Skuon Travel Guide

Costs: USD 20-35 / day - inexpensive food and guesthouses; day-trip visitors common.

Safety: Safe for daytime visits - low crime; busy roads and food hygiene can be issues.

Best Time: November-February (cool, dry) - most comfortable weather for travel and market visits.

Set on the highway between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Skuon is the kind of roadside stop that most bus journeys across Cambodia would forget entirely - except that this dusty market town has one very memorable specialty. It is best known across the country as the place to eat deep-fried tarantula, a snack that has made an ordinary provincial town into a quirky pit-stop on Cambodia’s most-travelled route.

The heart of the town is its market, where vendors sell live and stir-fried spiders by the bucketload. The tarantulas are gathered from the forests of nearby Preah Vihear province, defanged, and cooked on the spot, typically served crisp with garlic and a peppery kick. Alongside them you’ll find spicy frogs, fertilised duck eggs, assorted insects, and heaps of tropical fruit - a full spread of Khmer country snacks.

For most travellers Skuon is a short, curious break rather than a destination in itself. Buy a fried spider (or simply watch braver passengers try one), stretch your legs, and carry on. It sits within day-trip range of the capital and lies close to the old royal town of Oudong, making it an easy detour for anyone curious about one of Cambodia’s more unusual culinary traditions.

A bustling roadside town in central Cambodia, this market center is best known for its lively street food scene and rural character. Skuon’s market stalls sell fried tarantulas and other Khmer snacks alongside grilled fish and amok, offering a raw taste of provincial cuisine. Travelers come for the open-air markets, late-night noodle shops and the chance to experience everyday Cambodian foodways outside the bigger cities.

Skuon follows Cambodia’s tropical pattern: cool, dry months (November-February) are the most comfortable for exploring. The hot months before the monsoon are intense, and the rainy season brings dramatic greenery and travel disruptions.

Skuon (often called Skun) sits on National Highway 6 east of Phnom Penh and is commonly visited as a stop on road trips between Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham. Most visitors arrive by road from Phnom Penh by bus, minivan or private car; the town is a short stop-off for the famous fried‑spider snacks and local markets.

Road travel is the normal way to reach and move around Skuon: budget buses from Phnom Penh are frequent and cheap, while private cars or taxis give more flexibility. Within town, moto‑taxis, tuk‑tuks and walking work well for short distances.

Nightlife is minimal: most activity after dark is low-key street food and small eateries rather than bars or clubs. Visitors commonly stop for an evening snack at the roadside stalls that line the main junction.

Skuon’s markets and roadside stalls offer everyday goods and local snacks. The town is famous for vendors selling fried spiders - more a local food stall scene than formal shopping - and stalls sell other street-food items and small souvenirs.

There are no large malls; bring essentials or buy them in Phnom Penh if you need a wider selection.