Chi Phat Ecotourism

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Last Update: January 2023

General Info

Chi Phat ecotourism, where the local population participates and benefits from tourism. I know I promised you off the beaten path, but right away I have to admit that Chi Phat is kind of a tourist destination. Having said that, no more than about 3,500 visitors make it to Chi Phat each year, which is nothing really.

Besides, something extraordinary is happening in Chi Phat village.

View of the morning mist over the Cardamom rain forest at Chi Phat, Cambodia — **Morning mist over the Cardamom rainforest**

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Page Contents

Chi Phat is also dubbed “the gateway to the Cardamom mountains”. This unique area in the Southwest of Cambodia is home to many endangered animals. Threatened species include amongst others the Asian elephant, Indochinese tiger, clouded leopard, Asiatic wild dog, Indian bison, wild banteng and the Malayan sun bear. Furthermore, the rivers are home to Irrawaddy dolphins and the very rare Siamese crocodile.

Don’t get your hopes up though, chances to spot any of the animals above are slim to none, that’s how rare they are. Fortunately, there’s a lot of other wildlife for you to spot on the guided treks in the Cardemom mountains.

Indochinese tiger at Chi Phat, Cambodia — **Endangered Indochinese tige**r

Community based ecotourism

For centuries the inaccessibility of the Cardamom mountains ensured the preservation of the rainforest around the small village of Chi Phat. As a result, the area remains one of the largest and for the most part unexplored forests in South East Asia until today. However, new roads unlocked the area and now the biodiversity is severely threatened by illegal logging, extensive wildlife poaching and slash-and-burn agriculture.

The former logging and hunting community in the village of Chi Phat nowadays runs a Community-Based-Eco-Tourism project (CBET). Chi Phat ecotourism was born in 2007, when NGO “Wildlife Alliance” started a program to educate and help the community to earn a living from tourism instead of illegal poaching and logging. Villagers now make sustainable income through offering home-stays, guided treks and a wide array of tours. Guides that were once poachers, now lead you on jungle treks to waterfalls, grasslands and mountains.

First things first

When you arrive at Chi Phat village the first thing to do is register at the visitors center a good 300 meters into the village, even if you pre-booked an accommodation. They can also assist you with booking activities and transport arrangements for leaving Chi Phat.

One important reminder is to bring sufficient cash money. There are no ATM’s in Chi Phat and credit card acceptance is rare.

Things to see/do in Chi Phat

Since it’s all about Chi Phat ecotourism here, the star of the show at Chi Phat is of course good old mother nature herself. And what a beautiful sights she offers. Besides the forest there are many waterfalls and rapids to visit. You can have a refreshing swim while you’re at it. What about the bat caves and the ancient burial site where they keep deceased ancestors in jars?

Chi Phat ancestor burial site — **Burial site**

Next to seeing the wonderful nature there is so much to do. Let’s get active! Hiking, Kayaking, crab fishing, bird watching, mountain biking and multiple days of trekking are just a few of the adventurous things to do here. Visit the wild life release station, do some volunteer gardening or join a traditional cooking class. Above all, with all these activities it’s guaranteed that you will have a lot of interactions with the local community.

The CBET visitor center can assist you with maps of the area and/or booking activities. They have a small office in the main street of Chi Phat village just 300m from the ferry.

Locals and visitor working together in the Chi Phat community garden — **Gardening with the locals**

No, no, no, don’t skip this part, even if you think that travel insurance is boring. If you like to indulge in adventurous activities, then make sure to travel with the right travel insurance. One that also covers your medical care abroad and includes evacuations and repatriation. Remember, you’re a million miles from anywhere. Any serious ailments or injuries will most probably result in costly medical transport to Bangkok or Singapore. Payable upfront without proper insurance.

Read more about travel insurance, or at least get an instant quote right now!

Where to stay in Chi Phat

At the visitor center it’s possible to arrange your accommodation. There are many guesthouses, but most are just small operations and the best ones tend to sell out months in advance. If you have a specific accommodation in mind, it might be smart to book your accommodation ahead of your arrival. Don’t expect any real luxury like aircon or wifi and there’s no 24/7 electricity. In Chi Phat ecotourism is taken very seriously.

Typically, the CBET will use a rotating system assigning you to an accommodation. This is of course to make sure that all local participants have an equal chance to rent out their property and make a buck. You can of course, voice a preference.

Front of the CBET office in Chi Phat — **Chi Phat Ecotourism – CBET office**

The Chi Phat CBET can also arrange a homestay for you with one of the local families. It’s all very basic, with some of the homestays without any electricity and hot water at all. Your hosts will most probably not speak English, so all communication is likely to go through the visitor center. On the other hand, if you’re up for a real authentic experience, you can’t get any closer than this.

Walkaboutmonkey.com recommends

I have two accommodation recommendations for you, tried and tested by yours truly. You can request the CBET to stay there. It doesn’t mean that the other accommodation are any less though. I just haven’t tried any of the other ones, so I wouldn’t know.

The Bear Cat Guesthouse: For real budget travelers Chi Phat has plenty of options. The Bear Cat has clean rooms with a fan and mosquito net. The bathroom is shared and the owner family is welcoming and friendly.

Fireflies Lodge. Pay a little more to stay in a sturdy wooden bungalow. The bungalows here are set directly at the river and spread out over the resort terrain.

Accommodation in Chi Phat, Cambodia — **Fireflies lodge**

Where to eat in Chi Phat

There are a few restaurants and street food stalls in Chi Phat, which are incredibly cheap, but unfortunately the food and service are far from spectacular. Your best bet is the community restaurant at the visitor center. Next to breakfast they serve three different dishes for lunch and three more for dinner. The menu changes everyday. When we were there in 2018 breakfast was $2.50 and meals were $5. They also accommodate vegetarians and vegans and there’s a small bar attached serving alcoholic beverages.

Koh Sre Cafe is a small, but very nice eatery with a beautiful wooden deck. It’s located about 1km North from the CBET center on the main drag. Although the menu is rather limited, the food leaving the kitchen is outstanding and friendly priced as well.

Plate of Prahok Ktiss in Chi Phat Ecotourism — **A plate of fresh Prahok Ktiss at Koh Sre eatery**

If you are staying at one of the many home-stays it might be possible to join the family in a home cooked meal, which makes for a unique experience. Try to organize this with the visitor center as they will be able to mediate between you and your host.

How to get to Chi Phat

Getting to Chi Phat is an adventure in itself. The village is on the way from either Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville to Koh Kong, but you’ll have to alight at Andoung Teuk. Regular minivans and Virak Buntham buses leave from Phnom Penh (4h) and Sihanoukville (4h) with destination Koh Kong. Make sure to let the driver know to let you off at the Andoung Teuk bridge.

For bus schedules and tickets you can use the transport planning tool below from BookmeBus.com to book online. Especially during high season and public holidays it makes sense to book ahead to secure your seat(s). Book instantly.

Arrange your onward transport from Andoung Teuk to Chi Phat in one of the restaurants at the Andoung Tuek bridge. This could be either by moto taxi (45min, $7) or by scenic boat ride (2 h, $10 per pax with at least 3 pax). The boat leaves around 12:30pm-1pm and might wait until 2pm if the bus is late.