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Kampong Cham Attractions

Kampong Cham is the capital of the province of the same name and the third largest city in Cambodia. With its Mekong River location and relatively close proximity to Phnom Penh (123km) and Vietnam, Kampong Cham has always been an important trade and transportation hub. The highway from Phnom Penh is in excellent condition-you can get here in just under two hours by road or by the bullet boats that are a main mode of transportation between towns on the Mekong River. Either way it's a nice fide, with views of the rural countryside or river area, depending on which way you go. 

Introduction to Kampong Cham

Introduction to Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia

Kampong Cham is the capital of the province of the same name and the third largest city in Cambodia. With its Mekong River location and relatively close proximity to Phnom Penh (123km) and Vietnam, Kampong Cham has always been an important trade and transportation hub. The highway from Phnom Penh is in excellent condition-you can get here in just under two hours by road or by the bullet boats that are a main mode of transportation between towns on the Mekong River. Either way it's a nice fide, with views of the rural countryside or river area, depending on which way you go. 

The town itself is quaint and charming with its bustling morning river scene and wide boulevard streets beside the river. There are a few worthwhile attractions nearby and with it's location on the way by boat or road to Kratie, Mondulkiri, Rattanakiri and Stung Treng Provinces; it's a nice jump-off point.  Kampong Cham is a mix of the old and the new, with a new temple being built in and around old ruins and the big ferry boats taking people and goods to the other side of the Mekong, right next to the construction of the first bridge ever built here. 

Because there is little foreign investment and no massive tourism (almost every foreigner who comes here is a backpacker), this city is quite poor with a few modern buildings, though not lacking in French architecture from the colonial period. It is similar to many other Cambodian cities, being rather dirty, with garbage a common sight. The people of Kampong Cham are very friendly and open to engaging with tourists.  If recent projects seem to be improving the state of things here (relative to other Cambodian cities), remember that both PM Hun Sen and former Phnom Penh Governor Chea Sophara are originally from this province.

Introduction to Kampong Cham
Introduction to Kampong Cham
Introduction to Kampong Cham
Introduction to Kampong Cham
Kampong Cham Geography

Kampong Cham Geography

This province is located in the eastern heard of Cambodia bordering following provinces: Kratie to the Northeast, Vietnam to the East, Prey Veng to the South, Kampong Chhnang to the west and Kampong Thom to the Northwest. Due to its advantageous location with the mighty Mekong flowing through the whole province, Kampong Cham has not much to fear of water supply. 

The sprawling township of Kampong Cham stretching lazily along the west bank of the Mekong River has much to offer, from temples to deep forests of numerous rubber plantations (a legacy of the French colonial period) to peaceful stalls along the river where visitors can sit back and soak in the atmosphere over a beer or fresh coconut. Kampong Cham is also located at a crossroads. It is the gateway to exotic Mondulkiri Province through Kratie, and it's a common port city on the mighty Mekong. Via the national highway No 7 the province is easily to enter and to explore. The province is divided up into 16 districts, with 173 communes and 1,748 villages. Its geographic location is 12.00N, 105.46 E.

Kampong Cham Geography
Kampong Cham Geography
Kampong Cham Geography
Kampong Cham Geography
Kampong Cham Climate

Kampong Cham Climate

Cambodia has sun almost year round. The average temperature is around 27 degrees Celsius; minimum temperature is about 16 degrees. December and January are the coolest months during the year. General information about the climate: - Rainy season: May - October (27-35c, with humidity up to 90%.) 

- Cool season: November- March (17-27c) 
- Hot season: March- May (28c -36c)

Kampong Cham Climate
Kampong Cham Climate
Kampong Cham Climate
Kampong Cham Climate
Kampong Cham Population

Kampong Cham Population

Kampong Cham is the capital of the Cambodian province of Kampong Cham. It is the third largest city in Cambodia with a population of 1,914,152 people (2007) with 928,504 male and 985,648 female and is located on the Mekong River. Kampong Cham is 123 kilometres northeast from Phnom Penh and can be reached by either boats or a recently constructed asphalt road. It takes about 2 hours by vehicles or 2.5 hours by boats from Phnom Penh to the city of Kampong Cham.

