The former reservoir is now a crane sanctuary managed by the Wildlife Conversation Society (WCS) of Cambodia. Apart from about 300 Sarus Cranes, the reserve is, especially during the dry season, home to 198 other bird species, 18 of which are on the brink of extinction.

We leave early in the morning to make sure we get to our destination in good time. Upon arrival, we first enjoy our packed breakfast. Before beginning our exploration, an expert tells us more about the different types of birds living here and the sanctuary itself. In the late morning we visit a silk weaving village before going for lunch at the WCS base. In the afternoon, we wander through another part of the reserve before heading back to Siem Reap in the evening.

An off-road vehicle takes us in the direction of Preah Vihear in the Damrek mountains in the early morning. Completed by the architect of Angkor Wat in 1150, Preah Vihear is situated directly on the border to Thailand. The site offers a magnificent view of the vast open spaces of Cambodia.

After our lunch break, we continue our excursion, heading south to the Tmatboey Bird Sanctuary, an eco-tourism project of WCS Cambodia which won Wild Asia’s annual Responsible Tourism Award in 2007. Home to one of only two known nesting areas of the giant ibis, the nature reserve is also the habitat of other rare bird species, including the white-shouldered ibis and the sarus crane. Following a day of fascinating wildlife observations, we retreat to our homestay, a WCS project, where we are looked after by local families.

At the break of dawn, we set out on another excursion to the bird sanctuary for one more chance of a close encounter with rare bird species. After breakfast in the camp, we say good-bye to our hosts and continue in the direction of Koh Ker where we explore by bicycle the former capital of the Khmer empire built in the 10th century A.D. Sitting on roughly 35 square kilometres of land, Koh Kehr is made up of a large number of buildings of different sizes.

In the afternoon, we make our way back to Siem Reap.