Siem Reap is taking its wildlife seriously, but with considerably more color than a typical conservation campaign. From September 17–20, 2026, the Cambodian temple city will become a city-wide celebration of art, wildlife and conservation through Drawn to the Wild, a festival created by architect and artist Bill Bensley in partnership with the Shinta Mani Foundation. Participating hotels will display thousands of wildlife artworks created by Cambodian students and young artists, transforming the city into one enormous open-air gallery while inviting visitors to explore the exhibitions, meet local communities and learn more about the country’s threatened wildlife.

The four-day program goes well beyond the artwork. On September 18, judges, artists, teachers and hotel leaders will travel between participating properties in approximately 46 tuk-tuks for a wildlife-themed judging tour, while the public can join the art tour the following day and vote for the People’s Choice Award. Conservation conversations, children’s wildlife activities, ranger-themed events and special dinners round out the program. The festival also marks the opening of The World According to Bill Bensley, an exhibition of his drawings and watercolors from more than three decades of travel, at Park Hyatt Siem Reap. A total of $15,000 in prize money will be awarded to artists across age categories, with selected Bensley works sold to benefit the Shinta Mani Foundation.

The Curated Take

Drawn to the Wild is an unusually playful approach to conservation, and that may be precisely its strength. Rather than asking visitors simply to observe Cambodia’s wildlife, the festival makes looking itself the starting point, encouraging young people to study animals closely enough to draw them and turning that creativity into a city-wide celebration. Add tuk-tuks full of costumed “Rangers,” hotel galleries and one of Southeast Asia’s most recognizable designers at the center of it all, and Siem Reap becomes part art festival, part conservation initiative and part wonderfully unconventional travel experience.