Kampong Cham Population
Kampong Cham Population
Kampong Cham Population
Kampong Cham Population
Kampong Cham Economy

Kampong Cham Economy

In an effort to entice foreign investment, the province is offering generous business concessions to those who wish to invest in rubber plantations inside the country. Kampong Cham and Kratie have an abundance of red soil and water resources, which create ideal conditions for the cultivation of rubber.

Generally, the people make their living from rubber and cashew nut plantation, fishing, rice farming and producing a rich array of fruits in fertile orchards, including durian, rambutans and lychees.

Kampong Cham Economy
Kampong Cham Economy
Kampong Cham Economy
Kampong Cham Economy
How to get to Kampong Cham

How to get to Kampong Cham

Bullet Boats: This is a nice option for you travel along the Mekong. Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham takes two hours and costs 10,000 riel. The boats depart just north of the Japanese Bridge (around 150m) on the Phnom Penh side of the Tonle Sap River. Kampong Cham to Kratie is a three hour boat ride and the cost is about 15,000 riel. The boats usually do not continue on to Stung Treng, as the water level must be very high to enable the boats to clear all of the small islands and clumps in the river between Kratie and Stung Treng. The boats usually don't even go during the rainy season, as there aren't many people travelling on this route.

Bikers: 

The cost for taking a motorcycle with you by boat for a section of the trip is the same price as for a person. It's not recommended, though, as the porters who load and unload the boats are a hassle to deal with and if they happen to drop your motorcycle in the river (a real possibility), it's your loss and not theirs. If you have a motorcycle, ride it. It's not recommended to combine the two modes of transportation.

Bus: 

Hoh Wat Gentling Bus Company and Sorya Bus Company (168) have a/c buses to and from Kampong Cham on a regular schedule every day. Their main bus terminal is near the southwest corner of the Central Market (or New Market) in Phnom Penh. The trip is 6,000 riel. In Kampong Cham, bus arrivals and departures are at the Kampong Cham Market. Please see the Getting Around chapter towards the front of the book for all bus schedules.

 Share Taxis: 

As it is quite cheap and quick with the air-con buses from Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham, there is not much of a reason to take a taxi. A share taxi from Kampong Cham to Kampong Thom is 8,000 riel. The road is in good condition. The share taxi do not go all the way to Kratie at this time, only as far as Snoul, the small town that is the juncture point for the road to Kratie and to Sen Monorom town in Mondulkiri Province. In Snoul there are only sometimes share taxis plying the route to Kratie. If you don't have your own motorcycle as transportation, your surest bet is to take the bullet boat if you want to go to Kratie from Kampong Cham. 

Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham 

As mentioned earlier, the highway from Phnom Penh is in excellent condition; you take Highway No 6 from Phnom Penh (crossing the Japanese Bridge) and go to the roundabout in Skun comprising a stature of children holding a bird. Highway 6 continues on to the left, going to Kampong Thom and Siem Reap. For Kampong Cham, you veer to the right and follow Highway No 7. A scenic option to this is to follow the river road on the eastern side of the Mekong River (if own vehicle). It takes a bit more time but if you have time it's worth it. Security is not a problem. Until the new bridge over the Mekong River is finished, you still take the big ferry across if you want to explore the eastern side of the province or continue on to Kratie or Mondulkiri Provinces by motorcycle or vehicle. It's 200 riel per person and 400 riel for a motorcycle.

Kampong Cham to Snoul and Kratie or Sen Monorom:

The motorcycle ride from Kampong Cham to Snoul is not with the best road equipped, but it's doable. Just before you reach Snoul there is a junction in the road with a police box on the right side. Follow the road to the left and you are on the highway to Kratie. You go through the town of Snoul just ahead where there is food and fuel.

