NORTHWESTERN © provide idealhabitatforendangered birdssuchasthegiant ibis,Cambodia’s nationalbird. and rare wildlife, whiletheforests Vihear andmarshesofPreah andKompongThom Provinces Theoff thebeaten Cardamom track. Mountains, inthefarsouthwest,are hometopristinejungle shroudedinmystery, Khan, stillspendthewetseasonunderwater.to sprawlingPreah for WorldHeritagesite The status,hasapioneeringcommunity-basedhomestayproject. roads Heritage site are in2008,andKohKer slowlyimproving, whileBanteay Chhmar,atopcandidate inspired temples. Vihear, PrasatPreah roadstospectacular declared The aWorld once-notorious Cardamoms; andAnlongVeng isashort temples ofSamborPrei Kuk; agoodjumping-offpointforthewildsofnorthern makes mainlyasgateways: KompongThomday-trip options. townsserve isnearthepre-Angkorian Other visitors thankstoanalluringblendofgeneralmellowness,French-era architecture andexcellent centre liesthemiraculousbodyofwater ( knownastheTonléSapLake p67 ). borderwithThailand, southwardintotheuntamedCardamom Mountains.northern Inthe the wildsofKompongThom Province; andfromtheDangkrek Mountains,onCambodia’s Cambodia extends fromthenow-paved PoipetbordercrossingwithThailand eastwardto townsandtemples adventure, easy-to-get-to withback-of-the-beyond Mixing Northwestern Cambodia Northwestern 240 

L The Northwest has some of Cambodia’s most important wildernessareas, hassomeofCambodia’s mostofthemwell mostimportant The Northwest Cambodia’s remoteNorthwestern plainsandjunglesconcealsomeofthecountry’smost theregion’sOf urbanareas, –Cambodia’s third-largest themost city–attracts

     HIGHLIGHTS

o ELEVATION: 5-1500M n Explore SoutheastAsia’s firsttemple city,the Journeytothe10th-centurycapitalof anadventurous Make overland pilgrimage to Sailout tothecolourful charmintheriverside Soakup colonial-era e (p284 ) Prei Kuk impressive ruins of pre-Angkorian (p279) the majesticmountain-toptemple of (p242) Chhnang Kompong Luong ( p247 ) andnear Kompong lush countrysideandhilltoptemples town ofBattambang( p249 ), surroundedby the forests forathousandyears Ker l y

P l a ( p274 ), itsmassive temples forgotten in n e t

floating villagesat  POPULATION: 3.6 MILLION Sambor Prasat Koh ride from a string of eerie Khmer Rougesites.moto ridefromastringofeerieKhmer Battambang  AREA: 71,157 SQKM Prasat Preah Kompong Vihear Luong Koh Ker Kompong Chhnang Sambor Prei Kuk NORTHWESTERN

CAMBODIA River 241 Stung Treng KRATIE Chhep Vulture Feeding Station Khong LAOS STUNG TRENG

Mekong CHAM Muang Thala Boravit KOMPONG Krau Chub NH7 Kompong Cham Phnom Santuk Sambor Prei Kuk Stung Chhep Spoe Tbong NH6 Emerald Triangle THOM Nokor Buos Neak NH64 00 50 km 30 miles KOMPONG Prasat Sen Prasat Kuha Preah Vihear Rovieng NH64 Protected Forest PREAH VIHEAR Stung Prek Kdam Ferry Skuon Vol Rayong Waterfall Kru Krom Grasslands Meanchey Tbeng Dek Seh Baray Prasat Preah Vihear Anh NH6 Phnom Kompong Thom Ksant Choam To NH5 Khan Preah Tbeng Phonom Ta Seng Project River Stoeng Chikrieng Grasslands NH66 Tmatboey Ibis Thmor Andet Prasat Pourng

