Cambodia - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 487

among the inquisitive monkeys that populate the trees. The area between the two hills was
once a killing field. A small, gilded brick stupa on the right as you walk from Man Hill to
Woman Hill houses a pile of skulls.
The hills are about 7km northwest of town (towards Phnom Penh). Admission is US$2
and includes entry to Wat Nokor .
Opposite the entrance to Phnom Pros lies Cheung Kok village, home to a local eco-tour-
ism initiative run by the NGO Amica ( www.amica-cambodge.org ) , aimed at introducing visit-
ors to rural life in Kompong Cham. There is also a small shop in the village selling local
handicrafts.
Wat Maha Leap
Sacred Wat Maha Leap is one of the last remaining wooden pagodas left in the country,
with resplendent gilded columns made out of complete tree trunks. Sadly, the roof col-
lapsed in 2012; a temporary roof had been put in place at the time of our last visit.
The journey to Wat Maha Leap is best done by 40hp outboard from Kompong Cham's
boat dock. The scenic one-hour trip along a tributary of the Mekong costs US$50 round-
trip, including stops in nearby weaving villages. The trip is only possible from about July
to late December. At other times you'll have to go overland - be sure to find a moto driver
who knows the way. It's 20km by river and almost twice that by road.
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Kratie
072 / POP 31,000
Kratie (pronounced kra-cheh ) is a lively riverside town with a rich legacy of French-era
architecture and some of the best Mekong sunsets in Cambodia. A thriving travel hub, it's
the natural place to break the overland journey between Kompong Cham and Laos, or to
pick up the Mekong Discovery Trail ( Click here ) .