Major city · Cambodia
Kampong Chamកំពង់ចាម
Give Kampong Cham one night, two at most: the bamboo bridge, Wat Nokor and the Mekong riverfront fill a day, and buses to Phnom Penh run all morning.
Kampong Cham is Cambodia's seventh-largest city and a quiet Mekong provincial capital between Phnom Penh and Kratie. Most travellers pass through on the Phnom Penh–Kratie road; those who stop get a walkable riverfront, an 11th-century temple, a dry-season bamboo bridge to a stilted island, and almost no other tourists. Two nights is enough.
More ways in
Local time, weather, currency, airports
- Weather
- see forecast
- Currency
- USD
- Best months
- Nov–Mar
- avoid Apr–May (hot, 35 °C (95 °F)+), Sep–Oct (wet-season flooding)avoid Apr–May (hot, 95 °F (35 °C)+), Sep–Oct (wet-season flooding)
- Airport
- PNH
- Nights
- 1–2
Rules in force · 5Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…
- Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
- Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
- Cambodia ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal; lookalike sites charge extra. Some nationalities can also get a visa on arrival.
- Cambodia ↗Angkor Wat and other active temples enforce a dress code: shoulders and knees covered, or you are turned away at the gate.
- Cambodia ↗US dollars are used for most tourist prices; carry clean, undamaged small notes and some riel for change under one dollar.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾
In this guide
Not in this guide yet
- Walking areas with bag rules
- Day plans checked against opening hours
- Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
- Field-checked times and prices
Official sites
Emergency numbers for Kampong Cham117 ▾
Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.
EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost
Essentials
Quick answers and what things cost
Quick answers
The questions people ask first about Kampong Cham, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.
- Cash or card?US dollars for hotels, tours and restaurants; riel (KHR, about 4,000 to the dollar) for change and small street purchases.Cambodia-wide
- SIM or eSIMSmart, Cellcard and Metfone sell tourist SIMs at the airports with passport registration; a week of data costs a few dollars.Cambodia-wide
- Tap waterNot drinkable from the tap.Cambodia-wide
- TippingSit-down restaurant: Round up or leave US$1–2 where no service charge is added.Cambodia-wide
- Plugs & powerSockets A/C/G. US/Canada (A/B): fits · UK/Ireland (G): fits · Australia/NZ (I): adapter. 230 V: US 120 V-only devices (hair dryers) need a converter; most chargers are dual-voltage.Cambodia-wide
- SafetyKampong Cham is calm and low-crime by Cambodian city standards.
Show all 12 answers
- RestroomsWestern toilets in hotels, restaurants and at the Angkor ticket office and main temples; squat toilets with a hose or scoop on the road.Cambodia-wide
- Emergency numbers117 police · 118 fire · 119 ambulance (not 911, 999 or 000)
- Sundays & holidaysMany shops close for Khmer New Year and Pchum Ben; government offices close all public holidays; Angkor temples open every day.Cambodia-wide
- Your embassyFind your embassy's 24-hour line before you fly.
- AirportPNH Phnom Penh International (About 3–4 h by road; no airport at Kampong Cham).
- Getting aroundThe centre is walkable.
Cost cheat-sheet
Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.
- CoffeeCoffee or iced coffeeUS$0.50–1.50
- Street or quick mealNoodle soup or rice dishUS$1–2.50
- Beerdraught / can at a shopUS$0.50–1
- Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per personUS$5
- Mid-range bedGuesthouse or hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$25
- High-end bedGuesthouse or hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$60
A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$20 · Mid US$40 · High US$75
Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →
DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works
Decide
What it is known for, and when the weather works
At a glance
What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.
- Airports
- PNH Phnom Penh International (About 3–4 h by road; no airport at Kampong Cham)
Best months at a glance
From the guide's best and avoid lists
Jan
Best
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
Feb
Best
34°C (93°F)93°F (34°C)
Mar
Best
35°C (95°F)95°F (35°C)
Apr
Avoid
36°C (97°F)97°F (36°C)
May
Avoid
34°C (93°F)93°F (34°C)
Jun
not flagged
33°C (91°F)91°F (33°C)
Jul
not flagged
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
Aug
not flagged
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
Sep
Avoid
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
Oct
Avoid
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
Nov
Best
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
Dec
Best
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
Best: Nov–Mar. Avoid: Apr–May, Sep–Oct. Month by month →
Warmest Apr (36°C (97°F)97°F (36°C)), coolest Jan (21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C) low), wettest Sep (19 rain days), driest Jan (1). Averages, not a forecast.
Weather and climate
Kampong Cham: next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Air quality
Loading…
Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.
Jan
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
1 rd
Feb
34°C (93°F)93°F (34°C)
22°C (72°F)72°F (22°C)
2 rd
Mar
35°C (95°F)95°F (35°C)
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
4 rd
Apr
36°C (97°F)97°F (36°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
7 rd
May
34°C (93°F)93°F (34°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
14 rd
Jun
33°C (91°F)91°F (33°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
16 rd
Jul
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
17 rd
Aug
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
18 rd
Sep
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
19 rd
Oct
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
16 rd
Nov
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
7 rd
Dec
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
3 rd
High / low, both scales · rd = rain days
Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Arrive & move
Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Getting around
The centre is walkable. Most sights sit outside town, so you need a motodop (about US$4 for a half-day loop), a tuk-tuk or a rented bicycle from a larger guesthouse. Buses and minibuses stop near the Hwy 7 roundabout by the Mekong bridge.
