Last year I was in Phnom Penh and needed to be in Siem Reap in a few days, but I had some loose time up my sleeve. So where to break the trip? I like my ruins, but didn’t want loads of people, and so Kompong Thom was the ideal choice.
The video above is worth the clickthrough to watch. They’ve disabled sharing.
The afternoon bus from Phnom Penh got me in to Kompong Thom mid evening without too much drama. From where they dropped me off it was a ten minute walk to Sambor Village. It is a cute little cottage–style place, with a terrace deck restaurant and plenty of shade. It is of a better standard (and with the price tag to match) than I’d expect in the provinces. Friendly staff and a riverside vibe add to the appeal—the owners also have Villa Langka in the capital.
I do little that evening but recover from Phnom Penh and have a meal by myself on the terrace. There’s a small pool on site, and it is pretty in the evening light. Sambor Village gets a fair amount of tour group trade, but the night I stay, I’m the only guest—and that is fine by me. I arrange with the staff to hire a scooter for the next day.
Meet Sambor Prei Kuk. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
The next morning I jump on the bike for the 30–odd kilometre ride out to Sambor Prei Kuk. It is well–signposted and the roads are good, making for easy travel to get there. When I arrive, there are two other visitors there.
Two!
Imagine arriving at Angkor Wat and having it almost all to yourself? Fantasy right? At least pre-Covid19 anyway. I hire a community guide for $6 and we get walking.
People say you need only a couple of hours to take in the site, but we end up spending almost four. The guide is good—and while much of the commentary is rote, over time, more comes out. The longer we walk, the more we chat, her telling me about her family and what it is like living nearby. The guides are drawn from the local community and their stories add that extra element to a visit.
Super busy. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
The site is some 1,200 years old and over 100 shrines and temples still stand within the confines. Unlike Angkor, many are of a warm red brick. Sandstone is left for the foundations and some gorgeously ornate lintels.
Towards the end of the wander, my guide asks if I plan to stay nearby. I say no, explaining I have a room already in Kompong Thom. She then goes on to explain that when I return next time, there is a homestay programme here, similar to at Banteay Chhmar. I ask do many people take advantage of it?
No.
I ride back into Kompong Thom and lose the rest of the day at the National Museum and drinking beers by the river. The museum is interesting. I say that because it is deserted—not a live body in sight—yet priceless lintels and other artefacts lay around.
Navin displaying the goods. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
The following day I’m back on the bike, riding towards Phnom Penh to visit a foursome of sites. A hilltop temple, a nearby silk farm and them two remote sites that, well, are piles of rocks.
Just before the rise to Phnom Santuk, I pull up at Santuk Silk Farm. The centre provides gainful employment to local women from Svay Kal village. Set us by a US veteran and his Khmer wife, the former has passed on, but his wife Nevin is going strong, and suffice to say, she is no bullshit. None at all.
From here I head onwards to Phnom Santuk, and its 809 steps. Take my word for it and aim to climb in the morning or late afternoon—not at midday. The views over the surrounds are terrific, but again, late afternoon or early morning people!
There. I saved you 809 steps. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
I fill out the afternoon with three sites which all qualify as obscure. Prasat Kok Rocha and then Prasat Phum Prasat and Tnoat Chum. All three are Khmer period sites, but you’ll need patience and Google Maps to find them. I did. Watch out for wedding invitations and remember you need to be able to ride home.
Wedding sorted, all I had left was a long straight ride back to Kompong Thom and a bus onwards to Siem Reap in the morning. Diversion sorted!
Couchfish Diversion 11: Kompong Thom, Cambodia