Fantastic half-day trip for birdwatching organized by Sam Veasna Center. The guide was really competent and very nice.

  Our Prek Toal Birdwatching trip with SVC was a major highlight in a 2 week trip packed with lots of other amazing activities and sites. The trip was a... read more great break from temple-viewing and the general hubbub around town.

The entire trip was very well-executed. Logistics were smooth, our packed breakfast was delicious, the boat trips were fun, safe, and highly interesting. Best of all, however, was our incredibly dedicated, knowledgeable, and compassionate guide, Hat. Hat demonstrated a true passion for birding and his enthusiasm was contagious and inspiring. I don't think I've ever met anyone who has seemed so excited about his job before. It was a real pleasure to see.

The bird-viewing was excellent. We made many great sightings on the boat ride to/from the hide and the sheer number of birds you can see from the hide is truly impressive. The hide itself was a bit precarious- it's a long climb up a rustic ladder, and when the platform gets crowded, it starts to feel a little claustrophobic, but it's a great viewing spot and a neat experience.

If we go back to Cambodia, we definitely plan to do a longer outing with SVC.

  The expertise of this organisation is incredible. Mardy's enthusiasm for birding is infectious and his knowledge of culture is second to none. Staying in their eco lodge in Prey Veng... read more was great (the food and staff were exceptional) and I would fully recommend to anybody wanting a true Cambodian experience.

  We went on the trip to see the Saurs Crane and were not disappointed despite the 5.30am start, our guide was Somrich Sophear and is the man, his knowledge of... read more Cambodian bird life is not to be bettered. We found cranes early on and the went onto find some 25 others pieces of bird life, and to top it all we found 3 spiece of owl and all before 12 noon.
The driver we had was very good as well off roading and negotiating some Cambodia’s best roads is like off roading full marks go to him as Well.

  I made a reservation through my hotel. A tour guide and a driver picked me up the next morning and brought me out a remote farming area outside of town.... read more My guide Reth Sarom really knew his species and managed to pick out more than 50 in about two hours of light walking. This is more of a "species spotting" tour and short on anecdote about them, so best for serious birders.

  We joined a small group for the Prek Toal birding tour today. From start to finish the whole thing went off as planned. The boat trip through, and the stops... read more in the floating village of Prek Toal were just fascinating. But the bird viewing in the wetlands after the village was astonishing. We spent several hours boating through various channels and stopping periodically including an extended stay at a viewing platform. We saw thousands of birds. It was just beautiful to see. Spotted Pelicans, lesser and greater adjuants, eagles, anhingas and many others. The guide spoke English clearly, knew his birds and made efforts to include everyone regardless of birding experience. We had a great lunch too at a restaurant in Prek Toal. Sure there are cheaper things to do in Siem Reap but this is a way to experience beautiful Cambodian nature as well as to see a way of life different from anything that exists in Europe, Canada or the USA. And to top it off, the SamVaesna organization is a non-profit working to preserve the wildlife and wetlands and to help the very poor local population.