TO DO Award 2013 Chambok Community Based Ecotourism Project, Cambodia

The CHAMBOK COMMUNITY BASED ECOTOURISM PROJECT is situated in a scenically attractive forest area with a diverse flora and fauna, about 120 km west of Phnom Penh. The community consists of about 750 families. The project was developed in cooperation with the regional NGO Mlup Baitong. Today, the members of the elected management committee manage the project themselves. This is particularly remarkable, as there are only a few people in Chambok who have completed their schooling, and they hardly know English. A further destruction of their natural livelihood resources by logging and poaching could be stopped, a touristic infrastructure has emerged. Thanks to comprehensive educational and training programmes, self-confident people now work in Chambok as tourism managers, tourguides, or qualified chefs. The tourism products and services consist of home stay accommodation and nature-based activities such as hiking with picnic opportunities, bathing at the feet of water falls, or the very popular ox cart rides. Tourists may, for example, watch the chefs prepare traditional rice noodles. Even for many domestic visitors from the capital Phnom Penh, this is not an every day experience. The number of excursionists and guests staying over night is about 10,000 a year. Over the past few years, the income has increased due to the larger number of foreign visitors. Foreigners pay different – but still very reasonable – rates and more often stay over night than domestic visitors who mostly only come for a weekend excursion and a picnic.

Adress

Va Moeurn / Om Sophana (Mlup Baitong)
Touch Morn (Chambok CBET)
Mlup Baitong, #37B, St. 113 Beung Kengkang II
Chamkar Morn
Phnom Penh
Cambodia

E-Mail: vamoeurn@online.com.kh, mlup@online.com.kh
Web: http://www.mlup-baitong.org