Kampong Cham
Kâmpóng Cham is a Provinces of Cambodia. Kâmpóng Cham area is 9799 and the population about 1691800 in 2005-07-01.
Introduction
With its Mekong River location and relatively close proximity to Phnom Penh 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 is 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 in from the river. There are a few worthwhile attractions nearby and with its location on the way by boat or road to Kratie, Mondulkiri, Rattanakiri and Stung Treng Provinces; it is 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.
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 124 kilometers 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.
How to get there
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 on the Phnom Penh side of the river.
Kampong Cham to Kratie is a three ・hour boat ride and the cost is 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.
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 is 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 is your loss and not theirs. If you have a motorcycle, ride it. It is not recommended to combine the two modes of transportation.
Bus
Hoh Wat Gentling Bus Company has a/c buses to and from Kampong Cham on a regular schedule every day. Their main bus terminal is near the southwest comer of the Central Market (or New Market) in Phnom Penh. The trip is 5,000 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 taxi
With the air-con buses making the trip from Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham and doing it more cheaply, 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 good. 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稚 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 an excellent condition; you take Highway 6 from Phnom Penh (crossing the Japanese Bridge) and go to Skon 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.7. A scenic option to this is to follow the river road on the eastern side of the Mekong River. It takes a bit more time but if you have time it痴 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痴 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 no a road that is not great but is 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 highway to Sen Monorom. Fuel and drinks are available at the four-way, so you can bypass Snoul if you like. From Snoul to Sen Monorom the road is in good condition. It is only a dirt road but it is nice and level because it was put in for the logging trucks. The road does get a bit tricky during the rainy season, however, when the clay gets wet and it becomes similar to riding on ice. The scenery is beautiful.
where to eat
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.
Haoan 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.
There are also small food and drink stands along the River Parkway.
Where to stay
Pounleurasemei 2 Guesthouse:
Names this long should be illegal. It is 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 neighbor, but not by much.
There is a nice second-floor terrace over looking the Mekong Fiver. 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 is a dive, but at 5,000 riel that is 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 is the same as the others at 5,000 riel.
Nava Guesthouse:
In the middle of this pack of 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 is 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 is 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 shopping
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.
Chroy Chek
17km (30mn) From Provincial Town. Nature Wildlife Preserves, Location: National Road No.7, Veal Kreal Village, Trean Commune, Kampong Siem District.
King's residence
It's been unused for over three years, and the local government has let the outside building and grounds go in a way that does not show much respect for the monarchy.
Koh Pen
2km (2mn) From Provincial Town. Operations of Recreation Park and Beaches, Location: Kampong Cham & Kampong Siem District.
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 round, either dry or raing seasons; water which is clear and non-stopped flowing which leads to attracting tourists to enjoy it happily. On either side of the clear-water canal, there are plants and trees growing; but now these plants and trees have been cut off to make a big plain where the wast water spreads out at the rock temple.
In order to take advantage from the canal, a dam has been constructed to provide water to big rice fields in Prey Chhor District, Kampong Cham Pronvice and in Ba Ray District, Kampon Thom province. Because the area is the cool place with great quantity of water and cool shadow from the trees that are growing around the ancient temple, these can sometime attract tourists to visit and enjoy during their holiday leading to be well known. Nowadays, the ancient pond, which we described as the achievement of Dr. Chung Kheal is the wast-water pond located in front of the dam that has been just constructed recently. The canal has water flowing from above and has source at the North in Kampong Cham province; the water flows from the North to the East, when touching a side of the temple, it flows down into a big slit. From the ancient time, the slit has been full of water; but there are small currents of water shared from the slit, then flow into rice fields of the surrounding villages such as Kroch village in Sre Chhor District as well. Because the canal is old, the Ministry of Agriculture has organized a dam for stocking water in order to accelerate the water flow of the canal to thousand Hectars of rice fields in districts of Prey Chhor and Ba Ray. The canal of Teuk Chha has corner where they can enjoy swimming; if someone like swimming in the shallow water, he/she can swim in the old canal, North of the dam because the bottom of the old canal has four-meter or five-meter width. The clear water, we can see its bottom with flock of small fish swimming in reverse direction to the water flow. If some one like swimming in deep water, he can swim in a wast water, South of the dam. Around the Slit of the canal bank, there is a high tree which provide shelter to tourists and birds. The water surface of Teuk Chha has appoximate 3-square kilometre size filled by nearly 10 sources at the Northeast Mountain and plateau called 適bal Teuk・ The tank of stocked water has appoximately more than two-metre depth and pours to three accesses: two accesses via the dam can be closed and opened, and another one is the 10-meter Slit, North of the dam. The first dam is opened every day; the water flows down sounding as water fall; this can attract tourists to enjoy swimming. The second dam is opened during the festival days sometime; the water flow is not strong.
Nokor Bachey Temple
Is the historical site located at 2.2 Kilometer distance from the Kampong Cham provincial town along the National road N0 7 (Phnom Penh- Kampong Cham) in 12-kilometer distance and turn left more 200 Metres. The temple can be accessible by all types of vehicles. The temple site is divided into: Tonle Om: Size 400 Meters x 500 Meters located at the East of the temple in approximate 300-metres distance from the temple.
First Long Building: Size 421 Metres x 371 Metres made of late rite stone of 2.9-meter height and 2.4-metre length. Now, most parts of this long building have broken. In the area of the first long building included: - Six Lions: Located at the entrance of the second long building; the entrance has two-metre width. - Eight dragons: Located behind the six lions. - Two devils: Stand at both sides of the entrance. SECOND LONG BUILDING: include - Two statues of Te Cho Dam Din - Two devils each has 1.6-metre height. - Two ponds each has 20 Metre x 20 Metre; the two ponds are not dried during the dry season. Third Long Building: Is thicker than the first and the second and has accesses from the four directions. In the third long building, there are: -In front of the entrance, there is an eight-hand statue of Preah Norey - At the left-hand side, there is a four - hand statue of Preah Norey FOURTH LONG BUILDING: Made of late rite stone; it is separated and different from the first, second and third because it has accesses from the 12 directions.
If we enter into the middle of the temple, we notice a high mid-peak made of sandstone with Buddhist statue facing the four directions of East, West, North and South. Nor Kor Ba Chey temple has wide location; it is not smaller than other temples in Cambodia. The temple is the main gathering place for the people in Kampong Cham province, and other provinces and municipalities. The temple was built in 11th Century.