Botum Sakor National Park

Botum Sakor National Park — Quick Facts

What is it?

nature — Cambodia's Largest National Park

Where?

Koh Kong , Cambodia

Entry Fee

No formal entry fee; a ranger or guide fee of roughly $5 per day typically applies on site

Opening Hours

No fixed hours — full or multi-day visits

Time Needed

Full day minimum; better as an overnight trip

Best Time

November to April, when dirt-road access is reliable

Don't Miss

Exploring the mangrove channels and flooded plains by boat, where wildlife and scenery are far easier to find than from the road

What to See at Botum Sakor National Park

Rainforest and Mangrove

Roughly 80% of the park is evergreen rainforest, fringed by mangrove and coastal wetland along the Gulf of Thailand. The scale is the point — this is one of the largest unbroken stretches of protected lowland forest left in mainland Southeast Asia.

Wildlife Corridor

Botum Sakor forms part of a critical corridor for Asian elephants moving between Cardamom forest blocks, alongside resident populations of clouded leopard, Asiatic black bear, dhole, sun bear, and pileated gibbon. Sightings require patience and a knowledgeable guide; the value here is habitat scale rather than guaranteed wildlife encounters.

Boat Access Routes

Much of the park’s interior is more easily reached by boat than by the limited, often rough road network — through mangrove channels and seasonally flooded plains that also tend to be where wildlife and birdlife concentrate.

How to Get to Botum Sakor National Park

By road from Koh Kong town: Around 30–40km by tuk-tuk or moto to the park’s road-accessible entrance areas
By boat: From Andong Tuek, Sihanoukville, or the Koh Sdach island chain — often the more scenic and practical route into the park’s wetland interior
Through a tour operator: Given the park’s size and limited infrastructure, arranging a guide through a Koh Kong or Cardamom-focused operator is strongly recommended over independent exploration

Best Time to Visit

Stick to the dry season (November–April), when the limited road network is passable and boat conditions are calmer.

Practical Information

No formal gate ticket; budget for a ranger or guide fee paid on site
This is a remote park with minimal visitor infrastructure — come prepared with water, supplies, and a guide rather than expecting facilities
A multi-day visit gets considerably more out of the park than a rushed day trip, given travel times within it
Check current access conditions locally before setting out, as parts of the park overlap with active tourism/resort development concessions

Nearby Attractions

Tatai Waterfall and the Chi Phat eco-trekking community both sit within Koh Kong province and pair naturally with a Botum Sakor visit on a longer Cardamom Mountains itinerary.