Inside the protected forest

The sun rises over the Srepok River and the surrounding forest

A trail through the dry forests of the Srepok Wilderness Area, ideal for mountainbiking

I'm posting a few more photos from last week's expedition to the protected forest of Mondulkiri and particularly the segment known as the Srepok Wilderness Area. The WWF website has this to say of its involvement in the area: Years of isolation, the consequence of decades of war and civil strife, have left the Srepok River area and its rich biodiversity relatively intact. The river itself teems with exotic fish, while wild cattle and large cats still roam the surrounding plains. However, this natural wealth is highly threatened by destructive fishing practices, land conversion, illegal logging and the ferocious trade in wildlife. WWF are committed to working with local communities and authorities in developing an ecotourism venture similar to the successful game reserves of South Africa that will attract tourists from all over the world to bird watch, angle in the river and take safaris into the forest to view the spectacular wildlife. As well as saving this amazing landscape, once described as the the Serengeti of Asia, the aim is to create livelihoods for local people and alleviate the poverty that pervades this area.

Our visit was very much at the exploratory stage of the venture, to see what can be achieved and to identify a variety of ecotourism options for the future. It's not yet ready to receive visitors but the groundwork is being laid and I'm sure the Srepok Wilderness will be on the tourist agenda in the next couple of years. It won't happen overnight, as there's still lots of work to be done, but the Srepok River and the forest that surrounds it, are waiting to be discovered by those seeking an alternative to temples and beaches. Find out a lot more about the area here.

Part of our group on a walking tour along the Srepok River

Park Rangers in charge of our boat trip on a section of the untamed Srepok River