Join Hanuman for an escorted seat-in-coach two-week Cambodia Revealed trip of a lifetime that will begin on 17 August 2013.
Revealing Cambodia
An in-depth journey throughout Cambodia that will take you beyond the highlights and under the skin of this beguiling country, beginning with the Kingdom’s riverside capital, Phnom Penh. More adventures await you in the remote northeast in Mondulkiri, especially at the Elephant Valley Project before we follow the Mekong River and enjoy a close encounter with the rare and unique Irrawaddy dolphins near Kratie. We head off to discover the first temple city built in Southeast Asia at Sambor Prei Kuk. At Angkor, over 1000 temples were built between the 9th and 13th centuries, so we select the best of them including the world’s largest religious monument at Angkor Wat, the enigmatic and enchanting Bayon and the atmospheric Ta Prohm, consumed by jungle and fighting a losing battle with nature. Cambodia Revealed is a trip through an amazing country that will leave you with so many lasting memories.
The cost of the two-week land-only Cambodia Revealed tour is from US$965 per person, based on a minimum tour party of six persons. View our detailed fact-sheet on the tour at http://www.hanuman.travel/Tours/Cambodia/CT_Cambodia-Revealed.html. Contact the Hanuman sales team to book directly.
Hanuman recommends the Elephant Conservation Center as an authentic Laos experience.
A female elephant at ECC named Mae Kham Ohn
Elephants are on the brink of extinction in Laos, so the Elephant Conservation Center of Laos at Sayaboury is the only place to meet elephants in their natural environment. Set at the tip of a naturally forested peninsula of over 100 hectares and bordering the Nam Tien lake, the Center boasts a stunning view over the Elephant Mountain range to the north east. It’s a good 3 hours drive from Luang Prabang.
The Center offers an experience of watching the elephants feeding and bathing, trekking through the forest to the ‘Buddha’s Footprint’, exploring the lake by boat or learning with mahouts, as well as finding out more at their living museum. ElefantAsia, a French-based non-profit organization, runs the country’s elephant conservation program from the facility. You can enjoy a day visit at ECC though perhaps the most ideal way is to spend a couple of nights at the Center with briefings from the vets and mahouts to better understand the elephants with whom you will interact freely for the next two days. Accommodation at ECC in bungalows and dorms is pretty rustic. There is better accommodation in Sayaboury town, a few kilometers away. If you are seeking an experience to tell your friends and family about, look no further than the Elephant Conservation Center at Sayaboury.
Take a look inside Phnom Tamao with Wildlife Alliance Director Nick Marx.
Nick Marx is the man behind Wildlife Alliance’s Care for Rescued Wildlife Program at Phnom Tamao Rescue Center. In the course of his decade of work in Cambodia, Nick has rescued more than 45,000 live animals from poachers and traders, and cares for a vast array of rescued wildlife – from elephants and tigers to gibbons, sun bears, and endangered tropical birds. He talks about his personal commitment to save these animals, and the impact that he’s seen over the course of his work. For a behind-the-scenes insight into the work of the Wildlife Alliance team, join Hanuman’s full-day Wildlife Experience at Phnom Tamao for a close encounter with some of Cambodia’s rarest wildlife.
One of the highlights of our brand new Phnom Tamao Unique Wildlife Experience that provides a behind-the-scenes insight into the work of the Wildlife Alliance team at their wildlife rescue center, is the chance to meet Chhouk, the celebrity elephant with the prosthetic foot. So what’s Chhouk’s story?
Chhouk, the celebrity elephant with a prosthetic foot
In April 2007, a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) elephant patrol in the Srepok Wilderness Area in remote Northeastern Cambodia came across a young male elephant, seriously emaciated and in obvious pain due to a severe foot injury. No more than a year old, the elephant was alone and having trouble moving around and feeding himself because the bottom portion of his right front leg had been lost, almost surely to a poacher’s snare, and was dangerously swollen and infected. Concerned about the seriousness of the injury and the level of care the elephant would require, WWF and the Cambodian Forestry Administration reached out to Wildlife Alliance and Nick Marx for assessment and assistance.
Nick, Forestry Administration veterinarian Nhim Thy, and two members of the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team left immediately to make the cross-country trip to Mondulkiri province to assist with this emergent situation. Upon arrival, it was apparent the situation was even worse than advertised. Aggressive and nervous, the elephant was not eating the food that was being supplied to him. After spending time with the elephant, hand feeding him and calming him down, Wildlife Alliance administered immediate treatment to his foot and assessed the extent of the damage. Ultimately, Wildlife Alliance staff spent two weeks in the jungle gaining the elephant’s trust, treating his injuries and malnutrition, and assessing his long-term prospects. The staff recognized that the elephant would never be able to survive on his own in the wild and so arranged for Chhouk (“Lotus Flower”), as he came to be called, to be transported to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC) where Wildlife Alliance veterinarians and animal husbandry specialists could attend to his special needs.
