Rebuilding Tmat Paeuy’s Future: How a Community Lodge Became a Model for Conservation Tourism

December 2, 2025

When the world stopped during COVID-19, so did the lifeline that supported Tmat Paeuy.
a small community in Cambodia’s Northern Plains known for protecting some of the world’s rarest birds. For nearly 20 years, visitors came to experience the wilderness, learn from local guides, and search for the critically endangered Giant Ibis. Tourism wasn’t just a source of income, it was the foundation that kept conservation alive.

But when borders closed, tourism collapsed. With almost no visitors for two years, Tmat Paeuy’s eco-lodge deteriorated, income for families disappeared, and funds for essential conservation work like ranger patrols and nest protection dropped to nearly zero. The community needed a way to survive, recover, and rebuild.

A Fresh Start Through “Build Back Better”

In 2023, the Tmat Paeuy community partnered with USAID and Sam Veasna Conservation Stays to upgrade and completely redesign the lodge. Guided by the Build Back Better initiative, the goal was not simply to repair old structures but to transform the lodge into a modern, comfortable, community-run ecotourism destination that could thrive in a post-pandemic world.

The project focused on three core improvements:

1. A Better Stay for Guests

The original lodge was designed mainly for hardcore birdwatchers—simple, functional, and minimal. The rebuilt Kriel Lodge offers comfort, privacy, and a warm atmosphere suitable for any traveler, while still blending naturally with the forest environment.

Guests now enjoy:

  • Spacious forest-view rooms
  • Upgraded bathrooms
  • Welcoming communal areas
  • Improved dining spaces
  • Safer, more durable construction

2. Stronger Benefits for the Community

Tourism funds the Village Development Fund, which supports local livelihoods, conservation patrols, community infrastructure, and emergency needs.

By upgrading the lodge, the community now benefits from:

  • Increased visitor nights
  • More stable income
  • Fair wages for cooks, guides, housekeepers, and maintenance teams
  • More investment in conservation efforts

This gives the entire village a shared, sustainable incentive to protect the forest.

3. A Smarter, Sustainable Model

The rebuild introduced better systems for:

  • Water and waste management
  • Energy efficiency
  • Guest services
  • Professional hospitality skills

Training programs helped local staff improve guest care, guiding skills, kitchen hygiene, and lodge maintenance. Raising the overall quality of community-led tourism in the Northern Plains.

A Lodge Built by the Community, For the Community

Every step of the rebuilding process involved villagers themselves: carpenters, cooks, hosts, guides, and youth volunteers. Their hands shaped the future of the lodge, ensuring that the design reflects local culture, values, and the identity of Tmat Paeuy.
This sense of ownership is what makes Kriel Lodge so special. It is not a resort built by investors—it is a homegrown conservation lodge run by people who safeguard the forest they depend on.

A Model for Conservation Tourism in Cambodia

Today, Kriel Lodge stands as a flagship example of how rural communities can lead ecotourism operations that protect biodiversity while improving local livelihoods. Visitors staying here directly support:
  • Protection of the Giant Ibis and over 50 threatened species
  • Community patrols and wildlife monitoring
  • Education and village development
  • Long-term financial security for conservation
  • What was once a crisis has now become a turning point.
Tmat Paeuy didn’t just rebuild what was lost, they built something better. A stronger lodge. A stronger community. A stronger future for Cambodia’s Northern Plains.