3 of The Best Outdoor Adventures in Cambodia

From rice paddies to dense tropical jungles, ancient temples to bamboo houses, breathtaking mountain ranges to untouched beaches, Cambodia has something to excite every type of traveller. Its smiley people are said to be the most inspirational part of any visit, no matter where you choose to go and what you do.

There are so many ways to see Cambodia. Whether you’re travelling independently, as part of a Cambodia tour, or even as part of a Thailand Cambodia Vietnam Tour (because let’s face it, all of South East Asia is worth a visit), your experience in Cambodia is guaranteed to be amazing. Let save this bucket list for your future Cambodia holidays.

 

TREKKING WITH ELEPHANTS IN EASTERN CAMBODIA

Image courtesy of Singapore n Beyond

If you’re looking for adventure in Cambodia that is away from the tourist hubs of Siem Riep and Phnom Penh, you should definitely head out to the Wild East where you’ll find the provinces of Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri and Kratie. This is Cambodia’s greenbelt and is surrounded by jungle that has not been cut down by greedy plantation owners and reforestation efforts are in full swing.

One of the best outdoor activities in Cambodia is trekking with elephants. While you should never ride an elephant, as these animals are treated terribly, there are luckily some organisations offering more animal-friendly experiences.

One such eco-friendly option is hiking with Elephant Valley Project (EVP), which is the reason most tourists travel to Mondulkiri. EVP focuses on obtaining captive or enslaved elephants and getting them into the wild where they can learn how to be elephants again. Some of the elephants arrive with trauma as in their past life they were chained up and overworked. For this reason, human interaction is kept to a bare minimum. The only people that are allowed to touch the elephants are the mahout.

ANGKOR ZIPLINE (AKA FLIGHT OF THE GIBBON) IN SIEM REAP

Looking for outdoor adventures involving animals that are 100% ethical?

Angkor Park’s Flight of the Gibbon zipline is just the experience for you. While some tour operators in Cambodia are still involved in the mistreatment of animals for the sake of entertaining tourists, these guys do everything right.

More than that, this experience is simply a lot of fun. Located not far from Siem Reap in Angkor Park (near Angkor Wat), these guys have been working hard for years to reintroduce gibbons in what is meant to be their natural environment and from where they have mostly disappeared.

The presence of excellent guides (or rather “sky rangers” as they like to be called) makes the experience even more interesting: they are ready to answer questions about the program, about nature in the area, and guide visitors through a memorable day, at the end of which they can enjoy a fantastic local meal.

 

HIKE THROUGH KOH RONG’S JUNGLE TO A BEACH PARADISE

Image courtesy of Swedish Nomad

Koh Rong is one of the most beautiful islands in all of Southeast Asia and a place that should be on everyone’s bucket list. Here you’ll have the opportunity to hike amongst untouched jungle to a beach that can only be described as ‘paradise’.

While the island is quite developed, most bars, restaurants and hotels are located next to the pier. There are some bungalows and hotels along the famous Long Beach but the centre of the island is wild, so getting to the beautiful beach is worth the journey.

To get to Long Beach, one could go by boat, or make an adventurous walk through the jungle. My girlfriend and I chose the latter. The jungle walk takes about 40-60 minutes depending on how fast you walk and if you follow the trail or not.

Please note: Be careful where you put your feet. Some of the world’s most poisonous snakes live in this jungle, such as the Russell’s Viper, Monocellata Cobra, King Cobra, Banded Krait and the White Lipped Pit Viper.

Be especially careful about the White Lipped Pit Viper since it will easily camouflage itself to the trees. The green colour and small size make it hard to see. If you’re two people walking together, I suggest that one look up, and the other one look down to avoid snakes on the ground. Don’t worry too much though, these snakes will most likely run away if they notice someone coming. If you do see a snake or hear something in the bushes, don’t panic. Walk slowly or stand still so that you don’t threaten the snake. We saw a Russel’s viper but it did no harm to us.

A more fun side of the jungle walk is the many vines on which you can swing yourself like Tarzan. Just the feeling of being inside a real jungle is amazing. The best part is when you finally see the paradise beach of Long Beach, a 7-kilometre white sandy beach with turquoise water.

If you ever go to Koh Rong, I can really recommend to challenge yourself and go for a walk in the jungle.