Preah Monivong National Park is a national park in southern Cambodia. The main attraction of the park is Bokor Hill Station. The park is one of only two Cambodian ASEAN Heritage Parks.
Set in Preah Monivong National Park (colloquially known as Bokor National Park), at 37km from Kampot, you’ll find Bokor Hill Station. Bokor Hill Station is a mountaintop collection of buildings (hotel & casino, church, royal residence and more), constructed by French authorities in the early 1920s as a complement to the already popular Kep resort area. In the 1990s, a travel author referred to Bokor as ‘the eeriest place in the world’, and it lived up to that reputation.
The movies Rose de Bokor (1969), by King Norodom Sihanouk and City of Ghosts (2002), by and with Matt Dillon, were partially filmed at Bokor.
The vast forested area of Bokor National Park in the Elephant Mountains is a last refuge for a great, but decreasing number of animals. Among them are many species which are unique here.
The highest point of the 140,000 hectares large National Park is Bokor Mountain at the Hill Station (1,079m above sea level), which is close to the open sea at the Gulf of Thailand. A steep edge separates the forest from the more urbanised coastal stripe in the southwest. In the north Bokor National Park is neighbouring the Cardamon Mountains (Kravanh Mountains), a much bigger mountain complex. Together these mountains form the last big area of remaining tropical rain forest in Cambodia.
Among the wide variety of animals in the park are Asian elephants, maybe some of the last Indochinese tigers, leopards, Asiatic black bears as Malayan sun bears, gibbon monkeys as well as the notorious macaques, rare slow lorises, different kinds of deer, pangolins and many, many more. Among the almost 300 bird species are also several types of hornbills. I think not few of the animals in Kampot zoo are poor fellows who were rescued by the park rangers in the past and brought there because they were found injured and need care...
A forest tree in the National Park is bigger while most of the trees on the high plateau are smaller and younger. The jungle around is dense and impassable.
Climate
The weather on Bokor is best described as temperamental. Fog may seem to appear out of nowhere or you could be surprised by a sudden downpour. If the weather is clear, the views are outstanding. The cool (sometimes cold) mountain air is a nice refresher on a steamy day down at sea level.
Bokor National Park
Preah Monivong National Park (Phnom Bokor National Park) was established by Royal decree in 1993. Named after its shape, Phnom Bokor (ox hump mountain) is part of the Elephant Mountain Range.
The park spans an area of about 1580 square kilometers of protected, dense primary rainforest, bordering the Cardamom Mountain Range in the East, Kirirom National Park in the North and ending less then a kilometer from the coastline in the South.
• Flora & Fauna
WildAid started monitoring wildlife on Bokor in 2001. Aided by trap cameras they found Bokor Mountain’s lush and moist forest the perfect habitat for a wide variety of rare and threatened animals, including the Indian elephant, leopards, Asiatic black bears, Malayan sun bears, pileated gibbons, pig-tailed macaques, slow lorises, red muntjac deer, lesser mouse deer, pangolins, yellow-throated martins, small Asian mongooses and various species of civet, porcupine, squirrel and bat. As most of these animals are notoriously shy and nocturnal, they tend to reside very deep in the forest. Some flora and fauna are found exclusively within Preah Monivong National Park. The photo results of the trap cameras are still on display at the entrance of the national park. It is estimated that there are over 300 species of bird, including several types of the stunningly elegant hornbill.
Tourist destination:
• Black Palace
About two-thirds up the road, you will come across a new large Buddha statue on the right hand side. Easily overlooked, but do have a peak on the left hand side of the road, where Veang Khmaawt (Black Palace) is found. This Black Palace was King Sihanouk’s little summer palace which was abandoned decades ago.
• Wat Sampov Pram
Wat Sampov Pram (Pagoda of 5 boats) was built in 1924 by King Monivong. The five oddly shaped rocks near the wat gave the pagoda its name. Great views over the rainforest to the coastline below, and across the sea to Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island – on a clear day.
• The Church
The Old Catholic Church was built by the French in the early 1920s as part of the French township on Bokor Mountain. You can still see bits of stained glass that are hanging from the window.
• Bokor Palace Hotel & Casino
Sitting atop a cliff, overlooking an enormous drop into lush rainforest, Bokor Palace Hotel & Casino is a lovely colonial building. It was constructed by French settlers in 1917 and completed in 1925 for the French social elites who were living in Cambodia and needed an escape from the humidity and heat of Phnom Penh.
• Popokvil Waterfall
Popokvil, meaning swirling clouds, is possibly named after the lingering mist over its two tiers. The waterfall is set in lush jungle and is located a couple of kilometers away from the Hill Station site. The falls run dry at the end of the dry season, but swell up during the rainy season. Great place for a swim on a sweltering day.
Around Popokvil you can find the Utricularia Striatula, a small (barely 1 cm in diameter) carnivorous plant that grows on wet rocks or tree trunks. The tiny plant appears to be a flower, and can be found in white, pink and lilac.
Thing can do in Bokor National Park
All tour agents in town offer Bokor group tours in minivans. These day tours include basic lunch and water, tour around Bokor and visit to Popokvil waterfall. You will return back to Kampot, where you have time for a drink or a shower. A basic sunset boat trip is included in the price.
• Hiking in Bokor National Park
Bokor National Park is of a big size. Hiking there in the forest is dangerous for some reasons. One can get easily lost in the unknown terrain, one can have an accident and needs help. Meeting dangerous animals like snakes or big wild cats is possible, but a rather smaller risk compared with an encounter with poachers or illegal loggers. These guys can play quite rough, are armed and might use their weapons, because they don't like witnesses.
Every altitude provides living conditions for a different variety of particularly adapted species. Here a mountain flower in more than 1000m altitude in Bokor National Park. Image by Asienreisender, 2013 From the wartime there might be still Khmer Rouge land mines in the remoter parts of the forest. Besides, when planning to penetrate the National Park somewhat deeper it requires the organization of a tent and supplies.
In the past it was easier to organize hiking tours up to Bokor Hill Station and a bit around. Mostly they just followed the old road and it was a comparably easy walk. Now it's difficult to organize guided tours into the forest. Walking up the road is no big fun; it's asphalt and there is traffic. There is another way following partially the Popokvil stream through the jungle. It's possible to get a guide for that.
• Trekking
The options for trekking up Bokor are currently limited; there are no organised tours. It is possible to organise a private hiking tour. A good level of fitness is required, as the up-hill trek is about seven hours. The hike takes you past caves and a waterfall. It is currently impossible to trek up to Bokor Mountain.
• Mountain bike
A downhill mountain bike tour is also a possibility. Good quality mountain bikes are used. The tour start with transport from Kampot to Bokor Hill Station. From there, you will cycle downhill for 30km past several sights and beautiful viewing points, and ride a further 8 kilometers from the exit of the National Park to Kampot on a flat road.
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