NORTHWESTERN CAMBODIA © Provide Idealhabitatforendangered Birdssuchasthegiant Ibis,Cambodia’S Nationalbird
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© Lonely Planet 240 Northwestern Cambodia Mixing easy-to-get-to towns and temples with back-of-the-beyond adventure, Northwestern Cambodia extends from the now-paved Poipet border crossing with Thailand eastward to the wilds of Kompong Thom Province; and from the Dangkrek Mountains, on Cambodia’s northern border with Thailand, southward into the untamed Cardamom Mountains. In the centre lies the miraculous body of water known as the Tonlé Sap Lake ( p67 ). Of the region’s urban areas, Battambang – Cambodia’s third-largest city – attracts the most visitors thanks to an alluring blend of general mellowness, French-era architecture and excellent day-trip options. Other towns serve mainly as gateways: Kompong Thom is near the pre-Angkorian temples of Sambor Prei Kuk; Pursat makes a good jumping-off point for the wilds of the northern Cardamoms; and Anlong Veng is a short moto ride from a string of eerie Khmer Rouge sites. Northwestern Cambodia’s remote plains and jungles conceal some of the country’s most inspired temples. The once-notorious roads to spectacular Prasat Preah Vihear, declared a World Heritage site in 2008, and Koh Ker are slowly improving, while Banteay Chhmar, a top candidate for World Heritage site status, has a pioneering community-based homestay project. The roads to sprawling Preah Khan, shrouded in mystery, still spend the wet season under water. The Northwest has some of Cambodia’s most important wilderness areas, most of them well off the beaten track. The Cardamom Mountains, in the far southwest, are home to pristine jungle and rare wildlife, while the forests and marshes of Preah Vihear and Kompong Thom Provinces provide ideal habitat for endangered birds such as the giant ibis, Cambodia’s national bird. HIGHLIGHTS Soak up colonial-era charm in the riverside town of Battambang ( p249 ), surrounded by Prasat Preah lush countryside and hilltop temples Vihear CAMBODIA CAMBODIA Sail out to the colourful floating villages at Koh Ker NORTHWESTERN Kompong Luong ( p247 ) and near Kompong Chhnang ( p242 ) Sambor Prei Kuk Make an adventurous overland pilgrimage to Battambang Kompong the majestic mountain-top temple of Prasat Luong Preah Vihear ( p279 ) Journey to the 10th-century capital of Koh Kompong Chhnang Ker ( p274 ), its massive temples forgotten in the forests for a thousand years Explore Southeast Asia’s first temple city, the impressive pre-Angkorian ruins of Sambor Prei Kuk ( p284 ) ELEVATION: 5-1500M POPULATION: 3.6 MILLION AREA: 71,157 SQ KM lonelyplanet.com NORTHWESTERN CAMBODIA •• Getting There & Away 241 0 50 km NORTHWESTERN CAMBODIA 0 30 miles Dangkrek Mountains Chong Jom Choam (Chuor Phnom Dangkrek) Anh THAILAND Srawngam Seh Emerald Prasat Preah Triangle O Smach Khmer Rouge Banteay Chhmar Choam Vihear Choam LAOS Sites Kor Muy Ksant Protected Landscape Preah Vihear Samraong Anlong Veng Protected Forest Muang NH69 Sra Em Prasat Khong ODDAR Neak Banteay Chhmar MEANCHEY Kulen Promtep ὈὈὈὈNH67 Wildlife Sanctuary Buos Chhep Vulture Thmor Banteay Top NH68 Tmatboey Ibis PREAH Feeding Station Puok Ang Trapeng Project VIHEAR Kulen Tbeng Thmor Koh Ker Chhep NH69 Reserve SIEM Meanchey Phnom Kulen Thmor BANTEAY REAP Pourng Vol Rayong National Park STUNG Aranya Poipet MEANCHEY Prey Mon Kbal Spean Srayong Angkam Waterfall Stung TRENG Prathet Kralanh Banteay Svay Phonom NH5 Sisophon Srei Phnom Leu Spean Ta Ong Tbeng Thala Boravit Mongkol Borei NH67 Kulen NH6 (487m) NH64 Stung Treng ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅAngkor Beng NH66 Ta Seng Siem Reap Mealea Khvau Preah Rovieng BATTAMBANG Wat EkὈὈὈὈ Toll Road Khan Phnom Krom Phnom Sen Kouk Kduoch Phnom Roluos Dam Dek Kamrieng ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅPrek Toal Dek Kompong Wat Phnom Bird Sanctuary Floating Daun Sampeau NH5 Kdei Lem Battambang Village of Kompong Spean Praptos Kamping Poy Reang Chong Kneas Phhluk Stoeng Chikrieng NH64 Sneng ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅKesei Ban Pakard Phnom Tonlé Sap Grasslands KRATIE Krapeu Lake Stoeng Sambor Prei Kuk NH57 Prasat Moung Psar Pruhm Pailin Sangker KOMPONG Treng Banan ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅRussei Boeng Tonlé Chhmar Prasat NH6 Wildlife Sanctuary THOM Phnom Khieu Samlot Andet Kompong Thom Waterfall Kompong Samlaut Luong Phnom Santuk NH5 Kakaoh KRONG Multiple Use Stung ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ PAILIN Area Pursat Tonlé Kru Krom Krakor Chhrok Preal Rovieng Grasslands Ranger Phnom Samkos ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅForest Chheu Baray Station Sap Wildlife Sanctuary Promoui Tom Stung PURSAT Ondong NH6 Spoe Tbong Mekong Trat Rossey River River Thma Da Pou isat Stung O Som Ranger th Kravanh Phnom Samkos ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅChhuk Laeng Kompong Prasat Kuha Trang Station Ranger Station (1717m) Cascades Chhnang Nokor Phnom Aural KOMPONG ountains Romeas NH5 CHAM M ( Wildlife Sanctuary NH7 Ko Chang m unta moὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅm Mo ins Phnom Aural Prek Skuon Kompong Cham da hno Central KOMPONG Kdam ar r P Cardamoms (1813m) C uo Phnom Knang CHHNANG Ferry h Protected Forest Chub (C Trapeang Udong (1213m) Krau Khlong Yai To Phnom Penh Getting There & Away In the dry season, the fabled forest trail from Northwestern Cambodia has five interna- Koh Kong Province ( p201 ), on the Gulf of tional border crossings with Thailand: Thailand, north through the Cardamoms to Poipet–Aranya Prathet ( p261 ), 48km Pursat is not quite as daunting it was as a few west of Sisophon and 153km west of Siem years back. The jungle track linking Thala Reap. At the western terminus of NH5 – Boravit (across the Mekong from Stung Treng; NORTHWESTERN paved at long last! – this is Cambodia’s see p303 ) with Tbeng Meanchey is supposed CAMBODIA most popular crossing with Thailand. to be turned into a road at some point. Psar Pruhm–Ban Pakard ( p260 ), 22km A memorable, if slow, boat service links west of Pailin and 102km southwest of Siem Reap with Battambang. It should be pos- Battambang. The access road, NH57, is sible to disembark from the Siem Reap–Phnom pretty churned up. Penh fast boats at Kompong Chhnang. Choam–Choam Srawngam ( p271 ), 16km north of Anlong Veng and 134km north Getting Around of Siem Reap. Linked to Siem Reap by the South of the lake, NH5 connects Phnom excellent NH67. Penh with Kompong Chhnang, Kompong O Smach–Chong Jom ( p267 ), a punishing Luong, Pursat, Battambang, Sisophon and 40km northeast of Samraong and 120km the Poipet–Aranya Prathet border crossing north of Kralanh. to Thailand. North of the lake, NH6 links Kamrieng–Daun Lem, 90km west-north- Phnom Penh with Kompong Thom, Siem west of Battambang and 50km north- Reap and Sisophon. northwest of Pailin. Really just an outpost, Roads that head north from NH6 include and almost never used by foreigners. (from east to west): NH64 from Kompong Thom to Tbeng Within Cambodia, the obvious gateways to Meanchey, which at the time of research the region are Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. was degraded despite annual gradings .