Kampong Cham travel guide
A Mekong riverfront, Wat Nokor and the hills of Phnom Pros and Srei
A sleepy Mekong river town three hours north-east of Phnom Penh, with Wat Nokor and the twin hills of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei close by. Come from November to February for dry roads and the least heat. One day is enough, two if you cycle Koh Paen. It is a low-cost day, and a Cambodian e-Visa or arrival visa is required.
Kampong Cham is a provincial capital on the Mekong, 124 km north-east of Phnom Penh. Few foreign travellers break their trip here, which is the draw. A row of French-era shophouses faces the water. Late each afternoon, grill stalls with cold beer set up under the trees opposite the Mekong Hotel.
The Kizuna Bridge, the first in Cambodia to cross the Mekong, links the town to the Tbong Khmum side of the river. Most of what is worth seeing sits on the outskirts. Wat Nokor is an Angkor-era sandstone temple with a bright modern pagoda built inside its walls. West of town, the paired hills of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei carry shrines with long views across the rice country.
Treat it as a stopover between Phnom Penh and Kratie rather than a base. A tuk-tuk morning, an afternoon by the river and supper at the stalls cover the essentials; a second night buys time to cycle the island of Koh Paen.
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A riverfront walk, an Angkor-era temple, two hilltop pagodas and an island across the water.
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Best time to visit Kampong Cham
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
The rains stop (December and January see under 20 mm) and highs sit around 29-31C, good for riding out to the temples.
Highs reach 35C before the first storms; start temple trips early and rest at midday.
September and October each bring around 250 mm of rain, the Mekong runs high and dirt roads to the airstrip turn to mud.
Koh Paen is reachable all year, but plan it for the dry months if you want to walk the bamboo bridge, which is rebuilt for visitors only while the river is low.
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Getting there
Sorya and Virak Buntham buses via Skun
Fly into Techo International outside Phnom Penh, then take a Sorya or Virak Buntham bus north-east via Skun, about two and a half to three hours, with departures all day. From Siem Reap, go via Skun on the better road and skip the rough Route 71 short cut. Buses continue north along the river to Kratie.
- Phnom Penh by bus
- About 2.5 to 3 hours, departures through the day
- Siem Reap
- Go via Skun on Highway 7; skip the rougher Route 71 short cut
- Bus offices in town
- Around the roundabout on the main road; Rith Mony is on Highway 7 about 200 m from the Mekong bridge roundabout
- Onward
- Buses continue north along the river towards Kratie
- Take a morning bus so you arrive before dusk, while the better riverside rooms are still free.
- Tickets are sold at the company counters; buy the day before if you want a specific departure.
- Rith Mony is on Highway 7 about 200 m from the Mekong bridge roundabout.
Where to stay
Riverfront or market
Stay on or just behind the riverfront, close to the evening food stalls; book ahead at weekends. Cheaper, sometimes noisy rooms cluster around Psar Thom near the bus offices. Nothing in town is large or international, so ask to see the room before paying, as quality varies street to street.
- Riverfront
- Best choice for a short stay, close to the food stalls and the Mekong Hotel; book ahead on weekends
- Around Psar Thom
- Basic rooms near the market and bus offices, handy for an early departure but less pleasant at night
- Highway 7 near the bridge roundabout
- Convenient for Rith Mony buses and the road to Kratie, but traffic noise and a walk to the river
Getting around
Motodops to Phnom Pros, bicycles on Koh Paen
Kampong Cham's centre lies north of the highway and is easy on foot: riverfront, market and bus offices are within about fifteen minutes. The sights are on the outskirts, so hire a tuk-tuk or motodop for a half-day loop of Wat Nokor, Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei, agreeing stops and price first. Bicycles suit the flat lanes of Koh Paen.
- Walking
- Riverfront to Psar Thom in a few minutes; the Kizuna Bridge is a pleasant stroll along the bank
- Tuk-tuk or motodop
- Half a day covers Wat Nokor, Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei
- Motorbike
- The airstrip is about 3 km west on Highway 7, then roughly 2.5 km down a dirt track
- Bicycle
- Best for the flat lanes and villages of Koh Paen
- Smaller 110 cc bikes are the local norm and attract more thieves; lock them and park where a guard is watching.
Know before you go
What makes Kampong Cham worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- Wat Nokor, where a brightly painted modern pagoda stands inside crumbling sandstone walls.
- Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei, two hills with temples and wide views over the farmland.
- An evening beer by the Mekong at the stalls opposite the Mekong Hotel.
Good to know
- There is little to do after a day, so plan it as a stop, not a base.
- Market food stalls vary in hygiene; pick busy ones that cook to order.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Kampong Cham, month by month
Kampong Cham is hottest in March, near 35°C, and wettest in September at about 255 mm; February is nearly dry.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Kampong Cham (World Meteorological Organization, via Wikipedia).
