Features

Cambodia - Climbing the Cardomoms

by Andrew Young

The company says that the township of Chi Phat in the Cardamoms is emerging as Southeast Asia's new adventure destination for mountain biking, trekking, kayaking, wildlife spotting, bird watching and waterfall discoveries. Biologists predict that the area holds unrecorded biodiversity. Trips to Chi Phat reveal hornbills and monkeys to the casual observer. Gibbon calls are commonly heard in the forests surrounding Chi Phat.

"The southern Cardamom mountains are an exceptionally beautiful area," says Frans Betgem co-founder of Khiri Travel, which specializes creating innovative itineraries in Thailand and Indochina. "The locals can see the longterm benefit of turning from logging and hunting to ecotourism. Backpackers are arriving. Although Chi Phat is not an easy proposition at the moment, Khiri Travel has started to include it on specialist tours through Cambodia."