Sihanoukville and the south - The Rough Guide to Cambodia - page 260

5 CHAM YEAM: THE BORDER WITH THAILAND

To get from Koh Kong to the border at Cham Yeam (daily 7am-8pm), a 20min trip, it's easiest to
take a moto or tuk-tuk ($4/$10; note that prices from the border into Koh Kong are significantly
higher). Taxis for Cham Yeam leave from the transport stop 2km west of Koh Kong, beyond the
disused warehouse. Once across the border take a minibus (20m beyond immigration, on the
right-hand side; departs every 40min 7am-5pm approx; 120 baht) to Trat where good a/c buses
leave regularly for Bangkok (270 baht; 6hr) and other major destinations across Thailand.
There are a couple of scams to watch out for - the attempt to charge 1000 baht (around
$30) or more for a visa when entering Cambodia, with the excuse that “This is a land crossing,
it's different”. No it isn't! A Cambodian visa is $20 regardless of where or how you enter the
country. If this happens to you, ask for a receipt; record the time, date and the name of the
border o cial (or jot down the number on his shoulder) and report it, as soon as you get the
opportunity, to the Ministry of Tourism ( T 023 884974, E [e-mail]) and the
Immigration Department ( T 017 812763, E [e-mail]). Other scams include a
bogus “quarantine station” beyond Thai immigration (you do not need any health forms to get
your visa) and touts offering to “facilitate” the visa process by filling your forms in for a fee
(anything from 100-300 baht); politely refuse as this is nothing you can't do yourself. You can
avoid all these hassles by buying your visa online.

home to some of the rarest species on the planet, including the Asian elephant, the
clouded leopard, the Siamese crocodile and the Indochinese tiger (although there have
been no o cial sightings of the last since the 1990s). Meanwhile, Irrawaddy dolphins
are often seen playing in the saline waters of the extensive mangrove network along the
coast, explorable in the Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary , 6km from town.
Many people come to Koh Kong just for the border crossing with Thailand at Cham
Yeam , though eco-outfits in town are doing their best to change that. The Cardamoms'
virgin forests and secluded waterfalls are accessible on day-treks, while longer,
multi-day adventures take you deep into the remote Areng Valley (see box, p.265).
Boat trips depart for Koh Kong island , a surprisingly large and attractive place, with
seven pristine stretches of sand on its seaward side.

Wat Neang Kok
On the western bank of the river (across the bridge) • A moto/tuk-tuk from Koh Kong should cost $2/$5
On the western banks of the river, Wat Neang Kok is a Buddhist pagoda with dramatic
rock paintings portraying scenes of torture in hell, mixed up with what appear to be
scenes of Khmer Rouge atrocities - the latter presumably painted recently, as this was
Khmer Rouge territory until around 1997.

Koh Yor Beach
7km west of town • A moto/tuk-tuk from Koh Kong centre should cost $7/$15
Dotted with seafood shacks, Koh Yor Beach is worth the short trip from town if you
fancy a few hours of solitude (although the weekends can get busy). The soft white
sand is good for shell collecting, and the best time to visit is in late afternoon when
you can sip a beer and feast on local fish and crab while watching the sun sink
beneath the horizon.

Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary (PKWS)
6km south of Koh Kong • Daily 6.30am-6pm • 5000 riel • A moto/tuk-tuk from Koh Kong should cost $5/$10
Koh Kong province has the country's largest area of mangrove forest, forming a
vast and intricate network of “islands” which are the foundations of a rich and varied