Kampong Cham Province

Kampong Cham (Khmer: ខេត្តកំពង់ចាម, IPA: [kɑmpɔːŋ caːm] "Port of the Chams" ) is a province of Cambodia located on the central lowlands of the Mekong River. It borders the provinces of Kampong Chhnang to the west, Kampong Thom and Kratié to the north, Tbong Khmum to the east, and Prey Veng and Kandal to the south. Kampong Cham was officially divided into two provinces on 31 December 2013 in what was seen by many as a political move by the ruling party. All land west of the Mekong remained Kampong Cham while land east of the river became Tbong Khmum province. Prior to this division, Kampong Cham extended eastward to the international border with Vietnam, was the 11th largest province in Cambodia and had a population of 1,680,694, ranked as the second most populated province in the nation. Its capital and largest city is Kampong Cham. Kampong Cham is home to the current Prime Minister, Hun Sen.

This relatively small city has yet to be heavily visited by tourists like Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. Most travellers who do find themselves in Kampong Cham are in transit to elsewhere in the country, but those that choose to spend at least a couple of days in the provincial capital will enjoy the laid back atmosphere and quaint charm.

Most people in Kampong Cham are of course ethnic Khmer, but there is a sizeable Cham minority in the province's towns, including a disproportionately high number of Muslims and Christians and those of Chinese origin.

Recent projects seem to be improving the state of things here (relative to other Cambodian cities), realize that both PM Hun Sen and former Phnom Penh Governor Chea Sophara are originally from this province and the current Governor is actually the PM's brother.

Etymology

Kampong Cham means "Port of the Chams" in Khmer. Kampong means port, harbor. Cham refers to the ethnic Cham people living in the province. The word Kampong in Cham is shared in other Austronesian language, the Malaysian and Indonesian, both mean village.

Geography

Kampong Cham is primarily lowlands. The main river is the Mekong River which forms the eastern border of the province, separating it from Tbong Khmum province.

Get in

Kampong Cham features road links with most major Cambodian cities, including Phnom Penh. The highway between Kampong Cham city and the capital Phnom Penh runs along the Mekong, and buses frequent this route daily, so you should have no trouble getting between the two cities.

By car

The National Highway 7 from Kampong Cham to Skun is in excellent condition and one of the best in Cambodia. Shortly after Skun however, the quality changes dramatically with frequent potholes and sometimes not even paved anymore. There is also a new alternative route to Phnom Penh east of the Mekong.

When travelling to/from Siem Reap, it may be worth taking the way via Skun due to the better quality of the road instead of the road 71 shortcut.

• Update: as of late 2012, repairs and upgrades on Hwy 71 have been completed and the road between Kompong Thom and Traung (shortcut between Siem Reab and Kompong Cham) is quite usable.

The widening of National Highway 6A (between Skun and Phnom Penh) is (as of June 2013) is still underway. It can be a little rough in parts, but not too bad. But due to the construction, there can be some traffic bottlenecks that can slow down traffic a bit.

By bus

To get from Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham, there are several options for buses. The standard rules for bussing apply here, and try taking as early a bus as possible, to avoid arriving close to or after dusk, where your choice of accommodation will be limited. The telephone numbers listed here are for locations in Phnom Penh.

• Sorya, Telephone 023-210359. Bus station at Southwest corner of central market. 6 USD, with buses leaving throughout the day at 6:45, 7:45, 9:00, 10:00, 11:30, 13:15, 15:00, and 16:00. Typically a 3-4 hour trip. Times vary, on January 17, 2015, there was a bus at 9:45 and 12:45, do not rely on the times written on the big sign. Buses fill up so get your ticket in advance.

• GST, Telephone 023-335199. 4.5 USD, but only leaving twice daily, at 9:00 and 15:00 with a 3-4 hour trip.

From Kratie, book at your guesthouse. Two departures a day, 7:30am and 10am. The 7:30 bus leaves from Kratie where the 10am bus comes from further north so you may not be guaranteed a seat. Travel time is 4 hours with one main stop at Memot. $6 or $8 during Buddhist holidays.

Direct buses can also be caught from Kampong Thom at 8:00am and 10:00am for around $5-6

Most Minibuses and other non-Bus transports leave from or stop for a short time at the petrol station or just on the roadside of Highway 7 close to the Mekong bridge roundabout

Taxis are a less popular and more expensive method, costing about $10-$15 USD one way. These do, however, offer much more comfort and speed than a bus usually does, but make sure the vehicle's air conditioning is functional before getting in!

