Tour Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for Tours to Cambodia. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they take this tour. Although we do our best to make sure what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
ENTERING AND LEAVING CAMBODIA: A valid passport and a Cambodian visa are required for US citizens visiting Cambodia. Visas are processed on line here or can be obtained from the Cambodian Embassy in Washington, DC; tourists may also obtain a Cambodian visa at the airports in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. At the time of writing, tourist visas cost approximately $20 at the point of entry. Your passport must be valid for a minimum of six months beyond the date of entry into Cambodia. A departure tax, to be paid in US dollars, is charged on all domestic and international flights. This tax ($25 at the time of writing) must be paid in U.S. dollars. It is always a good idea to take photocopies of your passport and air ticket with you when traveling abroad. They can prove invaluable in helping you get replacements if your original documents are lost or stolen. You should pack the photocopies separately from the originals.
Citizens of other countries may need a visa and should check their nearest Cambodian embassy. If required by the embassy or visa-granting entity, WINGS can provide a letter for you to use regarding your participation in the tour.
MAP AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can view maps of Cambodia in the University of Texas series here. You can adjust the size of the map by clicking in the lower right corner. You can review the U.S. State Department background notes on Cambodia here.
HEALTH: Malaria is widespread in Cambodia, where it is worst in forested areas and during the wet season. We will be primarily birding in dry savanna situations or mixed dry woodland and will be there in the middle of the dry season. There are no immunization requirements for Cambodia, but the Centers for Disease Control website does suggest up-to-date tetanus, typhoid, and hepatitis A protection, and, as needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles.
Although minor intestinal problems do occur in the tropics, Cambodia is overall relatively free of such complaints from tourists. Bottled water is widespread and will be supplied in ample supply.
Mosquitoes may occur in the plains around Siam Reap and perhaps elsewhere, and we will probably encounter a few ticks; there will also be a few midges or sandflies in the mountains of the north. Leeches are usually no problem in the dry season. We recommend using insect repellents with a high concentration of DEET. Camping supply stores and outfitters carry some reasonably effective alternatives that contain natural products and aren’t corrosive. Anyone highly sensitive to insect bites or bee stings should bring an antihistamine.
Please note that any health/medical information contained herein is gleaned by WINGS from websites that are dedicated to traveler’s health issues. Advisories and recommendations by agencies such as the CDC can and do change frequently. We urge you to consult with your physician, local health department, or the CDC for the most up-to-date health advisories for travel to Cambodia. You can check with the CDC online.
CLIMATE: Cambodia is basically tropical and humid and has a distinctly monsoonal climate, most of the rain falling between May and October during the southwest monsoon. Our trip takes place during the middle of the dry season, when watering holes are limited and both Giant and White-shouldered Ibises are consequently most visible. The storks and other waterbirds will also be nesting. The temperatures will be very high throughout, with highs of 95-100°F and lows in the 70s. While the weather will be hot and dry, the possibility of rain showers cannot be discounted.
PACE OF TOUR AND DAILY ROUTINE: The tour is moderately difficult, mainly because of the primitive accommodations in the outlying areas and the heat, which can exceed 100°F. We don’t schedule long walks,except in the area where the Giant and White-shouldered Ibises are found; there we might walk up to five miles a day in search of these species at the water holes they frequent. Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, large birds (storks, pelicans, etc.) occur in relative abundance and at times will be photographable.
One key requirement is that we start our day’s birding early to take advantage of the first rays of sunlight: 5:00am breakfasts are the norm much of the time. Generally, following the early starts, we do not bird right through to dusk unless we have been able to take a leisurely lunch break in the middle of the day. Walking is fairly easy, mostly on roadsides and tracks, occasionally on narrow forest trails. We will seldom be more than a few hundred yards from our vehicles. Fruit and soft drinks or water will be available throughout.
ACCOMMODATION: In Siam Reap we will stay in a four-star hotel. Elsewhere, however, there simply aren’t hotels in some of the areas we will be birding in. Where we search for Giant and White-shouldered Ibis, we will stay in dormitory-type accommodations with a shared toilet and shower. In the Chep district we will be sleeping on a wooden floor with mattresses.
FOOD: In Siam Reap there is usually a choice of Thai or Western food. As we head into the country, usually only Khmer food will be available for lunches and evening meals. Khmer cuisine provides a wide range of dishes, catering to a wide range of tastes from spicy to unseasoned, and is almost uniformly delicious. Breakfasts are usually termed “American breakfast,” and consist of ham and eggs, toast, fruit or juice, and coffee or tea. Cereal is usually available at our hotel in Siam Reap. Those wishing to avoid a high-cholesterol breakfast can settle instead for congee, a delicious rice soup with chicken, pork, or shrimp. Some days we’ll take picnic lunches, while on other days we will lunch in a restaurant.
DRESS: Dress is informal everywhere. Please avoid white or brightly colored clothing for forest birding.
TRANSPORT: Land travel will be in air-conditioned mini-buses throughout.
SMOKING: Smoking is not allowed in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists etc. If you are sharing a room with a non-smoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, we ask that you do so well away and downwind from the group. If any location where the group is gathered has a stricter policy than the WINGS policy, that stricter policy will prevail.
GENERAL INFORMATION AND CONDITIONS OF WINGS AND SUNBIRD TOURS: Please take a moment to read the WINGS General Information and Conditions here. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours, and other information that will help you prepare for the tour.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A more complete General Information for Tours to Cambodia will be sent to each registrant on receipt of his or her booking. Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary.
Updated: April 2008
Updated: June 2008