The small scale and low-impact ecolodge camp with nine comfortable tented accommodations, is designed to provide guests with an all-encompassing nature experience. The camp actively contributes to research, protection and conservation efforts of the forest ecoysystem in 180km2 part of Botum Sakor national park in southwest Cambodia.
WHAT
The camp comprises nine comfortable tents, with ensuite bathrooms and hot showers, in a natural grassland setting beside the Preak Tachan river. The camp allows guests to enjoy guided forest hikes with rangers, kayaking, zipllining, nature watching. The camp, which generates its energy from solar power, is a new model for conservation tourism in Southeast Asia.
HOW
Guests help keep the forest standing by helping fund two Wildlife Alliance ranger stations and helping with their logistics (such as the provision of solar panels). The Wildlife Alliance rangers, supported by colleagues of the Ministry of Environment, have been succesful in dramatically reducing wildlife hunting, logging and river sand bank dredging in the surrounding Botum Sakor national park. The rangers also act as forest guides for the camp’s guests. The camp is a partnership between Wildlife Alliance, The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (a charity of The Minor Group), and the camp operator, YAANA Ventures.
WHY
Without the camp and the rangers, the 180km2 national park concession would be plundered by poachers and loggers. The camp is therefore a environmentally responsible creative solution and a prime example that tourism can be a sustainable source for conservation. Since rangers started operating seven years ago, poaching has dropped to near zero. The surround lowland forest is now a haven for previously endagered wildlife such as gibbons, deer, otters, pangolin, procupine, smaller species of leopard, and much more.
With the tagline ‘Your Stay Keeps the Forest Standing’, guests staying at the Cardamom Tented Camp help to sustain a conservation-friendly business set up to keep the national park out of the hands of loggers, poachers and sand dredging operations.
The eco lodge camp, which opened in November 2017, sees a percentage of its revenues go directly to Wildlife Alliance and its conservation efforts in the park.