Angkam Sap Spean Ta Ong Tonlé Koh Ker Sra Em Stoeng Chhnang Kompong Kulen Udong Kor Muy Srayong Rossey Spean Praptos Ondong Khvau CHHNANG Beng KOMPONG Mealea Roads that head north from NH6 include A memorable, if slow, boat service if slow, boat A memorable, links Meanchey, which at the time of research research at the time of which Meanchey, annual gradings was degraded despite Kdei Romeas Kulen Promtep NH64 from Kompong Thom to Tbeng Toll Road Svay Leu Wildlife Sanctuary In the dry season, the fabled forest trail from In the dry season, the fabled forest Kompong

 Phnom Penh with Kompong Thom, Siem Siem with Kompong Thom, Penh Phnom and Sisophon. Reap to west): (from east Thailand, north through the Cardamoms to it was as a few as daunting is not quite Pursat back. The jungle track linking Thala years Treng; from Stung the Mekong (across Boravit is supposed ) with Tbeng Meanchey p303 see some point. to be turned into a road at with Battambang. be pos- It should sible to disembark from the Siem Reap–Phnom Kompong Chhnang. at fast boats Penh Getting Around NH5 connects Phnom the lake, South of with Kompong Chhnang, Kompong Penh Battambang,Luong, Pursat, Sisophon and the Poipet–Aranya Prathet border crossing NH6 links the lake, to Thailand. North of Koh Kong Province ( p201 ), on the Gulf of ), on the Gulf of p201 ( Kong Province Koh Luong Khmer Rouge Sites Tom Chheu Kompong Chhuk Laeng Cascades NH67

Dam Dek Dangkrek Mountains Dangkrek Krakor Anlong Veng

(1813m) (Chuor Phnom Dangkrek) Phnom (Chuor Phnom Kulen Angkor National Park Kulen Phhluk Phnom Aural (487m) Phnom ὈὈ ὈὈ Kompong Pursat NH67 Lake Choam Wildlife Sanctuary Choam Phnom Aural Kravanh Ranger Station Tonlé Sap PURSAT Boeng Tonlé Chhmar Srawngam Srei

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Thma Da (1717m) NH69 THAILAND Samlot Treng NH57 Kouk Kduoch Area Sampeau Samlaut Phnom Krapeu Wat Phnom Pailin

Kamping Poy ὈὈ NH5 Phnom Samkos Multiple Use Poipet Trat

Kamrieng BATTAMBANG

PAILIN west of Battambang west of and 50km north- Really just an outpost, Pailin. northwest of foreigners. by and almost never used west of Sisophon and 153km west of Siem Sisophon and 153km west of west of – NH5 of terminus Reap. At the western – this is Cambodia’s at long last! paved with Thailand. most popular crossing 40km northeast of Samraong and 120km 40km northeast of Kralanh. of north north of Anlong Veng and 134km north and 134km Anlong Veng north of to Siem Reap by the Reap. Linked Siem of excellent NH67. west of Pailin and 102km southwest of of and 102km southwest Pailin west of Battambang. The access road, NH57, is up. churned pretty KRONG Phnom Samkos NORTHWESTERN CAMBODIA NORTHWESTERN Choam–Choam Srawngam ( p271 ), 16km p271 Srawngam ( Choam–Choam Psar Pruhm–Ban Pakard ( p260 ), 22km ), 22km p260 ( Pruhm–Ban Pakard Psar Lem, 90km west-north- –Daun Poipet–Aranya Prathet ( p261 ), 48km ), 48km p261 Poipet–Aranya Prathet ( O Smach–Chong Jom ( p267 ), a punishing p267 Jom ( O Smach–Chong Prathet Aranya Waterfall Ko Chang Lem Daun Ban Pakard Psar Pruhm Phnom Khieu    

 Getting There & Away Getting There & Away

Within Cambodia, to the obvious gateways Penh. Siem Reap and Phnom are the region

Northwestern Cambodia interna- Northwestern has five Thailand: tional border crossings with lonelyplanet.com

Wildlife Sanctuary