Welcome to the Koh Kong Province and the Cardamom Mountains. These largely unexplored peaks and forests are gradually being opened up to tourism with new developments for ecotourism. Jungle Treks, overnight jungle stays in hammocks as well as kayaking, mountain biking and bird watching are all growing in popularity. A less eco friendly but popular activity is dirt biking. There is also an eco lodge near to Koh Kong and other developments offering new opportunities for the adventurous And those wishing to see virgin and unexplored mountains and rainforest before tourism develop further. There is always the comfort of Hotels, Guesthouses and Restaurants in Koh Kong City (a Village in reality). So you never have to "rough it" if you don't want to.
About the Cardamom Mountains and it's flora and fauna ...
The Cardamom Mountains are situated mainly in Koh Kong Province in South West Cambodia. Covering over 4,400,000 Hectares (nearly 11,000,000 acres). The highest peak in Cambodia is also in the Cardamoms is Phnom Aural at 1,813 meters (5,948 ft) high The Cardamoms are largely covered with dense forest much of it largely unexplored. The extent of flora and in the area is largely unknown due to the huge area involved and the inaccessibility of many parts of it. But a study in 2000 indicated there were over 600 species of bird, mammal, amphibians and reptiles, including elephants, tigers, clouded leopards, Large Indian Civet and Banteng cattle and Malaysian Sun Bear. There were in addition many plant and insect species found in the Cardamoms. There are also archeological remains in the Mountains notably Neolithic Jars which are said to contain the bones of deceased Cambodian Royalty. The rivers in the mountain region are home to Irrawaddy and humpback dolphins and also the endangered Siamese Crocodile. A study in 2007 found new species and doubtless future studies will uncover much more about this little explored area.
