Tourist Information
Some quirky landmarks are also worth a mention, such as the
statue of an elephant stepping on a tiger – the town’s emblem. Another
interesting statue is the well-preserved statue of the Rearing Lion, from
the tenth century, which was brought to Kampong Thom from a jungle temple
complex in Preah Vihear.
There is an interesting fruit bat roost in the grounds of the old governors residence (a nice colonial era building). This is behind the market on the first road off the river. If the gate to the old governors building is open, you may be in luck, the house itself is sometimes left unlocked. All of the original furnishings are missing, but some of the bathroom fixtures remain and the house itself gives off a haunted vibe.
Wat Kampong Pagoda (built
in the twelfth century)
is another of the town’s highlights. It features, among stupas and shrines,
some strange-looking statues of monsters. A mural inside the main sanctuary
was painted in 1960 and depicts Norodom Sihanouk surrounded by the world
leaders of the time. Kampong Thom also boasts one of the country’s few
churches not destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. Designed by Vann Molyvann, it is
definitely worth a look.
The grasslands and rice-fields surrounding Kompong Thom of an extreme importance for wildlife conservation. These areas hold the largest global population of the endangered Bustard the Bengal Florican as well as occasional large waterbirds from the Tonle Sap floodplain (Adjutants, Pelican, Painted Stork). Other species include large numbers of wintering palearctic passerines (including Dusky Warbler, Yellow-breasted Bunting, Siberian Rubythroat) and the globally vulnerable Manchurian Reed Warbler. In March large numbers of Oriental Plover pass through the area making this possibly the best area in the world to see this species.
The areas also offer a glimpse of everyday life in the Cambodian countryside with many fishermen, ox-carts and small scale farmers. The best way to visit the grasslands is by en-listing the help of a moto-dop driver from in-front of the Arunras guesthouse. A number of these know the area (around Rolous village about 5km towards Phnom Penh) and speak English.
Kampong Pos Thom was the original name of the present called
Kampong Thom. Because originally long time ago, at the dock of the Sen River
next to a big natural lake, there was a big cave with a pair of big snakes
inside. The people living around this area usually saw these big snakes
every Buddhist Holiday.
Time after that, the snakes disappeared, and the people of that area called
it Kampong Pos Thom. Then, only short words Kampong Thom. During the French
colony in Cambodia, the French ruled and divided Cambodian territory into
provinces, and named them according to the spoken words of the people
Kampong Thom Province.
The provincial capital Kampong Thom is a bustling town on the banks of
the Stung Sen River. The town itself is strategically located on the
National Highway No 6 between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Its more a stopover
to have a break from driving long distances or to eat something on the way
to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh, than a very touristic place. Despite the town
itself people come to explore the pre-Angkorian Chenla capital Sambor Prei
Kuk, the remote temples of Preah Khan and Prasat Preah Vihear.
WELCOME
to the Kingdom of
CAMBODIA
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