Cardamom Mountains

Overview

The Cardamom Mountains are a major mountain range in southwest Cambodia, forming one of the largest blocks of lowland and montane rainforest in mainland Southeast Asia and a key biodiversity area.

What visitors find

Visitors encounter extensive forest, rivers, waterfalls, and remote wildlife habitat rather than single monuments; trekking, wildlife-watching, river trips, and visits to protected areas are the primary activities. Terrain ranges from lowland rainforest up to montane forests and river valleys, with rugged ridges and isolated peaks.

History

Long sparsely populated and remote, the Cardamoms have been used by local communities for subsistence and have more recently been the focus of conservation efforts and protected-area designations to safeguard wildlife and watersheds. The range has also faced increasing development pressures and community land-use changes in recent decades.

Location

Stretching across southwestern Cambodia toward the Gulf of Thailand, the Cardamoms span several provinces and lie inland from the coastal lowlands, forming a broad, forested barrier in the country’s southwest.

• Highest peak and rainforest: The range contains Cambodia's highest point, Phnom Aural, at 1,813 metres, and supports one of the country's largest contiguous tracts of rainforest.
• Conservation importance: The area is important for biodiversity and freshwater catchments and is the focus of multiple conservation and protected-area initiatives.

What to See #

• Phnom Aural: The highest peak in the range, reaching 1,813 metres and forming one of Cambodia's most prominent summits.
• Protected areas and sanctuaries: A large protected forest and wildlife area covering extensive tracts of primary rainforest that supports rare and endemic species and includes multiple wildlife sanctuaries and conservation zones.