| A
port city on the banks of the Mekong river, it is a peaceful town with a
colonial past. Since 2003, a bridge over the Mekong a gateway to Kratie,
Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri provinces. The third largest city in Cambodia,
it has a large textile factory, built with aid from the People's
Republic of China. Close to the town is the Watt Nokor temple complex, a well preserved
example of 11th century Khmer architecture.
Before entering the town coming from Phnom Penh, in Choeung Prey district,
you will notice 2 hills with a temple at each peak: Phnom Pros and Phnom
Srey, which means the boys mountain and the girls mountain. The eastern
girls mountain is is also called Phnom Thom and the western boys
mountain also goes by the name of Phnom Preah Bath.
|
Close to the town are mass graves of
victims of the Khmer Rouge regime which can be visited.
The province is Cambodia’s most populous, with over 1.6 million
inhabitants. The people make their living from fishing, rice farming and
producing a rich variety of fruits in fertile orchards, including
durian, pineapples, rambutans and lychees.
On the way from Phnom Penh, where the road to Kampong Thom begins, is
the town of Skun. This town is famous for a local delicacy: fried
spiders, which are very much appreciated by the Khmer. Skun is the only
place in Cambodia where these fat, juicy spiders can be found.
|
