Ream National Park was established in 1993 and is a much loved attraction of Sihanoukville, the seaside resort on the south coast of Cambodia. Entrance to the park is about 18km (11miles) outside the city. Its establishment came as the Cambodian government began a campaign of positive action to protect the country’s threatened natural resources. Its biological value is huge offering a combination of forests, rivers, mangroves, estuaries, beaches and coral reefs. In addition the park has an abundance of land based wildlife, and marine life.
Ream National Park makes up the whole of the south-east of the Prey Nob district of Sihanoukville Province. It includes part of the Gulf of Thailand. It covers an area of 210 sq km (81 square miles) of which 150 sq km (58 square miles) is land based and 60 sq km (23 square miles) is marine based.
The Prek Teuk Sap River cuts through the park as it makes its way to the coast. There is an abundant fauna here. Things to see include rhesus monkeys, mouse-deer, dugongs, turtles and dolphins. The birdlife includes sarus crane, and pelicans. The park is also home to about 30,000 people, based in 5 communes.
Managing the resources of the Ream National Park are never an easy issue. The demands made upon the locale are huge. But management systems put in place to curb logging and fishing are beginning to work. In addition many of the local people now see tourism as the main thrust of their business. Favourite tourist activities in the area are trekking, boat trips and of course the wonderful stretches of beach. The boat trips are a particularly good way of visiting the park. Sailing down the river through the mangroves into the Gulf of Thailand is one of the really great things to do here.
Sihanoukville offers many good things for tourists, The Ream National Park really is a top place to visit
