A new country for me. Arrived in Cambodia last week after the always-punishing Asia flights, and headed down south the morning after I got here. Working with CRS to photograph and write about some of their projects, mostly HIV livelihoods and small grants for impoverished local farmers to start up agricultural businesses.
The second half of the week we spent down in southwest Cambodia at a place called the Chambok Ecotourism Site. You may or may not find it on your local guide book. It’s near the Kirirom National Park, and while the park is interesting – a nice waterfall, and a stream that looked delicious in 85 degree heat – the people of Chambok are the most fascinating part of it. The whole community is working together to turn the site into an ecotourist destination – a place where local and international tourists can visit to see a bit of Cambodia. If you want a Yellowstone experience, Chambok isn’t for you. There are no sweeping herds of game or jagged mountain peaks. But if you want to really learn about the local people, and get a sense of what it’s like to live in rural Cambodia, then you should check it out.
Our guide was a 21-year-old kid named Phon Thy, who like many here used to make his living by destroying, not protecting the forest. He made charcoal to sell, until a few years ago when NGO’s starting trying to help the locals preserve the forest. As is the case in the developing world, where resources are quickly exploited for the short-term benefit they might provide, the only way to save the forest was to make it worth more money alive than dead. Once a few tourists groups came through, the locals saw that tourist dollars in the form of entry fees, accommodation, food, and guide fees could be a long term solution, they were on board.
Like I said, it’s not Yellowstone. But it is a wonderful place for what they are trying to do, and how they are trying to do it. Go there if you ever can, and have Phon Thy take you to the 120 foot waterfall, and the bat cave, and to the new trail by the stream. But most importantly, talk to him and the others of Chambok. They are doing the right thing, and we should all help if and how we can. For more information go to www.geocities.com/chambokcbet.
July 5th, 2008 | by David in Uncategorized
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All Material © 2008 David Snyder
