Cambodia - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 519

CHI PHAT
Once notorious for its loggers and poachers, Chi Phat is now home to a pioneering community-based
ecotourism project (CBET; www.chi-phat.org ) offering hardy travellers a unique opportunity to ex-
plore the Cardamoms ecosystem while contributing to its protection. Visitors can take day treks
through the jungle, go sunrise birdwatching by boat, mountain bike to several sets of rapids, and look
for monkeys and hornbills with a former poacher as a guide. Also possible are one- to four-night
mountain-bike safaris and jungle treks deep into the Cardamoms. In the village, visitors can relax by
playing volleyball, badminton or pool with the locals.
Basic accommodation options in Chi Phat include 13 CBET-member guesthouses (doubles US$5)
and 10 homestays (singles/doubles US$3/4). Reserve through the CBET office ( 035-675 6444;
[e-mail] ) in Chi Phat.
Chi Phat is on the Preak Piphot River 17km upriver from Andoung Tuek, which is 98km east of
Koh Kong on NH48. Any Koh Kong-bound bus can drop you in Andoung Tuek. From Andoung Tuek
to Chi Phat it's a two-hour boat journey (about US$30 for the whole boat) or 45-minute motorbike
ride (US$7) on an unpaved but smooth road. Call the CBET office to arrange a boat or moto in ad-
vance.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Koh Kong Conservation Corridor
Stretching along both sides of NH48 from Koh Kong to the Gulf of Kompong Som, the
Koh Kong Conservation Corridor encompasses many of Cambodia's most outstanding
natural sites, including the most extensive mangrove forests on mainland Southeast Asia
and the southern reaches of the fabled Cardamom Mountains , an area of breathtaking beauty
and astonishing biodiversity.
The next few years will be critical in determining the future of the Cardamom Moun-
tains. NGOs such as Conservation International (CI; www.conservation.org ) , Fauna & Flora Inter-
national (FFI; www.fauna-flora.org ) and Wildlife Alliance ( www.wildlifealliance.org ) are working to
help protect the region's 16 distinct ecosystems from loggers and poachers. Ecotourism is
playing a huge role in their plans - Wildlife Alliance is promoting several enticing pro-
jects in the Southern Cardamoms Protected Forest (1443 sq km).
Tatai River & Waterfall
About 18km east of Koh Kong on NH48, the Phun Daung (Tatai) Bridge spans the Tatai
River. Nestled in a lushly forested gorge upstream from the bridge is the Tatai Waterfall, a