Kampong Cham Travel Guide
Kampong Cham is a sizeable town and province located on the banks of the Mekong to the north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and is mainly visited for its Angkor-style Wat Nokor temple complex.
Although a large city, it is much less chaotic than Phnom Penh and is thus easier and more pleasant to get about. In addition, most of the historic sights worth seeing in the area are well out of town, including temples, museums and a large lake.
Apart from the massive well-preserved 13th century Khmer Wat Nokor temple, there are loads of French colonial buildings in the town, plus a tinge of the ‘wild west’ as well as a certain laid-back feel.
Getting There & Away
Phnom Penh’s international airport is the main point of entry for getting to Kampong Cham, from where buses leave throughout the day. You can be here within a couple of hours by bus direct from Phnom Penh or even take a boat along the Mekong from the capital.
Things to Do
Kampong Cham Attractions
- Nokor Wat
-
An angkor-style temple complex which dates back to the 11th century and features loads of mausoleums. traditional cambodian dances by children also take place at the temple every evening.
- French lookout tower
-
This interesting structure lies on the other side of the river and was used to monitor river traffic by the colonialists. the stairs are tough-going but the views are grand.
- Abandoned US airstrip
-
B52 bombers used to use this strip, which lies a couple miles from town on the phnom penh highway 7.
- Mountains Pros and Srey
-
Not far from the airstrip, the mountains provide fine views over kampong cham.
- Graves
-
Not far from town are the mass graves of numerous victims of the khmer rouge atrocities.