Phnom Tamao in Campudia

 

PHNOM TAMAO    Phnom Tamao is the site of Cambodia's leading zoo. It occupies a vast site south of the capital and its animals are kept in varying conditions. Spread out as it is, it feels like a zoo crossed with a safari park; hopefully some of this space will be used to provide a better habitat for the larger animals. The flag- ship enclosure is that of the sun bears, funded by an Australian non-governmental organization (NGO). Other animals include tigers, gibbons and a lion, but these all live in tiny cages. If you don't like zoos you won't like this one, but it is certainly better than many of the animal prisons you see elsewhere in the developing world. It costs 1000r to visit.   Getting There & Away Phnom Tamao is about 44km from Phnom Penh down National Hwy 2. Take a left turn after the sign for the zoo, and it is a few kilometers down a sandy track. At weekends, you can combine an air-con bus ride with a époque -moto (trailer hitched to a motorbike), but on weekdays it may be easier to rent a motorbike. See the previous Tonle Bati section for details on bus times and prices.