Trucks are also an option, but with much less comfort than buses or taxis, and are not advised.

National Highway 7 is generally in a bad condition, with frequent holes \ bumps and it alternates between a dirt and asphalt road.

Two Wheels

• Bicycle and Motorbike, Kratie is about a 100 km ride from Kompong Cham along the Mekong. It is mostly a dirt road in good condition so it is possible even by bicycle to reach Kratie in one day. Otherwise stop in Chlong for the night. Take road 223 north out of Kampong Cham up to Stung Trang (Preaek Barang), then take the ferry over the Mekong (1500 riel) and continue along road 338. It should also be possible to first cross the bridge in Kompong Cham and take road 338 from there but this stretch of road is in a very bad condition (although the first few kilometers are smooth) and not recommended.

By boat

Boat services between Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham have been discontinued.

Get around

The city center is easily walkable and is found north of the National Highway. A couple of hotels and western-style restaurants cluster around the riverfront and a couple of streets further west, the central market area is found.

Most of the sights worth seeing are however outside the city itself, so you're going to need some form of motorized transport.

By motorcycle

An increasing number of visitors to Cambodia are buying their own motorcycles and then reselling them just before they leave the country (or return home), and this is a great way to see Kampong Cham. Smaller 110cc bikes are the ones seen driven by practically every Khmer in the city, while the larger 250cc bikes are more often driven by foreigners or expats. The smaller bikes are cheaper, but less suited for long distance travel and are more susceptible to theft. It's your call, though most travellers end up buying 250ccs. If you choose to buy a 250cc, expect to pay anywhere from $500 to over $2500 USD, depending on the age of the bike. Note that Vietnam currently does not allow anything larger than 150cc through its borders, but this will likely change in the near future. There a few places to rent a motorcycle in Kampong Cham. A few are available from the Mekong Hotel ($6), Mekong Sunrise ($5) or Lazy Mekong Daze ($3!), on the riverfront to the North of the bridge.

By taxi

There are plenty of motodops offering their service for travel not only within the city, but to outlying areas of the province. For a scant $4 USD, you can be shown the temples at Nokor Wat, the endless jackfruit fields, and other attractions near the city. Be warned though, if your driver takes you to stalls or shops to purchase souvenirs, he will be receiving commission from whatever you choose to buy. As usual, bargain with your driver. It's better to set a price beforehand. For one way trips within the city, don't pay more than 2,000 riel (and many will consider even that a rip off).

There are tuk-tuks in Kampong Cham, but as there are less tourists here than other towns in Cambodia, such as Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, there won't be many of these, but if you arrive by bus there will be plenty waiting at the bus station.

By bicycle

Some of the larger hotels and guesthouses (such as the Mekong Hotel and Mekong Sunrise) have bicycles for rent. They're a good way to get to Wat Nokor and Phnom Pros/Phnom Srey as well as around the city, or for making a day tour to Wat Hanchey. Be sure to always lock your bike to a tree or leave it with someone trustworthy.

See

Kampong Cham isn't a city chock full of tourist attractions, but its colonial charm and atmosphere will endear itself to you. There are a few temples to see in the area, including one of the country's mass graves.

• Nokor Wat. An Angkorian temple dating from the 11th century, containing a standard assortment of Angkor architecture. Some of the mausoleums are open to tourists and contain piles of bones and skulls from the Khmer Rouge's genocidal reign. Inside one of the buildings is a very elaborate series of wall paintings, depicting torture and executions (of a religious nature), followed by scenes of heaven and the afterlife. This is not always an accessible building, as a Monk has to unlock it for you to enter. He usually does, though your driver may ask you to refrain. To get there by bicycle follow the road to Phnom Penh for about 1 km and turn left when you see a dusty road going down through a gate (there's also a sign). The tourist police may ask you for money for their own purposes. If you are stingy, you can enter the temple from the other side for free. Don't miss the beautiful sunset in the old Angkorian ruins. The visit to this site can easily be combined with a trip to the mountains Pros and Srei.
• If you are interested in Apsara dances (traditional Cambodian dances), there are occasional performances at 5 p.m. (mainly weekends and holidays) behind (east of) the Wat Nokor (Nokor Bachey Temple) by the children and teenagers looked after and educated by BSDA, a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) located at the temple site and managed by the monks. Entrance is free, donations are certainly welcome. Performances seem to be mainly on request, and the children and teenagers will be very happy to show off their talents.
• Pros and Srei Mountain are praised in every tourist guide, however actually nowadays they are only two 'brand new' concrete buildings on the top of some small hills. If you don't have too much time, it's better to head for Phnom Hanchey.

