Kampong Cham is a province of Cambodia located along the Mekong River. The province is known for its high population and good agricultural land. The provincial capital is Kampong Cham, located 124 kilometers from Phnom Penh. What you should know about Kampong Cham is that the soil there is mostly red soil, suitable for growing crops such as soybeans, rubber, and various tropical fruits for export. The province is divided into 16 districts, with 173 communes and 1,748 villages. The Kizuna Bridge connects Kampong Cham to Tbong Khmum District and is the first bridge to cross the Mekong River in Cambodia.
It is worth noting that on December 31, 2013, Kampong Cham Province was divided into two: Kampong Cham Province, located west of the Mekong River, and Tbong Khmum Province, located east of the Mekong River. Before the division into two, Kampong Cham Province was once the 11th most populous province in Cambodia, with a population of approximately 1.6 million.
For tourism, Kampong Cham Province has a good atmosphere, with remnants of buildings from the French colonial era mixed with modern development. The people are friendly to tourists and the places worth visiting are the ancient temples built during the 12th century, such as Wat Nakhon Bachay, Phnom Hanchey, and Phnom Pros and Phnom Srey.
Here are the 5 tourist areas in Kampong Cham province:
1. Phnom Pros-Phnom Srey Resort
Phnom Pros-Phnom Srei is a cultural and historical site located in Trapaing Char village, Krala commune, Kampong Siem district, west of Kampong Cham city, 7 km north of National Road 7. This site has a story associated with it and an ancient Khmer legend, the story of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei. Wat Phnom Pros is officially called Wat Sovannkiri Rattanak Phnom Pros, and on the left is another mountain about 100 meters high with a sharp peak called Phnom Srei. Phnom Pros is lower than Phnom Srei, which is about 30 meters high. Phnom Srei has a steep peak that can be climbed by taking 308 steps.
2. Prasat Nokor Bachey
Prasat Nokor Bachey is a cultural and historical site located in Ampil Commune, Kampong Siem District, Kampong Cham Province. The temple is 2 km from Kampong Cham provincial capital and 122 km from Phnom Penh. The temple was built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries by King Jayavarman VII in the Bayon style and is dedicated to Mahayana Buddhism.
3. Phnom Hanchey Resort
Phnom Hanchey, officially known as Phnom Chey Kiri, is located in the east of Kampong Cham province and the west of the Mekong River. The mountain is 63 meters high and is located in Hanchey Village, Hanchey Commune, Kampong Siem District, Kampong Cham Province, 18 km by water and 20 km by land from Kampong Cham provincial capital. On the mountain, there is a temple and a temple called Kuk Suan, built of ancient bricks, measuring 7 meters square and 12 meters high. It was built in the 7th century during the reign of King Ishanvarman I. Currently, the temple is in a dilapidated state.
4. Teuk Cha Resort
Teuk Cha Resort is located in Thmey Village, Krouch Commune, Prey Chhor District, about 42 km from the provincial capital of Kampong Cham. The area has potential attractions including ancient temples and irrigation systems for irrigating agricultural fields. Most tourists prefer to swim in the clear water that flows from a real underground spring. There is also a small hydroelectric power plant, which was built on June 13, 2003 with financial assistance from the Japanese government. On the shore of the lake is an ancient temple called Prasat Preah That Teuk Cha, built by King Suryavarman I in 1025 AD, based on inscriptions found by researchers and preserved in the National Museum of Phnom Penh.
5. Thmada Teuk Cha Agro-Tourism Resort
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