Community-Based Ecotourism Launches in Trapeang Rung

The morning of August 5, 2011 dawned cool and misty in Trapeang Rung commune in southwestern Cambodia. But a buzz permeated this normally sleepy village along Road 48. Government authorities, including those from the Forestry Administration, the Ministry of Tourism, and local government gathered around Wildlife Alliance’s CBET office to celebrate the opening of the Trapeang Rung CBET project to visitors.

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Reforestation program doesn't slow down in the rainy season

During the intense rains of the monsoon season, planting is impossible. But Wildlife Alliance’s reforestation program continues its work with native tree species, at the Million Tree Nursery in Chi Phat Commune. Chi Phat is a core project area near our Community-Based Ecotourism project, Wildlife Rehabilitation Station, and forest protection programs.

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A Chat With Cambodia's Tourism Minister About Wildlife Alliance's Ecotourism Program

Tourism Minister Thong Khon speaks with a shopkeeper as he tours the village of Chi Phat, which he called a “model” for community-based ecotourism in Cambodia.Wildlife Alliance’s Community-based Ecotourism Program in Chi Phat, Cambodia, has been a great success, with visitor numbers increasing substantially each year and major international publications taking notice. Also paying attention to Chi Phat’s growth is the Cambodian Tourism Ministry, who turned up at Chi Phat recently with a delegation headed by Minister of Tourism Thong Khon. After touring the community and speaking with guesthouse owners, the Minister was kind enough to grant Wildlife Alliance an interview about Chi Phat and the role of ecotourism in Cambodia.

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US Officials Visit Wildlife Alliance Ecotourism Village

Wildlife Alliance was pleased to host a key staffer to the US Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee this week as he toured sites in Cambodia to review the impact development projects were having on the environment.

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Guest blog: Rustic Ecotourism at Chi Phat

This guest post by International Advisory Board Member Don Sladkin first appeared on our newsletter as Part 3 of his travelogue on Wildlife Alliance’s projects in the Cardamom Rainforest. Read Parts 1, 2, and 4. Click here to find out how you can visit our projects.

Day 3 of my visit to the Wildlife Alliance field programs in Cambodia, and after another nice evening spent at the Four Rivers Floating Eco-Lodge downriver, I was picked up at the Tatai Bridge by Amy and Somkiat in the (until-now) trusty 1994 Camry.  We drove to the riverside village of Andoung Tuek on the Preak Piphot River, more than an hour away and just off Rt. 48.  From here we took a small speedboat upriver to the Community-Based Eco-Tourism (CBET) project at Chi Phat Village, stopping briefly at Wildlife Alliance’s Steung Prat patrol station.

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Fact Finders and Conflicts of Interest: The Fight Against Destructive Titanium Mine Continues

The struggle to prevent a destructive mine from opening in an important Cambodian rain forest habitat continued this week with Wildlife Alliance and the mining company trading views in front of a government investigative committee. The Tuesday/Wednesday meeting with the committee paves the way for a final decision on the massive mine to be made next week.

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Wildlife Alliance and Chi Phat Race To Fight Off Proposed Mine as Senior Officials Visit

The Cambodian holiday of Water Festival came a few days early this year to the village of Chi Phat, home to Wildlife Alliance’s Community-based Ecotourism project, bringing with it the usual dance parties and boat races. But this year also saw the presence of a high-level government delegation that may very well determine the fate of not just Chi Phat but a sizeable portion of Cambodia’s largest rainforest.

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New CBET Ecotourism Website Launches

Chi Phat ecotourism has just launched their new website. Take a look at  http://www.ecoadventurecambodia.com