Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary

Overview of Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary

Prek Toal is one of three biospheres on the Tonlé Sap lake, and this stunning bird sanctuary makes it the most worthwhile and straightforward of the three to visit. It’s an ornithologist’s fantasy, with a significant number of rare breeds gathered in one small area, including the huge lesser and greater adjutant storks, the milky stork and the spot-billed pelican. Even the uninitiated will be impressed, as these birds have a huge wingspan and build enormous nests.

Full Detail of Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary

The world famous sanctuary harbours seven species of water birds of global significance: Spot billed Pelican, Milky Stork, Painted Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black headed Ibis, Oriental Darter, there is a globally significant population of Grey-headed Fish Eagles and the secretive Masked Finfoot was spotted on an SVC trip in March 2011, over 150 species have been recorded in the reserve.

The Prek Toal area consists of seasonally inundated freshwater swamp forest with a high botanical diversity. Short tree shrub makes up most of the landscape, forming a dense under story with scattered large trees, which form the vital nesting ground for large water birds. Prek Toal is unmatched throughout South East Asia for the number and populations of endangered water birds it supports through the dry season. Large flocks of cormorants, storks and pelicans are almost guaranteed from January to May, along with herons, egrets and terns.

Prek Toal can be visited as a day trip from Siem Reap. The village is about an hour’s boat ride from where visitors embark from Siem Reap. A day trip from Siem Reap involves an early morning pick up from your hotel around 5am with breakfast on route, ensuring that you in the reserve around 8am.

Usually returning to Prek Toal Village for an early lunch in the village. After lunch we organise an optional paddle boat tour of the floating village which if not seen before is a unique experience.

An overnight stay in the Environmental Research Station or floating house can be arranged in the village allowing the visitor to be in the core reserve for dawn.

Getting to Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary

Getting to the sanctuary under your own steam requires you to take a 20-minute motor cycle or taxi ride to the floating village of Chong Kneas (depending on the time of day additional fees may have to be paid at the new port), and then a boat to the environment office. From here, a small boat will take you into the sanctuary, which is about one hour beyond. The park guides are equipped with booklets with the bird names in English, but they speak little English themselves, hence the advantage of visiting with a tour company that provides English-speaking guides.