About the Indochineex Team
Nick Butler
“Every adventure is different, a discovery of beauty and culture. A juxtaposition of wild and wonderful places with the experiences we create there.
My love of the country built up over the 11 years I have lived here. Running a bird watching adventure enterprise gave me the chance to explore its lakes, forests and incredible cultural heritage. There is an excitement, a mystery, a feeling of discovery in Cambodia.”
Nick has a commercial background with an MBA from Durham University in England, working as an international marketing manager before running a business. His first degree was in zoology and his passion has always been the countryside and its conservation so when the company he was running was sold he had the opportunity to fulfill this dream in Cambodia.
Buntha
Buntha was born in a Khmer Rouge Refugee Camp in Thailand. His family moved back to Siem Reap after the civil war in 1992.
He studied for 4 years at The Royal University of Phnom Penh living in a pagoda with the monks. His first job was in the floating village of PrekToal, where he met his wife Veasna. He was responsible for developing and strengthening The Water Hyacinth Handicraft and Community-Based Tourism Project. “It made me very proud of myself.”
“I’ve been working as an adventure guide for Smiling Albino Cambodia since 2013; I’m really passionate about adventure trips that we offer to our guests. I’m very pleased that I have opportunity to talk and share my experience as well as Cambodia history, culture and its beauty.”
Ra
Ra completed the tour guide training in 2007 and worked as a freelance guide. It wasn’t easy, he had to start as a driver and now is one of the few guides who have a license to take guests throughout Cambodia and he taught himself to speak German.
“Time flies so fast. It took me over 10 years, but I still love what I am doing. Of course, I would always like to best serve my clients and make sure that everything is alright but in between time I’m getting married and look forward to having a family.
“My ambition is to take guests away from Siem Reap to the countryside and introduce them to local people. Explain their daily life and develop other places so they too can benefit from tourism.
My hobbies are football and the gym. I like reading about Cambodian history also novels like Oliver Twist written by Charles Dickens.
Tiger
Tiger who’s real name is Se Patvy, is 27 years old and comes from the countryside. He moved to the city about 10 years ago and joined the pagoda as a pagodaboy helping the monks because his family were too poor to support him.
Tiger found work in service for restaurants, hotels and became a barman before spotting an announcement requesting English speaking candidates to become temple guides.
Tiger was the youngest candidate in Siem Reap to get a license in 2015 andsince then has been delighting guestswith his boyish charm and infectiousenthusiasm
From the blog
A few of Nick and The Team’s adventures.
Prek Toal the Hard Way
Prek Toal The Hard Way (by kayak) The current was flooding up the channel and a Southerly headwind was blowing as we set off from the boat station at Maichrey. Clouds grew dark then faded or pulled down by the weight of the moist air they released heavy drops of rain,...
Countryside Exploration Cycles
Countryside Exploration Cycle The Siem Reap countryside is changing all the time as the town spreads but its not long before the hard road becomes a track and the houses are raised on stilts. Lors and Taylor cycling one of our mountain bike routes around Siem Reap A...
Prek Toal on finfoot
Prek Toal on finfoot The incredibly rare milky adjutant lived in Prek Toal and it was my mission to save it even before I got to Cambodia and realized there isn’t a milky adjutant it’s a Milky Stork and a Greater Adjutant. Undeterred enthusiasm intact, Prek Toal was...