Osoam Cardamom Community Center - Everything you need to know
One of the best places to experience quality Cambodian culture is in the heart of the Cardamom mountains in the small village of Osoam. King (in my opinion) of Osoam is Mr. Lim: owner, founder, accountant, engineer, chef, travel agent, and doer of every job at the great Osoam Cardamom Community Center. This eco-driven community is a newly emerging spot for people looking to explore the largest jungle in southeast Asia or volunteer for Mr. Lim and the community’s seemingly endless needs. The space has an unbelievable view of the mountains, sits right on a river, and contains pigs, chickens, and rescued gibbons, plus a massive variety of fruited trees, such as avocados, green orange, banana, coconut, turmeric, cardamom, and many other fruits I have never even heard of. For nature-enthusiast backpackers looking to experience authentic Cambodian lifestyle, visiting this farm community is an absolute must.
Accommodation
The number of visitors Osoam Cardamom Community Center can hold is currently very low, with a maximum holding capacity of 15 people. This number will soon rise as many bungalow construction projects have begun. Due to lack of resources and money, however, these projects have been put on hold. There are currently 2 options for accommodation: a private bungalow (4 people max.) overlooking a river for $15 a night, or a private room (2 people max. per room) in a shared bungalow for $10 a night. Each room is equipped with towels and mosquito nets, and the beds are super comfortable. A single bathroom area is shared by all of the tenants; it has multiple toilets with showers. There is no hot water, which is typical for Cambodia.
In addition to the community offering comfortable accommodation, they also chef up meals for a decent price. Between $3 and $5, you can eat a large quantity of delicious food. They have cheap water, soda, beer, and other drinks for sale in addition to a large variety of snacks. Mr. Lim also loves to offer you free fruit, and one night, he even invited my girlfriend and I to dinner with his family at a local restaurant. Quite an awesome and kind man!
Adventuring
While visiting Osoam Cardamom Community Center, you have the opportunity to explore the unique rainforest and surrounding areas. There are various cheap options offered by Mr. Lim who will book a private tour to your selected adventure. Options include 1 day jungle treks, overnight 2 day treks, exploration of the Siamese Crocodile Protection Sanctuary or the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, and much more. The area is filled with unbelievable wildlife, such as leopards, tigers, sun bears, monkeys, elephants, and a handful of endemic species.
How to get there
Getting to Osoam Cardamom Community Center is very easy. Although there are no buses or trains that go that way, all you need to do is to get in contact with Mr. Lim a few days before you plan on visiting the community. He should answer within a day and will set up a personal taxi for cheap. The 2 locations the taxi is able to pick you up from are Pursat and Koh Kong, so you need to be at one of those two locations. The time it takes to reach Osoam depends on the weather and road conditions but expect at least 4 hours from Koh Kong and only a couple from Pursat. Contact him by Whatsapp at +(855) 89 899 895.
Volunteering
The community is in great need of volunteers and any bit of help will greatly benefit them. From agriculture to teaching to construction, there is a wide variety of things that you could do to help. In return, you would get free meals or accommodation. If you talk it over with Mr. Lim, you will work something out in both of your favors.
Goodluck!
Osoam Cardamom Community Center was one of the best experiences that I had in Cambodia and I couldn’t recommend it more. Mr. Lim is one of the best dudes you will ever meet and the village is extremely authentic and full of culture. If you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to reach out. Safe travels!