Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary

Prek Toal is the core zone of the Tonle Sap biosphere reserve, a stretch of flooded forest at the northwestern end of the lake where the great waterbirds of the region breed in numbers that have disappeared elsewhere: spot-billed pelicans, greater and lesser adjutants, milky storks, painted storks, black-headed ibis and oriental darters, several of them globally threatened. Nest protection has been run for two decades with former egg collectors employed as guards, which turned the colonies around. Getting there means a boat from Chong Kneas across the lake, then a smaller boat into the flooded forest with a guide, climbing an observation platform for the view over the colony. Dawn is when the birds are active, so trips start very early.

What you actually see

• Breeding colonies - pelicans, storks and adjutants nesting in numbers.
• Flooded forest - the drowned woodland the birds nest in.
• Observation platforms - towers giving a view over the colonies.
• Nest protection - former collectors now working as guards.

When to go

December to March is the breeding peak and the best time; by May and June the birds disperse and water levels make access hard. Trips leave before dawn, so an early start from Siem Reap is required.

Honest expectations

The journey is long: two hours by boat each way plus transfers, starting in the dark. Costs are high because boats are hired whole. Birds are viewed at distance and binoculars are essential. Heat and sun on the water are severe.

Nearby

Siem Reap lies northeast; Battambang is southwest across the lake.