Cambodia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 111

Oudom Sambath Hotel Riverfront, north of the centre
T 012 965944. Large and long-established hotel, a bit
worn around the edges but still pretty good value. More
expensive roo ms come with a/c, balconies and Mekong
views. Double $7
U Hong Guesthouse (Also signed “You Hong”); North
side of the market T 012 957003. The cheapest beds in
town - although rooms (fan only) are fairly basic, and
those at the front can be a bit noisy. Ni ce restaurant and
good tour and travel services. Double $5
U Hong II Guesthouse Riverfront T 085 885168. Neat,
clean fan rooms at competitive rates - nicer (and quieter),
albeit slightly more expensive, than the original U Hong .
There's an excellent restaurant downstairs and it' s a lso a
good place to sort out transport and tours. Double $7

One of the most popular outings is a
Mekong trip to the Laos border (the
border crossing itself is at Trapaeng
Kriel), offering the possibility of some
dolphin-spotting and a glimpse at
the waterfalls that make the river
impassable here.

2

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus All road transport arrives and leaves from the
transport stop on the riverfront. Bus tickets can be bought
through the Riverside Guesthouse and Ponika's Palace.
Destinations Kompong Cham (1 daily; 7hr); Kratie (3 daily;
4hr); Phnom Penh (3 daily; 10hr).
By share taxi or minibus Share taxis and pick-ups
leave from the transport stop at around 7.30am and then
intermittently through the day, depending on demand.
Destinations

EATING AND DRINKING
Snack and drink stalls set up every evening by the riverside.
Red Sun Falling Riverfront T 011 465606. This cosy café
is a great place to either start or end your day, with the best
selection of Western breakfasts (carb-up with the “Super
Full Monty”, $6), good, cheap Asian mains ($2-2.50) plus
comforting Western favourites including chicken and chips,
salads and shakes. Daily 7am-9pm.
Tokae Riverfront T 097 297 2118. Attractive little restau-
rant, romantically candlelit after dark, serving good
breakfasts and an above-average range of Asian dishes at
below-average prices (most mains $2-2.50), including a
better than usual vegetarian selection. Daily 6.30am-10pm.

Banlung (2hr); Kompong Cham (6hr); Kratie
(3hr 30min); Laos border (1hr; see box below); Phnom
Penh (8hr).

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
The market in Stung Treng is exceptional, serving delicious
Khmer food of the type people cook at home; throughout
the day and into the evening, you can fill up easily for
around $1.
Ponika's Palace Just northeast of the market T 012
916441. There's nothing particularly palatial about this
simple little family-run, tourist-oriented café, offering
economical Khmer food (mains $3-4) and more expensive
Western dishes. Decent Western breakfasts too, plus
baguettes, burgers, pancakes and the like. Daily 6am-10pm.
Riverside Guesthouse By the transport stop T 012
439454. The epicentre of Stung Treng's very modest
travellers' scene. The best of the bright, clean rooms (a/c $6
extra) are at the front, though they're not for light sleepers
as they overlook the transport stop. Owner Mr T is a great
source of information about local tours and onward travel.
The passable café downstairs has a big, traveller-friendly
menu featuring lots of Asian mains ($3-3.50) and Western

STUNG TRENG
For most people, STUNG TRENG is just a
staging post on the way to Laos, but the
surrounding countryside is beautiful and
can be explored by boat, moto or bicycle.
Hotel and guesthouse owners can arrange
visits to a silk weaving centre, fruit
orchards, lakes and waterfalls, and boat
trips to remote villages.

INTO LAOS: TRAPAENG KRIEL DONG KALAW
Cambodia's only border crossing into Laos is at Trapaeng Kriel, 57km north of Stung Treng. The
road to the border is in good condition, with the journey taking just over 1hr. The border itself
is open daily 7am-5pm; Laos visas (roughly $30-40 depending on nationality) are issued on
the spot if you don't have one already. Several companies run through-buses from Cambodia
to destinations in Laos including Don Det (around $15) and Pakse ($17), while some minibuses
also cover the same routes. Tickets for buses and minibuses can be bought at guesthouses in
Stung Treng, Banlung and elsewhere.
Entering Cambodia, visas are issued on arrival (roughly $30-40, depending on your
nationality). If you're not arriving on a through-bus, there's onward transport in shared taxis
and minibuses from the border to Stung Treng, and possibly further south to Kratie, Kompong
Cham and even Phnom Penh depending on how early and how lucky you get.