Potato Bush Camp

Shinta Mani Wild is a radical new fusion of world-class design, all-inclusive hospitality and conservation, where your stay makes a real difference in protecting unique and endangered species. Shinta Mani has created 15 private tents promising the utmost comfort and luxury with breathtaking views along the riverbank. Each location was meticulously planned over a seven year period by a process of minimal intervention and understanding the idiosyncracies of the river valley. At WILD, everything is included (except your helicopter). Meals, adventures, drinks, wellness treatments, everything. They have spent their time crafting a unique experience for you in the Cambodian jungle and they don’t want anything getting in the way of that.

The Headquarters are the home of dining at Shinta Mani Wild. Be it a quick breakfast before your sunrise hike, or a leisurely foraged dinner, no Headquarter experience is alike! Every meal is carefully curated by the chefs to introduce you to something unknown, and add to the adventure. Guests will enjoy the freshest seasonal ingredients that Cambodia has to offer, many of them picked by the team in the surrounding forest.

Expect jaw-dropping views and a tempting drink list, enjoyed over the Big Raging Sister Waterfall. Settle into vintage French chairs, cocktails in hand, complete with ingredients plucked from the camp's backyard, as well as Wild's in-house apothecary-style bitters, and our Master mixologist’s techniques.

Each tent is rustic yet elegant with safari-style décor using local materials such as hardwood, bamboo and leather for customized, handcrafted furniture. Tents come with 1 king or 2 twin beds, fan and air-conditioning. Private, whimsical, unique and wonderful!

Wild Tents - #3-5 + #13

The Shinta Mani Foundation Tent

Perched on a 25 meter wide boulder that disappears completely under white water at the peak of the monsoon season, it is kinda like being on a giant surfboard.

The Bohemian Tent

Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, music, art, literature or spiritual pursuits and often in the company of like-minded people. Let your WILD side out.

Waterfall Tents - #1, #2, #14 + #15

The Cambodian Royalty Tent

WILD’S cover girl, perched over rolling rapids pays respect to the royal heritage of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

First Lady Jackie Kennedy's Tent

Full of authentic ephemera documenting Jackie’s 1967 visit to Cambodia; The entry walkway of this tent is the most dramatic as it has a breathtaking view up river to the north.

Two Bedroom Tent

The Wildlife Alliance Tent

Just north of Headquarters and the Raging Big Sister Falls floats tent #6 over the widest but shallow tributary #3. The approach is spectacular. One strolls just above shallow rapids (monsoon season) on a succession of narrow wooden walkways that dances around this part of the jungle that thrives on wet roots. The Jungle Capsule with simple doubled bedded accommodation works well as an add-on to this tent.

Part guide, part friend, part magician. Your Adventure Butlers anticipate your every need. Finding unforgettable activities to suit your tastes and fitness, they accompany you on all your adventures, from motorbike rides to boat trips. Not to mention the classic butler role: unpacking and packing your luggage and fulfilling your ad-hoc requests. The Wild adventure begins the moment you step into a 1960s-era army jeep and head off-road. And if you think that’s exciting, wait until you enter the camp itself—speeding in via zip line.

Ziplining

Climb Eastern Tower’s 102 steps, don the zip line equipment, and clip into a double cable for extra safety, and after the safety briefing, fly… at upwards of 50 kmph for 400 meters, over the Butterfly tent and the first crossing of our Tmor Rung River to land at the West Tower.

Hiking

The 800 acres that comprises WILD sits within the 4.5 million acres of the Southern Cardamom National Park. The opportunities are endless and are only limited by what you want to do. From easy walks on riverside trails on the WILD property to full day, hardcore slogs into the Cardamom interior our Bensley Adventure Rangers will happily guide you on the adventure of your choosing. These guys crave adventure so don’t be shy to challenge them and yourselves.

Mountain Biking

Looking for a virgin run on forest single track or perhaps a less arduous ride through a Khmer village, our adventure butlers love getting out on two wheels.About an hour drive from the Camp is the Kirirom Reservoir that offers a challenging uphill ride and an exhilarating downhill sprint. Combine  mounting biking with your estuarine adventure boat expedition to remove the drive.

Foraging & Cooking Class

Discover and taste Cambodia’s natural larder in the company of our wild foragers; All of whom are reformed poachers and loggers and accustomed to living off the rain forest when camping out in the jungle as part of their past professions.

Expedition Boats (seasonal)

Nautical types can take to the water aboard our custom built expedition boat, ideal for exploring the secret backwaters of the upper Srey Ambel Estuary and connecting waterways. NOTE: This experience is dependent upon the water level. During monsoon rains the river becomes too high to safely navigate.

