AsiaLIFE

Two and a half hours up the Pi Phat River from the bridge at Andoung Teuk lies the undiscovered village of Chi Phat. Known to some as the Gateway to the Cardamoms, this emerging destination offers a refreshing alternative to the well-trodden tourist paths throughout Cambodia. Words and Photos by Kate Burbidge.

An internationally recognised bio-diversity hot-spot, the Cardamom Mountain Range is home to more than half of Cambodia’s 23,000 plant species, over 200 bird species and 14 species of globally threatened mammals. It is also one of the few remaining elephant corridors and large predator ranges in the region. As recently as the 90s the area suffered from illegal logging, poaching and unsustainable farming practices. Driven by poverty, the locals were offered little alternative to these environmentally damaging activities in a remote rural area where, until recently, tourism was unknown. Now things are slowly starting to change.

Community-Based Eco-tourism

Set up in January 2007, Chi Phat’s community-based eco-tourism (CBET) project runs tours for those seeking a supplement to the usual tourist diet of temples and beaches. Two- or three-day treks through the forest offer the chance to see some of the area’s diverse wildlife or visit an ancient burial-jar site.

Mountain-bike tours are an alternative way to visit local sites of interest, the trails are varied and challenging but not for the complete novice. The bat cave, waterfalls and the sunrise bird-watching boat trip all present some wonderful photo-opportunities. The Chi Phat CBET tour mixes the chance of experiencing the local wildlife with witnessing a community moving towards a more sustainable livelihood and a higher standard of living.

Bird Watching

The Boys’ Own Adventure begins at dawn. There’s just about time to grab a cup of “the best drip-coffee in the world” before, complete with hammock, blanket and binoculars, you board the boat for the bird watching trip. This early start affords some stunning misty-pink sunrise photography before the birds in question are properly awake.

Breakfast is served a couple of hours upstream where you transfer from motorboat to smaller rowing boats. This allows you to get up close to the birds without scaring them off. Macaques and squirrels can be spied alongside hornbills in the high branches. Even if the local fauna is playing hard to get, the trip is worth it for the peace and scenic beauty alone.

Two-Day Hike

The 30-kilometre, two-day hike follows old hunting and logging trails to avoid further impact on the forest. Winding through secondary forest – the primary jungle has long since been logged out – full of exotic sights, scents and sounds you get the impression of being somewhere new and far from the norm. If you are very quiet, between 10.30am and 11am you can hear the distant, lilting song of the gibbons high in the tree tops.

The hike itself requires a moderate to good level of fitness. The going is not particularly arduous but even in the shade of the forest it gets hot, so plenty of water is required. The fairly rough terrain requires good awareness of what you’re walking through or clambering on. There are, however, regular breaks for water, food and rest. Occasional breaks in the forest reveal traditional wooden and thatched houses with at least one small boat in evidence – a reminder that the river is not only a source of food but the main transport route for the locals.

Although the guides do their best to answer any questions, they could do with being more forthcoming with unsolicited information. The trail eventually leads up to an open grassy area that hosts a watering hole in the wet season. At dusk and dawn it’s possible to see and hear hornbills, parrots, wild pigs and monkeys. The campsite is very low impact. Wooden poles are fixed in the ground and hammocks are strung between them. Tarpaulin is tied to the taller poles to provide protection from the morning dew. The hammocks are strung close – the body heat of your neighbours being vital during the very cold jungle night. It’s all great-outdoors fun though and the hammocks are surprisingly comfortable. The next morning’s very welcome breakfast is guaranteed to be the best you’ve tasted.

Towards the end of the hike is a stretch that reminds you why you came here. The countryside is parched and open, sandy, grassy lowlands, sparse trees, burnt patches still evident ­ – this too used to be forest. These are the past mistakes that the CBET project is aiming to correct. It’s why Chi Phat needs sustainable alternatives.

Gateway to the Cardamoms

To reach Andoung Teuk take a bus, minibus or shared taxi towards Koh Kong on Highway 48. Once you get there negotiate with the boatmen for a relaxing two- to three-hour trip up-river to Chi Phat, usually around 10,000 riel per person. The boat journey is a good way to unwind and have your first view of the local countryside.

Arranging Your Trip

The CBET office is the place to go to organise anything in Chi Phat. This is where you eat, book your guesthouse, rent a bicycle or mountain-bike and helmet, hire basic hiking equipment, find a moto. They provide the hammocks, nets and blankets, guides and cooks for your hikes and mountain-bike rides. It’s the place to be in Chi Phat.

Food

The food provided by CBET was unexpectedly (given the location and very basic facilities) good. The local cuisine is simply presented and delicious – curries, soups, prawns, chicken, papaya salad, rice and even some of the best chips in the country. The meals served on the trek are basic but well cooked – rice and egg are the staples, but what eggs! Somewhere between poached and fried they are the best thing to wake up to in the chill of a jungle morning.

Accommodation

Accommodation reflects the same basic but sound standards, the guesthouses are clean and the beds comfortable. You stay in traditional wooden family houses. The village has no mains facilities for water, electricity or sewerage, so the facilities (scoop showers and squat toilets) are shared and the water is somewhat bracing, particularly at 5am before the bird watching trip! However, if you want Le Royal luxury you wouldn’t be here, would you?

Suggested Equipment For Treks

Good walking shoes and socks, head-torch, long trousers, long-sleeved shirt, pullover / fleece, sunscreen, insect repellent, hat, sunglasses, krama / sarong, silk hammock-liner, basic toiletries.

For further information visit the following websites: 
www.livelearn.org
www.wildlifealliance.org
www.mountainbikingcardamoms.com

Chi Phat 101

Tourism in Chi Phat has been developed and is administered by the CBET project. Facilitated by Wildlife Alliance and led by the Chi Phat CBET committee, the project seeks to counter the effects of illegal logging and wildlife trading in the area by helping villagers identify and develop alternative sustainable livelihoods that protect, conserve and strengthen their fragile environment.

Chi Phat commune consists of four villages and 550 families, most of whom are willing participants in the project. Over a hundred families are directly employed as service providers – guides, rangers, motodops, boatmen, cooks, and guesthouse or homestay providers. Fees generated by tourism are divided between the service provider and a commune fund administered by the Chi Phat CBET committee.