Situated in central Cambodia, Kampong Thom is one of five provinces located at the lower part of the Tonle Sap Lake and rich in historical sites such as temples from the pre-Angkorian era.
The famous Sambor Prei Kuk, an ancient city that has about two hundred brick temples is located here in this province. The city was built during the time of King Isanavarman when he successfully united the territories of Chenla Kork and the Khmer water territory of Chenla Toek. Sambo Prei Kuk served as the capital of the Khmer Empire for many centuries.
It is interesting to first visit Sambor Prei Kuk before visiting the splendid Angkor complex, as its design and style are the foundations that inspired the Angkor civilization.
Sambo Prei Kuh Temples
Founded by King Isanavarman I during the seventh century, Sambo Prei Kuh was once the capital of Chenla known as Isanapura, and was a religious center dedicated to the worship of Shiva.
Collectively, the complex consists of more than a hundred temples built of solid bricks, laterite and sandstone and from the remains. It is understood that several successions of kings have maintained this site as their capital, each time adding more temples and monuments to the capital city.
Andet Temple
Andet temple, built in the Prei Kmeng style with one single brick tower, now nestles snugly alongside a modern Buddhist wat. This was built in the latter part of the seventh century under Jayavarman I.
In the central group of temples, the decorative details of Prasat Tor (Lion temple) are similar in style to the ruins belonging to the period of king Jayavarman II of the ninth century.
Wat Kuhak Nokor
Wat Kuhak Nokor is an eleventh-century site with a collection of laterite and sandstone buildings in a well-maintained 200 square meters park surrounded by a large sandstone rampart 3 meters in height. Built during the reign of King Suryavarman I, the style is similar to the Tonlé Bati temple.
Prasat Preah Tee-uht
Dubbed ‘Kampong Thom’s Leaning Tower of Pisa’ by the Adventure Cambodia travel guide, the prasat appears poised to tumble over at any minute. A single sandstone prasat with several fairly well preserved lintels (some on the ground, some still in place) display unique pre-Angkorian style carvings. Located in a schoolyard, about 7km east of Kampong Thom town and 3 km off Route #6.
Home-stay in Baray District
In Kampong Thom, tourists can enjoy a real taste of life in rural Cambodia. The Khmer village home-stay tourism experience is a unique community-based program that captures the essence of village life in the heartland of Cambodia.
Tourists can visit ethnic houses, ride on a bullock cart, watch farmers tap palm trees, learn silk weaving, and enjoy traditional dance performances.
Phnom Santuk
Phnom Santuk Mountain has many Buddha statues carved from great mountain rock including three big Buddha statues reaching Nirvana, each measure than 10-meter length. Phnom Santuk has changed names to Chorn Chong Kiri and Phnom Krop Tuk. Chan Chan Dare or Chan Chare are called two pieces of stone by local people that join all together in marked symbol and made in small hole. When the passenger arrived there, they always dropped cash coins (ancient coins) into this small hole.When cash coins are dropped in, it makes soft weak voice like a voice of the birds sing or music with happiness. So they did that since ancient period.
Prey Pros
Prey Pros is a natural and cultural site located at Prey Pros Village, Prey Preal Commune, Kampong Svay District in approximate 16-km distance northwest of Kampong Thom province. The site cover
Bird Sanctuary of Boeng Tonle Chmar
Boeng Chmar contains fishing lot 5 and lot 6, and is 30km far from Stoung District town of Kampong Thom Province, there were villages of Nesat, Kampong Kdei, Svay Kor, Mo Doung, Kampong Bradom and Msa Trang Tboung in Peam Bang Commune. The people living in this area with floating houses that are moving up and down according to the water lev
Lion Temple Group
Lion temple group comprise 18 temples with two ramparts closed to the pond. The reasons why the people called Lion Temple because on the tops of all stairs from the four directions, there were sitting lions with forelegs standing up, hind-legs humbling down, its head rose up and its mouth opened to the sanctuary. Now the pond is empty during the dry season.
Prasat Yeah Puon Group comprised a total of 22 sanctuaries (5 have octagonal shapes) with two wall rampart, and was built of brick, masonry, laterite and sandstone in rectangular from in 7th century (600-635) during the reign of Isanavarman I to dedicated to Shiva. They were built on a hill with Gopura from the eastern and western entrances joining to an outside laterite rampart. The inner rampart reached by gateways from the four directions and joined to the brick rampart carved in various clustering figures.
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