Koh Kong Conservation Corridor Nature Reserve

Address: Koh Kong Conservation Corridor, Koh Kong Province, southwest Cambodia

Centred on the Cardamom Mountains, the Koh Kong Conservation Corridor is one of the last stretches of pristine rainforest left in Southeast Asia, running from the Thai border down to the coast. Misty lakes and caves, remote peaks and thriving populations of endangered wildlife give the area an otherworldly feel. Alongside crocodiles, pileated gibbons, Asiatic black bears, Indochinese tigers, sun bears, marbled cats and slow lorises, it is home to roughly half of Cambodia’s bird species.

The corridor takes its name from the migratory routes it protects, including the South West Elephant Corridor, which links the remote Phnom Samkos and Phnom Aural wildlife sanctuaries with Kirirom and Bokor national parks. Elephants are now few and far between, but the corridor was established to safeguard what remains. No accommodation is available within it, though camping is possible; visitors should tread lightly and carry out all their rubbish.

The Koh Kong Conservation Corridor is accessed from Koh Kong town on Cambodia’s southwest coast. Regular road services (intercity buses/minivans) run from Phnom Penh to Koh Kong - the drive typically takes several hours (allow half a day depending on service and traffic). From Koh Kong town you need to travel inland by 4x4 or arrange a guided transfer on forest tracks to enter the conservation area - sections of the corridor are remote, so plan transport with a local operator or ranger group.