Kampong Cham

Understand

It is the capital of the province of the same name. Most of the 41,000 residents of the city (2010) are ethnic Khmer, but there is a sizeable Cham minority in the province's towns, including a disproportionately high number of Muslims and Christians.

Because there is little foreign investment and no large scale tourism, this city is very poor, with few modern buildings, though not lacking in French architecture from the colonial period. However, with the completion of a modern two-lane bridge across the Mekong, the city has begun a slow recovery from decades of decline. The people of Kampong Cham are, like all Cambodians, very friendly and open to engaging with tourists.

If projects seem to be improving the state of things here (relative to other Cambodian cities), it may be because Prime Minister Hun Sen and former Phnom Penh Governor Chea Sophara came from this province and the current governor is the PM's brother.

Get in

Kampong Cham has road links to 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.

Get around

The city centre is easily walkable and is found north of the highway. A couple of hotels and Western-style restaurants cluster around the river front and couple of streets further east, is the central market area.

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

See

Kampong Cham isn't 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, and one of the country's mass graves.

thumb|Traditional dances in Nokor Wat

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.

thumb|The Bamboo Bridge

Buy

Kampong Cham features a few markets, but the best is the one the locals use. It features all sorts of food, ranging from standard mangoes and other fruits, to pig heads and live fish. As with all other food places in the area, use common sense when buying here, as there are health hazards to the unsuspecting Westerner. It's just down the road from the Mekong Crossing restaurant, but stalls only open during daylight hours. Some food and juice stalls stay open until late, around 21:00.

Cambodia Public Bank (5-7, Ph Angduong, coming from the bridge turn right at the roundabout from where it is about 200 m) exchange money and has an ATM accepting Visa, MasterCard and Maestro. This is the last ATM when heading north until Pakse in Laos. Canadia Bank, not to be confused with Canada, this bank is wholly Cambodian-owned. This particular branch doesn't take baht, and exchanges money at a slightly poorer rate (approximately 4,000 riel to the US dollar) than you'll get at your guesthouse or on the street. They will cash traveller cheques and offer free advances on MasterCards. Best to avoid unless you need to replenish your supply of US dollars. Acleda Bank (31-33, Ph Khemarak Phomin) also has an ATM but doesn't yet accept international cards. They can change dollars and Thai baht only, but they accept traveller's cheques. Western Union services are also available. Money changers are available throughout the city, particularly in and around the markets - look out for packets of money o…

Eat

The Western-style restaurants cluster at the river front. Budget travellers can get a variety of local foods in the food market just south of Psar Thom. At the north end of Psar Thom are a couple of local restaurants. Beware of hygienic conditions though. Self-caterers find fresh fruit and vegetables at the market, other ingredients can often be found in the surrounding shops. Flour is hard to get.

Drink

All the Western restaurants on the river front also serve beer and often cocktails, have happy hours, and often offer discounts.

Riverside beers, in the late afternoon and early evening, food and drink stalls set up shop here opposite the Mekong Hotel right on the river front. Trees line the side of the road, making it a great place to pitch up a hammock, crack open a bottle of Angkor beer, and strike up a conversation with any of the motodop drivers who will congregate here (of course they'll be asking you what your plans are and where you're going the next day). Beers are 2,000 riel a pop, and any of the stands will stay open as late as you want to sell drinks to you. Fresh sugar cane juice is sold on every corner in the city centre area. Some of the sugar cane presses are engine-driven, others require manually turning the wheel. It's fun to watch and makes a refreshing drink. Try out a few vendors since the taste is always a bit different (about 1,000 riel a glass).

Sleep

There are hotels and guesthouses offering decent accommodation options. Although a large number of guesthouses can be found around town, the decent places are concentrated at or close to the riverside. For US$5 you can get a fan room of a comfortable size with TV and private bathroom with water. There are many more guesthouses than mentioned here, especially near the market. They are sometimes, but by no means always, cheaper than a fan room in a hotel but offer tiny and dull rooms in some cases more often rented out by the hour than by night. They are rather a last resort if everything else is fully booked or if you are really on the cheap of the cheap.

Go next

Since many travelers who pass through here are on their way north to Kratie and other areas, the best thing to do is to simply hop on a bus to wherever it is you are going. If you have your own transportation, just get out and drive. Hwy 7 is in good condition all the way up to the border with Laos.

Phnom Penh