O’Russey Kandal Becomes Popular

The trend of the people in the world today is to travel. The number of visitors increases yearly both domestically and overseas. When people want to relax, they travel to other places especially to those with natural beauty. In order to serve the needs of these tourists, many areas are being preserved and developed in remote areas in the northeast of Cambodia.

Mr. Thok Sokhom, former Acting Team Leader of Mekong Tourism Development Project and Deputy Director of Mekong Discovery Trail said "Among the eco-tourism destinations in Cambodia, Stung Treng province is one of the great potential areas, with untouched natural beauty containing O’Russey Kandal, O’Svay and Preah Rumkel communities."
"These eco-communities were put as the begining line for conservation their nature beauty and rehabuilitation for communities to served as the tourist needs," Sokhom said. Today, the Royal Government of Cambodia is concentrate for promoting eco-tourism there. There’re many constructing linking infrastructures to those destinations.

In the purpose to develop eco-tourism, local committees in the O’Russey Kandal area and at Sopheakmith, organized their areas to become attractive destinations for both local visitors and foreign tourists.
Mlup Baitong’s project coordinator, Mr. Nov Kosal, said "Mlup Baitong encourages communities by providing them environmental training courses such as community leadership skills, how to protect environment, how to serve guests and food sanitation."
"In order to build huts for the tourists, the community asked for money from Baitong. Baitong checked to see if this was a reasonable proposal.

We will provide them the money, referring to our project as the ‘Micro-Project’. So far we have built eight cottages on various waterfronts."
From his observation, most of visitors from Stung Treng province, Kratie and Phnom Penh also come daily to visit O’Russey Kandal, just 27 kilometers from the town. On the weekend, around 15-20 motorists visit here. But for national festivals like Khmer New Year, Phum Ben day or the Water Festival, there are thousands of local tourists visiting.
"For guest safety, we have check points, parking shelters and information centers. We have 5036 hectares of conservative lands and forests along the waterfall," he said.

Mr. Nov Kosal clarified, "by seeing the potential of attracting visitors, the Ministry of Tourism is encouraging the development of this place. Even the Minister of Tourism himself has visited this area.
Mrs. Seum Chanthan, 55 years old and chief of cooks in O’Russey Kandal resort,
said "I am so happy that this place near my village has become an attractive site for tourists. It paves the way for me to sell my products. Before, I grew potatoes, coconuts, bananas and other vegetables to sell in the province [Stung Treng]. Now I can sell them here."
She added that at every National festival, she could earn 500.000 to 600.000 riel per day [$125-$250] just by cooking food for the visitors. With this income, my family’s living conditions are better.

Before Mlup Baitong came to help the community, at every national festival, the commune chief solicited private bids for organization and control. Since Mlup Baitong has arrived to help develop eco-tourism, there is more community organization.
At the time of the tourist increase in the O’Russey Kandal area, Mlup Baitong provided English classes for young boys and girls so that they could be guides.
An indigenous 16 year old girl, Rom Sokna, said, "I study in grade 7. I am very happy that the Mlup Baitong organization provides English classes for me free of charge.

I love nature very much because my family is located a rich, forest region. In the future, if this region becomes popular, I will show the visitors the importance of nature."
Hout Sokny, another school girl, said, "The first thing I tell visitors here is to conserve nature and not destroy the forest. I think the forest is crucial for human and animal life. In order to help my village, I will study hard."
Chhor Lakkhina, 15, is studying English with other students so that they can be guides in the future. She said that English is very important for her to improve her general knowledge of the environment.
Both government officials and the various private sectors expect that the increasing numbers of tourists will spread to their area because this place is next to the newly constructed national road 7. Besides culture, Cambodia still has many eco-tourism areas to attract domestic and foreign visitors, particularly in the Northeast.

A tour through an amazing temple complex