Hiking Phnom Aural for Cambodian Laughingthrush (1 Viewer)

[Purple-Naped Nathan]

Is this the kind of trip that can only be accomplished by hiring a tour? I've never done a tour and much of the joy of birding comes from the exploration by myself.

Is it possible for a solo hiker to hike up early in the morning, find the thrush, and get back down before nightfall?

 

[James Eaton]

Day-tripping Aural for the laughingthrush is more-or-less impossible - no way would I recommend it. It's a hike that takes much of the day to reach the elevation of the bird, then you have to find it, and then walk back down. It's also a drive to/from the start of the trail to avoid a flat walk of several km. Even doing it with a single nights camping is risky - you're at the whim of the bird.

Independent hikers do go there to summit the mountain. However, to add a conservation value to your birding, organising it through Birding & Wildlife Tours in Cambodia - Sam Veasna Conservation Tours will mean that your visit is making a positive conservation impact to the area due to their community-led outreach program there. They are unparalleled experience there too, in an area that has had a turbulent recent history, which meant the mountain was off-limits for a few years.

James

 

[Purple-Naped Nathan]

Thanks James! Appreciate your response. I think you saved me from making a foolish decision haha. I'll look into Veasna tours.