Exploring Cambodia's national parks
Less visited than most of its South East Asian neighbours, Cambodia rewards travellers with a more authentic experience. This beautiful nation is home to stunning national parks and jungles – along with the flora and fauna that inhabit them – that are well worth a closer look.
1. Virachey National Park
There are just seven national parks in Cambodia. Located in the country’s northeastern corner, Virachey National Park, its first, was established in 1993. Today, Virachey is one of the best-administered national parks in Cambodia. Small ethnic communities are scattered throughout its varied landscapes, which are characterised by verdant lowlands, misty cloud forests and sweeping savannahs. The park is inhabited by a colourful selection of mammals, including slow loris, pig-tailed macaque, gibbon, douc langur, wild elephant, gaur and banteng. Scenic walks through the park are offered by the Ministry of Environment.
2. Bokor National Park
In the south of the country, the expansive Bokor National Park takes in the site of a 1920s French colonial hill station. It’s an atmospheric destination as Bokor’s swathes of dense verdant Cambodian jungle are often bathed in mist. The complete renovation of the station’s main building has seen it recently reopen as the upmarket Le Bokor Palace hotel, helping to drive development in the region. In the meantime, there are still plenty of moody ruined buildings to explore, and a couple of beautiful waterfalls to visit. Resident wildlife includes leopard cats, gibbons, sun bears and civets.
Abandoned christian church in Bokor. Photo: Sergey Peterman/Shutterstock
3. Ream National Park
Ream National Park covers 210 sq km (81 sq miles) of mainland Cambodia and the waters surrounding the Sinahoukville peninsula, which encompass 21 islands. Coastal forests account for some of the park’s most spectacular scenery – turquoise waters backed by dense Cambodian jungle surround the stunning islands of Koh Thmei and Koh Seh, two of the region’s largest. Mangrove forests, isolated beaches and coral reefs are among the park’s natural attractions, while macaques, pangolins, sun bears and muntjac (mouse deer) are among the wildlife that it supports.
Wooden jetty at local village in Ream National Park. Photo: Don Mammoser/Shutterstock
4. Kirirom National Park
This national park receives few visitors and is all the better for it. Its pine-clad mountains offer panoramic views and startlingly fresh air. Its undulating hills are criss-crossed by a selection of trails – some accessible by mountain bike – which take in the area’s abandoned villas and pagodas, lakes, waterfalls and impressive fauna. Deer, wild ox, gibbon, eagles and double-beaked hornbills are likely wildlife sightings. Viewpoints such as The Cliff and Phnom Dat Chivit provide jaw-dropping views of the Cardamom mountain range.
5. Botum Sakor National Park
Located on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, Botum Sakor is the largest national park in Cambodia. Its lowlands consist primarily of evergreen woods and tropical grasslands, while its coastal flats are blanketed in mangroves and swamps. A unique collection of exotic wildlife thrives in these diverse landscapes. You can expect to encounter elephants, gibbons, slow loris, hog deer, crocodiles, fishing cats and king cobra – to name just a few.
6. Kep National Park
Located on a hill behind the fishing village of Kep in southern Cambodia, this national park offers fantastic views over Kep province and its beautiful coastline. You can hike to the top of the hill in around an hour and a half. Viewpoints and benches break up the journey, as well as the simple Led Zep Café which sells cool drinks and sandwiches and is the only eatery in the park. The owner is an authority on the wildlife and trails within the park and can also provide free maps. You can visit Kep National Park as part of Insight Guides' Cambodia's Beaches and Temples trip.
View over Kep National Park, Cambodia. Photo: alionabirukova/Shutterstock
7. Phnom Kulen National Park
Phnom Kulen National Park, in northern Cambodia, is centred around the sandstone Phnom Kulen mountain considered to be the most sacred in the country. The main attraction of the park is its scattering of impressive archaeological sites. Most visitors come here to see the massive 16th-century reclining Buddha – including local Cambodians who come with bountiful offerings. There are also historic rock figures at Kbal Spean and the Terrace of Sdach Kamlung within the park, as well as two beautiful waterfalls.
Small Buddhist temple on the sacred mountain of Phnom Kulen. Photo: Lizavetta/Shutterstock
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