Chhouk and the team set out on an arduous 26-hour journey through dense forest, on long roads, and through the disorienting experience of traffic in Phnom Penh, on their way to PTWRC. His personal keepers, Mr. Tam and Mr. Sarim, were waiting for him at an enclosure created especially for his needs. It was not immediately certain that Chhouk would survive his injury. With dedicated veterinary care, Wildlife Alliance staff was able to see to the healing of his leg wound and eradication of his infections. He was housed alongside the other four rescued Asian elephants at PTWRC and formed a special bond with Lucky, an older female elephant, who took the youngster under her wing. However, Chhouk’s hardships were not over.
The damage caused by his missing foot was threatening his spine and hips. The stress on elephants’ legs is already great and with Chhouk off balance, he was at risk of developing bone deformities. Wildlife Alliance animal care specialists determined that the only way to address his mobility and pain issues would be to fit him with a prosthetic foot. A partnership was formed with the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics, with financial support from the SeaWorld Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, to build Chhouk a prosthesis, the first of its kind in Cambodia. Immediately after being fitted with the foot, Chhouk’s issues improved rapidly. He is now on his fifth foot as he continues to grow and require new prostheses to match his size and boundless energy.
Chhouk’s story and survival against all odds have made him a global ambassador for Asian elephant conservation and the plight of elephants in Cambodia specifically. He has been featured on television programmes all over the globe, as well as innumerable international print media sources. He is much loved in Cambodia, where he is a top attraction for PTWRC’s more than 200,000 visitors each year. As he’s got older, Chhouk has become less predictable and as such, to ensure the safety of his keepers, a steel fence always separates him from his handlers. He has been trained using a reward based system and the worst that can happen is if Chhouk does not do what is required, he does not receive his reward, a banana or an apple. He’s a smart guy who loves his food and has quickly learnt that compliance benefits all. This includes removing his prosthetic foot twice each day. Come and meet Chhouk for yourself as part of Hanuman’s Phnom Tamao Wildlife Experience.
Hanuman’s brand new Wildlife Experience in Cambodia, unlike any other in the Indochina region.
Bathing with an elephant
Phnom Tamao Unique Wildlife Experience
This unique experience provides an incredible insight into the work of the Wildlife Alliance team who protect Cambodia’s wildlife from the threats of poaching, trafficking and cruelty. This full-day adventure offers a close encounter with some of Cambodia’s rarest wildlife and all proceeds from the trip go towards assisting Wildlife Alliance and their Forestry Department colleagues in their work protecting Cambodia’s natural treasures, their fight against the illegal wildlife trade and care for the animals they rescue. This is unlike any other wildlife experience on offer in the region, as it takes the visitor up close to these wonderful animals in the company of conservation experts.
Departing from Phnom Penh, the journey to Phnom Tamao includes a stop at a local market to buy some fruit to feed the elephants and other animals on arrival. Once at the Rescue Centre, visitors will join the elephants for a walk in the forest and feed them some fruit snacks. They will then visit the elephant enclosure to learn more about the reward-based training given to the elephants to improve the manner in which they are cared for. Guests will also meet a rescued elephant who lost his foot to a snare. He now has a prosthetic limb. It is also possible to have your very own elephant painting t-shirt, ‘trunk-painted’ while you wear it.
Guests then continue to the tiger enclosures to meet the big cats personally and watch them playing with enrichment items. Other wildlife in this area includes the incredible binturong or bearcat, one of the lesser known animals in Cambodia. Later there is the chance to visit the rehabilitation section of the rescue centre which is not open to the general public. Here there is the opportunity to help feed one of the young residents of the centre such as a baby jackal or leopard cat or play with the many mischievous baby macaques. A picnic lunch is then enjoyed in a private area close to the compound of the hairy-nosed otter, an animal so difficult to care for he is probably the only one currently in captivity anywhere in the world.
In the afternoon, there is the chance to explore the vast water bird aviary, home to some of Cambodia’s rare avian life and to walk around the nearby Lakeside area where sambar deer roam. There are also large water birds resident here, including the lesser adjutant stork, listed by IUCN as Vulnerable. These birds are breeding freely in the forest surrounding the Rescue Centre.
This really is a one-of-a-kind experience for visitors that have a passion for wildlife and its conservation. It might get dirty for those that don’t mind mucking in, particularly with the elephants or baby macaques, but for those that want to learn more about wildlife and the hard work that goes into its protection, there is no better experience in the region. And all proceeds go towards the conservation and protection of Cambodia’s threatened wildlife. By supporting this unique experience, you are contributing to sustainable conservation in Cambodia. Contact Hanuman for more details including pricing of this brand new joint venture with Wildlife Alliance, who kindly supplied the photographs.