Nearest full guides
Straight-line distance, not travel time
See & doDay-trips, door to door
See & do
Day-trips, door to door
Day-trips
Wat Hanchey
goDoor to door: About 1 h each way
Motodop or tuk-tuk north on Hwy 7, about 25 km (16 mi)Motodop or tuk-tuk north on Hwy 7, about 16 mi (25 km)
Hilltop temple over the Mekong; leave early for the light.
Phnom Pros and Phnom Srey
goDoor to door: About 30 min each way
Hwy 7 west about 7 km (4.3 mi), then turn right at the hill; bicycle or motodopHwy 7 west about 4.3 mi (7 km), then turn right at the hill; bicycle or motodop
Twin hills with temples; Mt Srey has 308 steps. A Khmer Rouge killing field lies between them.
Wat Maha Leap
cautionDoor to door: About 1 h each way
Across the river, about 20 km (12 mi); local guide or tuk-tuk driver neededAcross the river, about 12 mi (20 km); local guide or tuk-tuk driver needed
One of Cambodia's last wooden pagodas; a weaving village nearby.
Kratie
overnightDoor to door: 3–4 h
Bus from Hwy 7, about 3–4 h
Irrawaddy dolphins; sleep there rather than return.
Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in
Eat & sleep
Which area to sleep in
Where to sleep
Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.
Mekong riverfront
Guesthouses and Western-style restaurants along the water north of the bridge; walkable to the market.
City centre near the roundabout
Bus counters and the main market; convenient if you arrive or leave by bus.
PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Practical
What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Cost per day
- Budget
- US$20–35 excl. bed
- Mid
- US$35–60 excl. bed
- High
- US$60+ excl. bed
Trip budget
| Guesthouse or hotel double room1 × 1 night × US$25 | US$25 |
| Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$40 | US$80 |
| Motodop half-day loop (Wat Nokor, Phnom Pros/Srey)1 × US$4 · check | US$4 |
| Bicycle hire, one day2 × US$2 · check | US$4 |
| eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$10 | US$20 |
| Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge | US$13 |
| Trip total≈ US$73 per person per day, bed included | US$146 |
2026 estimate in US dollars; long-distance buses excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.
Prices of common things
| Coffee or iced coffee | US$0.50–1.50 |
| Noodle soup or rice dish | US$1–2.50 |
| Beer: draught / can at a shop | US$0.50–1 |
| Motodop in townAgree the price first. | US$1–2 |
| Bus Kampong Cham → Phnom PenhAbout 3–4 h; check | US$5–6 |
| Internet café, one hourcheck | 2,500 riel |
2026 estimate; check locally.
Watch out
Safety
- The bamboo bridge is rebuilt each dry season and washed away in the wet; access to Koh Paen is by boat then.
- Some locals ask walkers for about US$1 to cross the bamboo bridge — more than the local toll.
- The French lookout tower stairs are unsafe and there is a hornet nest at the top.
- Tourist police at Wat Nokor may ask for money; entry from the other side is free.
- Carry enough US dollars or riel: ATMs are few and the last reliable one north is here.
Emergency numbers
- Police
- 117
- Fire
- 118
- Ambulance
- 119
Pocket card
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Kampong Chamកំពង់ចាម
Pocket card · Voykit
My bed tonight
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ទៅអាសយដ្ឋាននេះTo this address, please
Emergency
- Police117
- Fire118
- Ambulance119
Embassy
No embassies in Kampong Cham; most are in Phnom Penh (check your own country's listing).
My embassy: —
Fare anchors (2026 estimate)
- Bus Kampong Cham → Phnom Penh: US$5–6, about 3–4 h (check)
- Taxi Kampong Cham → Phnom Penh: US$10–15 one way (check)
- Motodop to Wat Nokor and Phnom Pros/Srey: about US$4 (check)
Say or show
- សួស្តី — Hello (suostei)
- អរគុណ — Thank you (aw kohn)
- ថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន? — How much is it? (thlai ponman)
- ថ្លៃពេក — Too expensive (thlai pek)
- បង្គន់នៅឯណា? — Where is the toilet? (bongkon nov ae na)
- ខ្ញុំមិនយល់ទេ — I don't understand (khnhom min yol te)
Prices in US dollars; riel comes back as change at about 4,000–4,100 per dollar.
Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources
Deep dive
What this guide covers so far, and its sources
Not a trip line yet
This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Kampong Cham. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.
What we know, and what is coming
On this page
- Best months: Nov–Mar · avoid Apr–May (hot, 35 °C+), Sep–Oct (wet-season flooding) · month by month →
- 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
- Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
- Cost per day in 3 bands
- 4 day-trips, door to door
- 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers
Coming as the guide grows
- Airport-to-bed contract for PNH: last bus departures field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
- Walking clusters with rescue anchors: riverfront, central market, Wat Nokor, Koh Paen.
- Place pages with verified cutoffs (Wat Nokor, Phnom Pros/Srey, Wat Hanchey) and eat pages with last orders.
- Wet-season fixtures so the bamboo-bridge and boat-access states can go green.