Kampong Cham and three days in Phnom Penh – the end of our Cambodian adventures

by Rolling Coconut · Updated on February 4, 2015

French Watchtower in Kampong Cham

Kampong Cham is a small, rural and quiet town mostly visited as a layover on the way to another city. During the hot month of June, there weren’t a lot of tourists to be seen. There is no direct bus from Kampot to Kampong Cham, you have to go through Phnom Penh. We booked our bus to Kampong Cham from Phnom Penh with GST express for $6 per person, including pickup. The ride takes about 3 hours

Where to stay: Hotels in Kampong Cham

We stayed at the large Mekong Hotel along the river, five minutes away by foot from the bus terminal. We had a very spacious room, a fan, en suite bathroom and a small balcony for $8 a night. We could see the French Watchtower from our hotel, on the opposite side of the river.

There are many hotels lined up along the riverside, few of which seemed to offer comparable value.

At sunset, many food and beer stands set their tents on the riverside so you can enjoy a chilled beverage while you admire the sunset.

Beer and food stand along the river in Kampong Cham

The best way for us to visit Kampong Cham was to rent a motorcycle, which we did at the Mekong Sunrise – along the river – for $3 (they didn’t ask for a copy of our passport), we put in $2.50 worth of gas for the day.

Motorcycle diaries

What to do: Activities and Sights in Kampong Cham

We drove out to see the rubber farms, Wat Nokor, Prom Proh and Phnom Sray, and on our return spent some time in the nearby Chinese Muslim village. The bamboo bridge was under water at our time of visit. We also searched for the abandoned US airstrip and arrived onto a big stretch of land now occupied by farmers.

: Fish drying under the Cambodian sun in Kampong Cham streets

: Heading to work – Kampong Cham, Cambodia

: A visit to Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei – Kampong Cham, Cambodia

: Sun shining on the abandoned US airstrip

: Rubber Factories in Kampong Cham

: Salesman on bike selling baloons, brooms and dusters – Kampong Cham, Cambodia

We had originally thought of staying at Rana Homestay, unfortunately that did not happen, you may want to inquire and book ahead if you are interested in learning about the local culture.

3 Days in Phnom Penh

Back to the capital for our last three days. We stayed at Mali’s Guesthouse. The airport is 20 minutes away. The spacious room, for the two of us, with three double beds cost $10 with attached bathroom and a fan. The restaurant downstairs is also very good.

Choeung Ek Killing Fields

Activities and Sights Phnom Penh

We hired an auto-rickshaw for the day for about $8, after bargaining.

We visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum for $2 each and the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center $6 per person with audio guided tour, really good! The audio tour lasts about 45 mins. The Russian Market is busy with locals and tourists. Hold on to your belongings and enjoy browsing the labyrinth of stalls filled with souvenirs, though I wouldn’t suggest it as a must-do in Phnom Penh if you are short on time.