Central Cardamoms Protected Forest is one of Southeast Asia’s largest protected areas and resides down in the Cambodian southwest within Koh Kong Province. It occupies most of the province’s territory – almost one million acres – amid the Cardamom Mountains and is crisscrossed by large rivers.
Central Cardamoms Protected Forest also happens to be an important habitat for a great many mammalian species of Cambodia, which include the likes of the Indochinese tiger, the Malaysian sun bear, and the Asian elephant. It is also home to the endangered Siamese crocodile and a large number of reptiles, amphibians and birds.
The Central Cardamoms Protected Forest actually came about after the linking of Mount Aural and Mount Samkos sanctuaries and was originally to be logged. There are few roads into the area to deter would-be loggers, although this makes it tough to get in for tourists.
You can do hikes, however, from Thma Bang to Kravanh over about a week and can organize a guide in Thma Bang. Alternatively, go from Chamnar to Kravanh over the mountains, which is quicker, or a three-day hike from Chumnoab (near Thma Bang) to Roleak Kang Cheung in the east. The area around the 3,500-foot Knong Krapeur is strewn with large ceramic funeral jars. Trekking is only do-able in the dry season.
In brief
What is it? A large, fairly isolated wilderness of pristine lowland evergreen forests and wetlands.
Opening hours: daily (best visited in the dry season). Entrance fees: charge.
Address/website: www.conservation.org/sites/gcf/portfolio/asia_pacific/Pages/cardamoms.aspx.
Where: in the northern part of Koh Kong Province, southwest Cambodia.
How to get there: best visited from Koh Kong, 140kms from Phnom Penh, by own transport going via the town of Thma Bang (3 hours).