main groups: central group, south group, north group, all covered by shady forest. A 1,000-acre site with 150 Hindu temples (today mostly in ruins). In 2017 it was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Arrive in Kampong Thom we continue to Sambor Prei Kuk It’s an approximately 45 min drive to get their through nice scenery and small villages with friendly inhabitants. We will explore this site for couple hours. Streak-eared Bulbul, Asian-barred Owlet, Common Flameback, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Forest Wagtail are common visitors to this site. We will return to Kampong Thom for Dinner & Overnight.

Accommodation: Eco Lodge/Conservation Site
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning before leaving for our next destination we will explore nearby grassland habitat where we hope to see Red-throated Pipit, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler and, if we are lucky, the Critically Endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting. Oriental and Black-browed Reed Warbler are also local visitors here. Mekong Wagtail, Asian Golden Weaver, Yellow-breasted Bunting, Watercock, Ruddy-breasted Crake, White-browed Crake, Black-browed & Oriental Reed Warblers, Streaked & Baya Weavers, Red-throated Pipit, Zitting & Golden-headed Cisticolas.

We will be back to our hotel for checkout and continue driving to Kratie. We will have lunch on the way. We hope to arrive Kratie on time to checkin to our hotel, bit of rest & refresment and go out birding around the rice fields in the late afternoon. Here we will try to find the endemic Cambodian Tailorbird and other birds include Asian Golden Weaver, Red-throated Pipit and a variety of birds typical of lowland agriculture land. Back to Hotel for Dinner & overnight.

Kratie town lies on the banks of the Mekong River. The town includes big islands with white sand beaches within the Mekong. The stretch of river north of the city is home to a group of rare Irrawaddy dolphins. A survey conducted in 2007 by Cambodian Mekong Dolphin Conservation Project (CMDCP), a collaborative project between WWF, World Conservation Society, Fisheries Administration and Cambodian Rural Development Team (CRDT), estimated that there are between 66 and 86 dolphins left in the upper Cambodian Mekong area.

Accommodation: Eco Lodge/Conservation Site
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast we take a boat for a river cruise looking for the Mekong Wagtail and Irrawaddy Dolphi. These two rare species only occurs on islands on the Mekong and we are hopeful to find them. Other regularly seen are Small Pratincole, Grey-throated Martin and more.

After the boat trip we return to the hotel for check-out and drive to Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary. On the way, we will stop off for lunch at the local restaurant. Afternoon we will explore surrounding forest habitat looking for the beautiful & exotic Green Peafowl, Red-vented and Blue-eared Barbets, Tit Babbler, Golden-Crested Myna and other common species.

Accommodation: Eco Lodge/Conservation Site
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We have two full days to explore & experience the birds and mammals of this spectacular forest.

Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary is protected area of mixed seasonal tropical forest in eastern Cambodia, located in Mondulkiri and Kratié provinces. Mixed forest types and a range of elevation gives rise to a rich collection of biodiversity, both flora and fauna. A total of 959 plant, fungi, and animal species have been recorded in the area, the highest reported number for any Cambodian protected area. A total of 356 bird species have been recorded, exceeding the highest number recorded on any site in Cambodia and has one of the highest global diversities of any site.

Seven primate species are found in the protected area, including the vast majority of the world’s population of the black-shanked douc langur, with an estimated 25,000 individuals. The next largest population, found in Vietnam, is only 500 individuals. A total of 1,432 southern yellow-cheeked crested gibbon are found in the evergreen and semi-evergreen forest areas, including the world’s only habituated groups of this species, at Jahoo Gibbon Camp and not forget the Northern Pig-tailed and Long-tailed Macaque are also fond here.

Significant threatened ungulate populations are present, including Eld’s deer, sambar deer, banteng, and the largest living wild bovid, the gaur.

We aim to see the Orange-necked Partridge, a species which went missing for much of the last century, only to be rediscovered in the 1990s. We have a moderate success rate with this species but there are many other spectacular species to keep our interest during our time here including Green Peafowl, German’s Peacock Pheasant, Red-vented Barbet, Scaly-breasted Partridge and Pale-headed Woodpecker, all of which have been seen on the trails close to the station.

Cambodia may be the best place in the world for woodpeckers. The largest woodpecker in the world, the great Slayty can be seen at forested sites throughout the trip and is particularly easy to see in Seima. We will also aim to see White-bellied, Laced, Heart-spotted and Black-and-buff Woodpeckers here. We will make a special effort to see out fruiting trees because these often hold in hill and Golden-crested Myna as well as range of barbets, pigeons and hornbills.

Dak Dam Highlands located in the south-eastern corner of Cambodia on the Sen Monorom plateau at an altitude of over 800 meters is equally productive in sighting highland species like Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Pale-capped Pigeon, Indochinese Barbet, , Ashy Bulbuls, Silver-eared Mesia, White-cheeked and White-crested Laughingthrush, and Blackthroated Sunbird.

Accommodation: Nature Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After the last morning of birding at Seima, we will move on to Phnom Penh. We will make a stop along the way to locate the newly discovered species of Cambodian tailor-bird. A must-see for any birder in Cambodia. This distinctive species was first described in 2012. It occurs only in floodplain wetlands where the mighty Mekong meets the Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers. The ancient Khmers knew this area as Chaktomuk, literally “four faces,” referring to the confluence of these rivers and giving the tailorbird its scientific name, Orthotomus chaktomuk. We will arrive late in the afternoon in Phnom Penh. Upon arrival in the capital, we will check-in to our hotel for Dinner & overnight stay.

Accommodation: Frangipani Royal Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We enjoy a Cyclo tour around Phnom Penh’s key sites, such as Wat Phnom, the National Library, the Central Market, the National Museum, Independence Monument and, of course, the Royal Palace as well as the Silver Pagoda.

We’ll continue our tour at the The Royal Palace complex and attached ‘Silver Pagoda’ compound consist of several buildings, structures and gardens all located within 500×800 metre walled grounds overlooking a riverfront park. Marking the approach to the Palace, the high sculpted wall and golden spired Chanchhaya Pavilion stand distinctively against the river front skyline. Inside the Palace grounds, street sounds are silenced by the high walls and the various Royal buildings sit like ornate islands rising from the tranquil, manicured tropical gardens. The silver pagoda is often called the Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Preah Kaew.

In the afternoon, we will visit the infamous Tuol Sleng museum (S-21), where you can learn about the turbulent recent history of Cambodia. You will also enjoy shopping at a local market.
At 4:30pm, you will get pickup from the hotel to enjoy a lovely sunset cruise down the Mekong.
We will go out for Dinner at a local restaurant.

Accommodation: Frangipani Royal Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Our Tour Ends here today!!
Free morning today until we leave for the airport and in the afternoon we’ll pack our bags and get pickup from the hotel to the airport with plenty of time before your departing flight back home.