Back at the junction by the police box just before you get to Snoul, following the curve to the right takes you to Mondulkiri. About 7 km past that curve you come to a four-way junction. Turn left there and you are on the dust highway (laterite surface) to Sen Monorom. Fuel and drinks are available at the four-way junction and 60km later, so you can bypass Snoul if you like. The road from Snoul to Sen Monorom is generally in good condition. It'sonly a dirt road but it's nice and level, because it was put in for the logging trucks. The road gets quite tricky during the rainy season, however, when the clay gets wet and it becomes similar to riding on ice. The scenery is beautiful and you're passing one of the remotest places in the country.

How to get to Kampong Cham
How to get to Kampong Cham
How to get to Kampong Cham
How to get to Kampong Cham
Where to eat in Kampong Cham

Where to eat in Kampong Cham

Apsara Restaurant: Near the Kampong Cham Market. They serve a good breakfast and continue throughout the day. They have some western food and an English menu.

Kimstrun Guesthouse & Restaurant: The guesthouse has a small rice dish and noodle soup restaurant.

Hoa An Restaurant: This place is popular with locals and the Kampong Cham NGO crowd. It looks like a two-story hotel and has some a/c rooms for private dinners, in addition to the main eating area. Good Chinese and Khmer food along with the usual beer girls.

Phnom Prosh Hotel & Restaurant: This newer hotel also has a restaurant. Good Chinese, Khmer and a bit of western food.

Two Dragons Restaurant: Located in the centre of the city, this restaurant has a menu in English and a range of good Khmer food (some international dishes).

Boeng Kan Seng Restaurant: Located in the West of the town on the lakeside this peaceful restaurant offers more than 100 Khmer and Chinese dishes. There are also small food and drink stands along the River Parkway.

Where to eat in Kampong Cham
Where to eat in Kampong Cham
Where to eat in Kampong Cham
Where to eat in Kampong Cham
What to see in Kampong Cham

What to see in Kampong Cham

Visitors to sleepy Kompong Cham are surprised to hear it's the capital of Cambodia's most populous province. The province derives its name from the ethnic Cham, or Chinese Muslims, who inhabit many of its villages. 

One of the many legends about the town's history explains that a fish swallowed a Cambodian boy whose father was bathing him in the river. The fish swam to China where fishermen caught him and sliced him open, revealing a live child. The emperor raised the boy as his own. Years later, the prince returned with ships full of Chinese sailors to populate the land that became known as Kompong Cham. 

The Mekong River splits this fertile land, which is home to numerous cashew and rubber plantations.

Because the tourism hubs of Angkor Wat to the northwest and the coast to the southwest overshadow this region, it retains its original charm. Locals are quick to point out their city's merits, reminding visitors that Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen was born there and that it's the home to notable historic landmarks, such as Wat Nokor and Han Chey. 

The local government takes great pains to maintain the town and attract new business. Though the exterior of the city's French colonial buildings often seem to be in a state of decomposition, the actual infrastructure is surprisingly functional, with wide boulevards, a riverfront promenade and a picturesque bridge expediting tourism and trade with points east. 

Well-maintained gardens and Angkorian-themed statues grace the city's medians and central squares. At night, ornate lampposts and illuminated water fountains light up the town's main street, Monivong Boulevard. 

Most travellers use Kompong Cham as a layover on the journey from Phnom Penh to the provinces of Kratie or the Mondulkiri plateau (visible from several of the hilltop pagodas outside the city centre). But Kompong Cham is worth an extended visit for its own merits. 

Nearby temples dating to the 6th century AD reveal Cambodia's oldest remnants of Angkorian architecture. Travelling to these temples is as enjoyable as the visits themselves. Rent a moto ($6, 24,000 riel) and speed alongside the Mekong River, beside rice paddies and over tree-lined streets. Hire a boat driver and meander through winding Mekong tributaries where villagers pass in boats made from hollow tree trunks and fishermen stand on the banks, swooping wide nets through the water. 

What to see in Kampong Cham
What to see in Kampong Cham
What to see in Kampong Cham
What to see in Kampong Cham
Where to stay in Kampong Cham

Where to stay in Kampong Cham

Pounleurasemei 2 Guesthouse: 

Names this long should be illegal. It's good value at US$ 5 for a fan room and US$ 10 a/c. The rooms have a Western bath and some have a view of the river.