Wat Nokor at dawn, Koh Paen by afternoon
A single day covers Kampong Cham. Take an early tuk-tuk to Wat Nokor, where Angkor-era galleries wrap a modern pagoda, then climb Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei for views over rice fields and sugar palms. Sit out midday by the river, and in the afternoon walk past the colonial shophouses to the Kizuna Bridge and cross to Koh Paen.
Morning. Leave early by tuk-tuk for Wat Nokor on the edge of town, while the sandstone is still in shade. The contrast is the point here: weathered Angkor-era galleries wrapped around a gaudy modern pagoda where monks go about their day. Carry on to Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei, the "man" and "woman" hills, and climb for the view over rice fields and sugar palms before the heat builds.
Midday. Head back for lunch at the food market just south of Psar Thom, then sit out the hottest hours in one of the cafes along the river.
Afternoon. Walk the riverfront past the colonial shophouses to the Kizuna Bridge. Cross to Koh Paen, the island a few blocks south of the big bridge, on its permanent bridge (or the bamboo one in the dry season) and cycle its village lanes.
Evening and next morning. Finish at the beer stalls opposite the Mekong Hotel as the sun drops over the water. Riders with a spare morning can visit the abandoned wartime airstrip west of town, little more than cracked runway, a pillbox and a decaying control building, before the bus to Kratie or Phnom Penh.
Eating on the riverfront and at Psar Thom
Eat at Psar Thom and on the riverbank. The food section just south of the market serves rice and noodle dishes all day, including num banh chok and bai sach chrouk, best before mid-morning; pick busy stalls. From late afternoon, grill vendors line the bank opposite the Mekong Hotel.
The second is the river. From late afternoon, vendors line the bank opposite the Mekong Hotel with grills, plastic stools and cold beer, and this is where much of the town spends its evening. The Western-style restaurants along the same stretch serve cocktails and run happy hours, useful if you want a menu in English.
Self-caterers can stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables at the market, though baking supplies such as flour are hard to find. If you came up from Phnom Penh, you passed Skun, where Highway 7 leaves Highway 6 and vendors sell fried tarantulas to bus passengers; brave ones can try them on the way back.
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How we research our Kampong Cham travel guide
Bus routes, the Kizuna Bridge and Koh Paen access in Kampong Cham were checked against Cambodia's e-Visa portal and the sources below.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Kampong Cham.
Getting there
The 124 km trip takes roughly two and a half to three hours, a little less in a minivan.
Yes, Techo International (KTI) serving Phnom Penh is the usual gateway. Transfer into the capital and take one of the frequent buses north-east.
Sorya and Virak Buntham run buses and minivans through the day. Rith Mony also has an office in town on Highway 7.
Go via Skun. Highway 7 is in much better condition, while the Route 71 short cut is rougher and rarely saves time.
Yes, all three sit within about fifteen minutes on foot north of the highway. Wat Nokor and the hills need a tuk-tuk, motodop or motorbike.
General
Yes. It is the town's main sight: Angkor-era sandstone galleries with a colourful working pagoda built inside them, and it combines easily with Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei in one morning.
Usually. One full day covers Wat Nokor, the hills and the riverfront, so the island and the old airstrip fit best into a second day.
November to February. December and January get under 20 mm of rain and highs stay near 30C, before March and April climb to 35C.
A permanent bridge, opened in 2017, now gives year-round access by bicycle or motorbike. In the dry season a bamboo bridge is still built for visitors from the west bank near Wat Dei Doh.
Kampong Cham's centre lies north of the highway and is easy on foot: riverfront, market and bus offices are within about fifteen minutes. The sights are on the outskirts, so hire a tuk-tuk or motodop for a half-day loop of Wat Nokor, Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei, agreeing stops and price first. Bicycles suit the flat lanes of Koh Paen.
Stay & facilities
On the riverbank directly opposite the hotel, under the trees. They set up from late afternoon; for breakfast and lunch, use the food market south of Psar Thom.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Kampong Cham is Nov to Feb. Under 20 mm of rain a month from December to February, before the 35C heat of March and April.
- Best overall: November - February (The rains stop (December and January see under 20 mm) and highs sit around 29-31C, good for riding out to the temples)
- Hot season: March - April (Highs reach 35C before the first storms; start temple trips early and rest at midday)
- Wet season: May - October (September and October each bring around 250 mm of rain, the Mekong runs high and dirt roads to the airstrip turn to mud)
March is the warmest month in Kampong Cham, with average highs of 35°C, and January the coolest, with lows of 23°C. September is the wettest month, at about 255 mm of rain; February is the driest. Kampong Cham is hottest in March, near 35°C, and wettest in September at about 255 mm; February is nearly dry.
Visa & documents
Cambodia requires a visa for most visitors. A 30-day tourist e-Visa can be applied for online on the official government portal, or obtained on arrival at international airports and main land borders. Citizens of most ASEAN countries are exempt.
Health & safety
Bag and phone snatching from motorbikes is common in Phnom Penh, so hold bags away from the street side in tuk-tuks. Landmines remain in some rural areas, especially near the Thai border, so stay on marked paths. Call 117 for police, 119 for an ambulance or 118 for fire.