• Located 20km north of Kampong Cham, Phnom Hanchey is another temple on a hilltop in the area. The view of the beautiful Cambodian landscape that you get when you go there however is certainly worth it! If you can make it up very early (around 5am) you'll see a gorgeous sunrise over the Mekong that will be on your right side all through the way.

• There is also a French lookout tower on the other side of the river, once used for monitoring river traffic. It's still standing but in a decaying state. You can climb the stairs inside the tower and have a good view on the bridge, the Mekong and the small village next to the tower. The stairs are difficult and dangerous to climb, however.

• An abandoned US airstrip that has been used by B52 bombers is a short distance west of town. To get there take the Highway 7 to Phnom Penh for about 3 km. Just before the factory on the left hand side (looks a bit like a prison) there is a dirt road going to the right between street vendors and two red-white striped poles. Follow this road for about 2.5 km. There is not much left to see apart from the pavement of the airstrip and two decaying buildings next to it - a pillbox and the control tower probably. Leaving the airstrip on the left (west) will eventually lead to Mountain Pros and Srey. Going right (east) to the end of the strip and turning right again will lead you back to Kampong Cham.
• Chup Rubber Plantation, 19km East on National Highway 7, is a refreshing forest to visit by bicycle or motorbike. Early in the morning (before 10am) you may come across workers harvesting the trees. The rubber factory can be visited ($1).

Do

Kampong Cham is a sleepy provincial capital, and as such there isn't a whole lot to actually do, and those seeking plenty of activities to keep themselves occupied will become bored within a day.

• The Bamboo Bridge and Koh Paen, located a few blocks south of the bridge spanning the Mekong, is a solid bamboo structure built to Koh Paen Island across the Mekong. On the other side are endless Cham and Khmer villages, entirely mounted on stilts. This is a great place to drive along if you want to check out the people of the land. The bamboo bridge can even withstand trucks, so don't worry about whatever you're taking, just be careful not to fall into the river. The bridge is washed away as the river rises in the wet season, and access to the island is only possible by boat, but it is rebuilt again every dry season.

• West of the city are two mountains, with temples on top of them. To get there follow the Highway 7 to Phnom Penh for about 7 km and turn right when you see the hill on the right hand side, a gate and a road leading to the top. This is Mountain Pros. Take the road leaving to the right at about half way to the top of Mountain Pros to go to Mountain Srey. It makes an easy ride on a bicycle but road traffic can be heavy (for Cambodian standards). The Mountain Pros has a dull peak and is approximately 30 metres tall. There are a series of temples at the top, with the centerpiece being a five pagoda temple. There are outlying temples, most of which are ruined and falling apart. Sip at a sugar cane juice from one of the many stalls on the top while watching the monkeys fooling around and stealing bananas from the vendor’s tables. The Mountain Srey has 308 steps running up it, with a ruined temple at the top. There are no monks in this one, but there are several women and old men who collect donations from visitors. Between the two mountains lies one of the country's many killing fields where the Khmer Rouge dumped countless bodies, though in this case it's nothing more than a cement shed and a pile of bones.

• Buddhism and Society Development Association, N°5, Nokor Bachey Temple, Ampil Village, Ampil Commune, Kampong Siem District is a registered NGO running several charitable projects for the local community. This includes Mekong Kampuchea's Kids project (a street children's theatre) Natural Resource Management and livelihood project (Food security and livelihood for Single Women and poorest of the poor), Education project (School for Life, vocational training and life skills), Health Project (HIV/AIDS Prevention and Harm Reduction of Drug Abuse project), as well as Social Accountability Project (Good governance). There are opportunities for volunteering your help as well.

• Wat Maha Leap, one of the few remaining wooden pagodas in Cambodia, it is really quite beautiful. About 20km from Kampong Cham on the other side of the river, you'll probably need a local guide to find it, or ask your tuk-tuk driver. Nearby is a village well known for its weaving. You can see silk being weaved and dyed and (of course) there is always some for sale.

Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampong_Cham_Province