Prek Thnout Community-Based Ecotourism Site

Overview

Located at the base of Bokor Mountain range, less than 1 hour from Kampot town, you will find unique unspoiled nature, fresh air, spectacular evergreen forests, clean rivers, exotic wildlife (wild monkeys, birds, peacocks), tasty local food, tranquility, peace and traditional rural Cambodian village life.

Location / Getting there

25km or 45 minutes from Kampot town. Follow National Road No. 3 west, towards Sihanoukville. After sign post KM174 (Trapaing 6 km) on the left, and crossing a small bridge, you will see the Eco-Tourism sign on the right-hand side. Turn right and right again, follow the dirt road for 5 minutes. Lat/Long: 10° 35'44.2"N 103° 57'47.4E

Organization Name of project: Prek Thnout CBET (Community Based Eco-Tourism) Province Kampot

Managed by NGO/ Organization: Originally setup by Save Cambodia’s Wildlife (SCW)

Booking: No booking required

Year established:  2007

Facilities:

• Electricity
• Toilets
• No WiFi – talk to each other 

Best travel time

• Dry season recommended (early November – late May)
• Rainy season not recommended (early June – late October)
Don’t miss • Watching the wild monkeys play, but be careful so they don’t steal your food or shiny belongings
• Refreshing swim in “Blue Water Pool” of Prek Thnout river
• Traditional rural Cambodian village lifestyle with local houses, food, clothes, animals (chicken, cows, dogs) and much more

Plan trip 1 day

• Arrive before lunch: take a stroll through the village
• Enjoy delicious local food: visitor’s favorite is spicy fried BBQ chicken, a true specialty – this region is famous for its homegrown, organic chicken
• Relax & unwind in a hammock: recharge your batteries in nature
• Take a stroll through the forest to “Blue Water Pool”: Swim in the stream (500 meters / 15 minutes from village; only in dry season)
• Watch wild animals: monkeys, birds, peacocks, swallows & famous nests (only in dry season)
• Discover local flora / plants: wild orchids, passion fruit, bamboo, etc.
• Visit the local rattan furniture production: approx. 1.5km walk from village
• Return in the late afternoon: Back to Kampot or on to Sihanoukville

Organizations’ aspiration for the future

In the near future, the villagers of Prek Thnout are hoping to offer again homestays incl. join the villager’s daily routine, introduce Peacock watching and develop a water purification enterprise.

Community Support

The entrance fee (1,000 Riels for locals / 3 USD for foreigners) goes directly to the Community Fund, which is used for common interests like infrastructure development (e.g. roads, bridges) and social support (e.g. schools, funerals). 800+ families (~2,000 villagers) live in the Community Protected Area (CPA) of Prek Thnout. They generate income from farming, fishing, factory work, supplemented by these Eco-Tourism activities.

Profile of community member

• Mr. CHRIK Sowann
• Deputy Chief of Eco-Tourism CPA & Eco-Tourism
• Tel. +855 (0)97 78 87 027; +855 (0)69 95 44 27
• Currently only speaking Khmer, learning English