Tmatboey

Tmatboey is a village inside the Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary in the dry forest of the northern plains, and it has become the place birdwatchers go for the giant ibis, a bird reduced to a few hundred individuals worldwide and almost entirely confined to Cambodia, along with the white-shouldered ibis which is nearly as rare. The arrangement is a community agreement: villagers receive payments for protecting nests and for the visitor lodge, conditional on no hunting and no forest clearance, and the money is tied to whether the birds are found. Guides walk visitors out before dawn to nest sites and roosts. The landscape is open dipterocarp forest with seasonal pools, home also to sarus cranes and woodpeckers.

What you actually see

• Giant ibis - one of the world's rarest birds, at nest or roost.
• White-shouldered ibis - the other critically endangered species here.
• Open dry forest - dipterocarp woodland with seasonal pools.
• The community agreement - conservation payments tied to protection.

When to go

December to April, the dry season, when tracks are passable and birds concentrate at remaining water; the wet season closes access. Sightings are early morning, so an overnight stay is essential.

Honest expectations

Getting there is a long rough drive and everything must be booked in advance through the conservation organisation. The lodge is simple. Sightings are likely but not guaranteed, and involve pre-dawn starts and waiting. There is nothing else to do.

Nearby

Tbeng Meanchey lies south; the northern plains extend around.