Description of the attraction
Riem National Park is located in the southeast in the province of Sihanoukville, bordering the Gulf of Thailand. The total area of the reserve is 210 sq. km, three quarters of which are land, the rest is occupied by the sea.
The park's landscape is mountainous with many ecosystems including mangroves, freshwater wetlands, algae patches, evergreen forests, beaches, coral reefs, rivers and islands. The park is separated by the freshwater river Prek Teuk Sap, which flows into the ocean.
The western lands of the Riem National Park are two hills separated by the Prek-Sampush watercourse. Phnom Mollow (277 m) is the highest point in the reserve, the height of the second peak is 196 meters. Between the hills and the mouth of the river lies a narrow, intermittent belt of wetlands and a thin strip of mangrove forest. The eastern part of the park is occupied by the islands of Ko Thmei and Ko Seh.
The reserve would have been established in 1993 when the Cambodian government took action to protect the country's endangered natural resources.
On the territory of Riem Park, rhesus monkeys, dugongs, turtles, dolphins, pelicans and several other rare animal species have been found and registered. The vegetation is represented by low-lying evergreen forests, melaleuk and mangrove forests. Despite the status of a nature conservation area, the national park is home to almost 30 thousand people and there are 13 villages on the territory of the reserve.
Hiking, bus and motorcycle excursions around the territory of the national reserve have been developed for tourists. In addition, boat trips on the river through the mangrove thickets are offered, there are two hotels on the beach and many cafes specializing in seafood.
