Kampong Cham
Discover Kampong Cham
Kampong Cham is the seventh largest city in Cambodia, but a relatively small city. It has yet to be heavily visited like Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. It carries with it plenty of colonial French charm, and has a genuine "wild west" feel to it. Most travellers who do find themselves in Kampong Cham are in transit to elsewhere in the country, but those who choose to spend at least a couple of days in the provincial capital will enjoy the laid back atmosphere and quaint charm. 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.
Taste of Kampong Cham...
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. All the Western restaurants on the river front also serve beer and often cocktails, have happy hours, and often offer discounts. 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. 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.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsKampong 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. Hwy 7 from Kampong Cham to Skun is in excellent condition and one of the best in Cambodia. Shortly after Skun however, the quality declines dramatically with frequent potholes and unpaved stretches. There is an alternative route to Phnom Penh east of the Mekong. When travelling from Siem Reap, it may be worth going via Skun due to the better quality of the road instead of the Rte 71 short-cut. To get from Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham, there are several bus options. The standard rules for buses apply here. Try taking an early bus, to avoid arriving close to or after dusk, when your choice of accommodation will be limited. The telephone numbers listed here are for locations in Phnom Penh....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting 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. An increasing number of visitors to Cambodia are buying their own motorcycles and then reselling them when they leave the country (or return home), and this is a great way to see Kampong Cham. Smaller 110 cc bikes are the ones seen driven by practically every Khmer in the city, while the larger 250 cc 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 250 ccs. If you choose to buy a 250 cc, expect to pay anywhere from US$500–2,500, depending on the age of the bike.
Where to Stay
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. 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.
Money & Budget
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. 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.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Kampong Cham
a small boat floating on top of a large body of water
Pipe Water in a farm in Cambodia
a small boat floating on top of a large body of water
Pipe Water in a farm in Cambodia
a small boat floating on top of a large body of water
Pipe Water in a farm in Cambodia
a small boat floating on top of a large body of water
Pipe Water in a farm in Cambodia
a small boat floating on top of a large body of water
Pipe Water in a farm in Cambodia
a small boat floating on top of a large body of water
Pipe Water in a farm in Cambodia
a small boat floating on top of a large body of water