Picnics at Waterfalls

Don’t let the restaurant confine you, all of WILD is your picnic and our team of adventure butlers are ready to whip up a gourmet feast in the many of our dramatic alcoves.

Kayaking (seasonal)

The Southern Cardamom rainforest has some of the highest annual rainfall in south east asia. All that water drains off to the Gulf of Thailand through a massive system of rivers and estuaries creating many opportunities for flat water kayaking. NOTE: This experience is dependent upon the water level. During monsoon rains the river becomes too high to safely navigate.

Birdwatching & Butterflies

During the migratory season when birds are making their bi-annual pilgrimages you have a good chance to spot numerous rainforest and wet land dwelling species on all of your adventures. The WILD Sanctuary is home to over 140 species of butterflies, some that congregate in a flutter numbering in the hundreds – a colorful feast for the senses.

January—February

COOL NIGHTS & BUTTERFLY

There is a chill in the dry night air that make sundowners, campfires and massages, on the most northern stone riverbed a delight. Butterfly season is full on and continues through March.

March—May

WHEN WATER FALLS

The Khmer New Year sees low water levels that make many areas more accessible to mountain biking and hiking deeper into the rainforest. This season sees a trickle in the river rise a 1/2 meter and we are grateful for the odd 15 minute showers that cool and refreshes our jungle valley. I love zip-lining in the rain! Our trips out to the Srey ambel estuary on Our 3 yachts; Big Sister, Raging Sister and The Silly Sister!

June—July

MISTY MOUNTAIN TOPS, FRUITS & FORAGING

We sit at the southernmost position of the enormous 5 million acres Cardamom Forest and her southern catchment area… all the mist, rain, monsoons of this park dances through Shinta Mani Wild. One can witness a torrential outpouring and our 17 intermittent rivers and streams come alive. Trees begin to fruit and that attracts the birds. Some years we our favorite visitors reappear… a herd of wild elephants. The southern stretches of the Tmor Rung River have ample water to facilitate fantastic kayaking for bird watching. The many drongos and kingfishers are just delightful. This a great time for foraging as well. I love to visit the acacia forests to forage for delicious pink mushrooms which a slightly bitter but delicious taste. Try popping the pink mushrooms into an egg white omelette with a mozzarella and red capsicum!

August—October

WHEN WATER FALLS

In our valley we have three major waterfalls that the locals call The Raging Sisters. This is my favorite time of the year as our three Raging Sister Falls bulk up by at least a multiple of ten. Raging Big Sister Falls produces a mountain of mist. The shear power of unbridled water is mesmerizing. While we know that the Pileated Gibbons do not have a preferred mating season, it seems as though this season they are especially vocal in the early mornings. It seems like their calls to establish their territorial boundaries are louder and more serious. Sometimes we take sundowners to the Northern fields where the forests open up to reveal much larger views than our southern jungles. In the rainforest one can find orchid flowers all year round but I have found that this season tends to be the best.

November—December

PICNICS & RIVER SWIMMING

The cry of the Raging Sisters calms and a great season for swimming in the river begins. At Srey Ambel estuary remote sandy beaches for picnics, and sun worshipers avail themselves. Tulga, our visiting Mongolian fishing guide, is in residence and is on standby for those keen to learn to fly fishing Tenkara style. Lepidopterologist and Head-butler Bong Mac is ready to guide you as this is the beginning of the butterfly season.

You can join an Anti-Poaching Patrol as part of your stay here. Daily, the rangers seize far too many snares, which can kill nearly any animal, including young elephants. Sometimes WA rescues live animals from the many snares; other times they must tally the count of dead wildlife. They travel in groups of 2-8 and are armed, as they run loggers out of their makeshift camps, confiscate homemade guns, chainsaws, and the like. They are the real deal.

The reason for Shinta Mani Wild’s existence is to create a sustainable way to patrol and defend these beautiful forests and their wildlife. Please do join the rangers on motorbike for 2-6 hours depending on your stamina, and prepare for an eye opening experience you will remember for the rest of your life.

Ranger Station

Shinta Mani Wild has built an on-site ranger station for Wildlife Alliance at the end of the track, at the highest camp in the valley. You are more than welcome to visit! Wild also pays for all of the rangers expenses and equipment. As you will learn, the battle, and it is a battle, to keep the Cardamoms from becoming just another empty forest is never ending and at times disheartening.

Alert & Response

The goal is two more ranger stations, as well as two more groups of ranger soldiers north of the Wild base camp, as these areas are also under threat of poaching and logging. They use a number of new inventions including daily areal patrols using state of the art drones as well as a network of informants in the local communities. Through these they are able to detect, in real time, rangers are alerted WA can respond quickly and stop the villains. No Single use plastics here - hooray!

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