Chamnortunle Guesthouse:

(A shorter name than the neighbour, but not by much.) 

There is a nice second-floor terrace over looking the Mekong River. There are US$ 3 fan rooms on the third floor. The other rooms have a Western bath and TV added. US$ 5 for a fan room and US$ 10 for adding a/c. These next four places are close to the market ad river:7 January Guesthouse: 

It's a dive, but at 5,000 riel that's what you get. It has a share bath and a second-floor terrace.

Angkor Thom Guesthouse: 

Same as the 7 January, US$ 30 on a monthly basis.

Chann Chhaya Guesthouse: 

It's the same as the others at 5,000 riel.

Nava Guesthouse: 

In the middle of the pack of the three others. There are small, clean rooms with a Western bath in each room at US$ 5 a night.

Monorom Guesthouse: 

Newly refurbished, they now have nice rooms with TV, fan, Western bath for US$ 5, adding a/c puts the cost at US$ 10. There is karaoke on the premises and the place always has working girls hanging around making this place fairly lively for Kampong Cham. It's located behind the Mekong Hotel.

Bopharik Guesthouse: 

It has a nice terrace overlooking the market, Simple fan rooms with Western bath for US$ 5, $ 10 for a/c.

Bopear Guesthose: 

Located one block in from the river, it's a clean and well-run place. There is also a nice second floor terrace. Western bath and a big fan room go for US$ 4.

Sengly Guesthouse: 

This place has simple rooms with attached bath for US$ 4 w/fan or US$ 10 a/c.

Hakly Guesthouse: 

Unfriendly staff makes this place a bad choice even though the rooms are fairly decent.

Kimsrun Guesthouse: 

A simple place with a small restaurant on the premises. US$ 3 a night.

Where to stay in Kampong Cham
Where to stay in Kampong Cham
Where to stay in Kampong Cham
Where to stay in Kampong Cham
Shopping in Kampong Cham

Shopping in Kampong Cham

Kampong Cham market has a gaudy look similar to that of the Central Market in Phnom Penh, and it has a complete supply of just about anything that you may need. A night market springs up on the western side in the evening. There are plenty of photo shops and pharmacies on the perimeter roads.

Shopping in Kampong Cham
Shopping in Kampong Cham
Shopping in Kampong Cham
Shopping in Kampong Cham

Chhrouy Chek

Chhrouy Chek is a name of the place that was built for stocking water to irrigate the rice fields. ...

Haong Waterfall

The site is a mountain that features a cliff and waterfall. Inaccessible at one time, it has become ...

King Residence

King Residence, Kampong Cham is considered as one of the most important tourist attractions in ...

Koh Pen Beach

2km (2mn) From Provincial Town. Operations of Recreation Park and Beaches, Location: Kampong Cham & ...

Man-Made Resort Of Teuk Chha

Next to the temple, there is a canal existing since the ancient time. The canal has water all year ...

Nokor Bachey Temple

Nokor Bachey temple is a cultural and historical site. It is located 2.2 kilometers from Kampong ...

Phnom Han Chey

Han Chey Mountain has official name Chey Kiri Mountain located at the East of Kampong Cham ...

Phnom Pros and Phnom Srey

Located at Kro La Commune, Kampong Siem District in Seven- kilometers distance from the provincial ...

Preah Theat Teuk Chha

Preah Theat Teuk Chhar is a group of temples in Thmo Da village, Beung Nay commune and Thmei ...

Prey Nor Kor Knong-Krau Temple

Is an ancient site located at the Southeast of Kampong Cham province, at Prey Nor Kor village, Daun ...

Teuk Chhar Temple

Next to Preah Theat Teuk Chhar temples is a canal dug during ancient times. Water fills the canal ...

Wat Preah Theat Thmor Da

Wat Preah Theat Thma Da temple is an ancient site located in Preah Theat Thma Da village, Preah ...