Take a trip through Indochina with Hanuman Travel TV to see the sights and experiences you can all enjoy in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. We are waiting to welcome you.
Join Hanuman for an escorted seat-in-coach two-week Cambodia Revealed trip of a lifetime that will begin on 17 August 2013.
Cambodia Revealed
An in-depth journey throughout Cambodia that will take you beyond the highlights and under the skin of this beguiling country, beginning with the Kingdom’s riverside capital, Phnom Penh. More adventures await you in the remote northeast in Mondulkiri, especially at the Elephant Valley Project before we follow the Mekong River and enjoy a close encounter with the rare and unique Irrawaddy dolphins near Kratie. We head off to discover the first temple city built in Southeast Asia at Sambor Prei Kuk. At Angkor, over 1000 temples were built between the 9th and 13th centuries, so we select the best of them including the world’s largest religious monument at Angkor Wat, the enigmatic and enchanting Bayon and the atmospheric Ta Prohm, consumed by jungle and fighting a losing battle with nature. Cambodia Revealed is a trip through an amazing country that will leave you with so many lasting memories.
The cost of the two-week land-only Cambodia Revealed tour is from US$965 per person, based on a minimum tour party of six persons. View our detailed fact-sheet on the tour at http://www.hanuman.travel/Tours/Cambodia/CT_Cambodia-Revealed.html. Contact the Hanuman sales team to book directly.
Hanuman’s Tour of the Week highlights the opportunities for bird lovers to combine their twitching passions with seeing the amazing sights at Angkor in Cambodia, with a temple safari at Koh Ker to add that extra special spice to your adventures.
Birding Cambodia
Birdwatching enthusiasts will find much to twitch about in Cambodia with a number of key sites to enjoy their passion. We begin our 10-day birding tour with an introduction to the temples of Angkor, followed by a visit to observe the colonies of large water birds at Prek Toal, an area unmatched throughout southeast Asia for the number of endangered water birds it supports. We then head north for a day on the wetlands of Ang Trapeang Thmor, the home of around 300 Sarus Crane at breeding season and more than 200 species of other birds. Another big-hitter is the award-winning community project at Tmatboey where two critically endangered Ibis species are to be seen. We then combine birdwatching with the forest temples of Beng Mealea and Koh Ker, where we enjoy a signature temple safari before completing our journey at the floating village of Kompong Khleang.
The birdwatching season in Cambodia is ideally from January through to April/May. At Prek Toal large flocks of cormorants, storks and pelicans are almost guaranteed along with herons, egrets and terns. Sarus Cranes are much in evidence at Ang Trapeang Thmor through the dry season months of March and April, whilst the same period is best for the Ibis at the Tmatboey project. For more details on this 10 day/9 night Birding Cambodia itinerary, visit the Hanuman website at: http://www.hanuman.travel/Tours/Cambodia/ET_Birding_Cambodia.html.
For a unique opportunity to experience the tradition and ceremony that encompasses Khmer New Year, join Hanuman this April in Cambodia.
Celebrating Khmer New Year
Chaul Chnam Thmey, or Cambodian New Year, takes place over a three-day period every April, celebrating the end of the harvesting season, when farmers enjoy the fruits of their labor before the rainy season begins. Families gather at their local pagoda, offer homage to Buddha’s teachings and their ancestors, wash themselves and their elders in holy water and contribute to the less fortunate. They play a wealth of traditional games such as Chol Chhoung, enjoy dancing and prepare special tasty dishes such as Kralan.
With one of Hanuman’s Khmer New Year Special Tours, you will get to experience all of this first-hand including a traditional meal in the home of a Khmer family, whilst enjoying the surroundings of the magnificent Angkor temples in Siem Reap. We have four special tours to choose from. A five-day visit to Siem Reap, or a 7-day tour that begins in Phnom Penh. Our 10-day journey takes in both locations as well as a chance to relax on the beaches of Sihanoukville, whilst our 14-day tour incorporates a visit to the remote northeast province of Mondulkiri.
You can find out more about our Khmer New Year Special Tours by visiting our website http://www.hanuman.travel/Tours/Cambodia/Khmer_New-Year.html or by contacting our Sales team. We have kept prices low by forging special arrangements with hotels in each location and hope that you will join us to celebrate the Khmer New Year in April 2013.
Travel Channel host Samantha Brown Experiences a Beach Safari
Renowned Travel Channel host Samantha Brown traveled to Cambodia for her Passport to Asia show. Journeying to Phnom Penh and the fabled Temples of Angkor, her incredible trip ended with a unique Beach Safari in Ream National Park. See the experience for yourself on Hanuman Travel TV.
