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STUNG TRENG
PROVINCE
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Stung Treng is a northern province of Cambodia. It
was formerly called Xieng Teng and was once a part
of the vast Khmer Empire, then the Lao kingdom of
Lan Xang and later the Lao kingdom of Champassack.
During the period of French Indochina it was again
ceded to Cambodia.
The provincial capital is also named Stung Treng and
is an important trade hub with a few hints of Lao
influence scattered about, owing to the fact that
the Lao border is about 50 km away. It’s a friendly,
quiet country town situated on the confluence of the
San River and the Mekong River. It actually sits on
the banks of the San River, with the mighty Mekong
coming into the picture on the northeastern
outskirts of he town.
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The river port area just in front of the small city
park is fairly busy, handling trade between Cambodia
and Laos. The ferry across the San River to where
National Highway No 7 continues north to the Laos
border is also at this pier. The fare is 300 riel
per head. We went for a ride on this stretch (2,000
riel for taking a big bike on the ferry), but there
is not much to see along the way besides light
jungle and some remnants next to the road that was a
target of carpet bombing during the Vietnam War
years (the road was recently overhauled and is now
one of the best in the country). The road works its
way eastward so it does not afford views of the
Mekong River as one would hope. The few residents we
saw along the way were truly amazed to see the likes
of us, who would want to be there.
Tourist sites:
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Fresh Water Dolphin
Nowadays the dolphins live mainly in the
rivers and waterways of Kratie and Stung
Treng provinces. The number of these mammals
is estimated to be between 40 and 60 and
they are often seen travelling in small
groups of 6 to 10 individuals. The females
usually give birth to young once every two
years most often during the months of June
to August. The young dolphins are about 1m
in length at birth and suckle milk. By
adulthood the dolphins can attain a length
of over 2.5m and weigh up to 180kg. Their
diet consists mainly of small fish,
shellfish and snails. The dolphins can swim
at speeds up to 40km per hour and stay
submerged for periods between five and ten
minutes. |
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Hang Kho Ba Pagoda
Hang Kho Ba Pagoda is the cultural and historical
site, located at Hang Kho Ba Village, Hang Kho
Commune, Steung Treng District in Six-Kilometer
distance from the provincial town by the road to the
airport, then turning left across the river of Se
Kong. The pagoda of Hang Kho Ba is over 300 years.
The local people there speak Lao majorly.
Steung Treng province has been recognized in two
special characteristics:
- The province riches in sweet tamarind fruit.
- The province riches in Pa Si Yi fish
- Pava fish.
Koh Ksach Resort
Koh Ksach Resort is located along the river of
Se Kong in 5 kilometer distance from the provincial
town. The site features a beautiful sandy beach, 2
kilometers long and one-half kilometer wide, where
visitor can swim or relax. A natural site, it can be
visited only during the dry season and especially
popular during Khmer New Year.
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San River
The San River goes by three names, depending on
which of the locals you speak to. Some call it the
Kong River because the San and Kong Rivers merge
together about 10 km northeast of Stung Treng town,
confusing people about which name the river should
bear. Others call it the Sekong River, which is the
combined name of these two rivers. Whatever name the
fiver beside the town goes by, it’s another one of
Cambodia’s beautiful picture-postcard river towns.
It’s a nice place to kick back and chill out if you
are on a circuit tour of the Northeast River Scene,
from here to Laos.
The San River is fronted in Stung Treng by a nice
stretch of paved road. It’s the centre of
socializing (as in most Cambodian river towns) in
the late afternoon and early evening hours as the
locals ride up and down the stretch enjoying the
view and each other. |
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Ou Pong Moan Resort
Ou Pong Moan Resort is the natural and man-made
resort which locates at Pong Moan village, Ou Pong
Moan Commune, Steung Treng District in nine-Kilomter
distance from the provincial town. The resort
locates at the turning point to the provinces of
Ratanakiri, Kratie and Steugh treng. At Ou Pong Moan
resort, tourists are usually interested in:
- Ou Pong Moan has water source from the ground. The
water source locates at 80-kilometer distance from
the recreational site and flows all seasons. The
water is suitable for swimming.
- At the riverside, there are small Kho Chos for
leisure and resting.
- 10 Kwh electricity dam which is favorable for
tourist development activities.
Phnom Preah Theat
Phnom Preah Theat is located in Thmey Village and
Commune, Stung Treng District, about 2 kilometes
(5mn) from Provincial Town. It is a Nature Wildlife
and Preserves.
Thala Barivat Resort
Thala Barivat Resort is located at Thala Barivat
district in 4 kilometers distance from the
provincial town. This area can be accessible by
going across Se Kong river and Mekong river to the
provincial road of Preah Vihear.
Thala Baricvat is the historical resort in which the
Preah Ko timple built in 7-8 century, made of red
bred during the feign of the king, Javvarman I. In
front of the temple, there is a statue of Preah Ko (
sacred cow) available in Cambodia next to the Preah
Ko statue, there is a space having 10-squar meter
area for playing the game of Viey khil annually,
before the Khmer New Year. The game played during
four days and three nights. It starts in the
afternoon at 2 O’clock and lasts for two hours. The
game played during the festival of the ethnic
minority of Kouy.
There are many small, ancient temples near the Thala
Barivat, but most of them, such as Prambuon Lveng
temple, Srei temple and Angkor Kmao temple have been
heavily damaged over time.
Wat Phnom, Stung Treng
Wat Phnom, Stung Treng Borrowing the name of the
famous land mark temple in Phnom Penh, this one
isn’t high enough for a good view of the area,
though you can see the mountains along the Lao
border to the north. Anew wat is currently under
construction on the site. River Scene, from Here to
Laos The San River is fronted in Stung Treng by a
nice stretch of paved road. It’s the center of
socializing (as in most Cambodian river towns) in
the late afternoon and early evening hours as the
locals ride up and down the stretch enjoying the
view and each other. Drink and dessert stands spring
up earlier to serve the daily merrymaking crowd.
It’s a nice spot for a walk or jog any time of the
day as the river road turns into a pleasant rural
road that leads to the airport 4 km north of town.
The river port area just in front of the small city
park is fairly busy, handling trade between Cambodia
and Laos. The ferry across the San River to where
Highway 7 continues north to the Laos border is also
at this pier. The fare is 300 riel per head. We went
for a ride on this stretch (2,000 riel for taking a
big bike on the ferry), but there is not much to see
along the way besides jungle and the remnants of a
road that was a target of carpet bombing during the
Vietnam War years. The road works its way eastward
so it does not afford views of the Mekong River as
one would hope. The few residents we saw along the
way were truly amazed to see the likes of us, would
want to be there.
Wildlife
Cambodia is home to some of the most significant
populations of mammalian wildlife in Asia.
Endangered species such as leopards, tigers,
bantams, gaur, barking deer and the near-extinct
Kouprey – the Kingdom’s national animal and the
world’s rarest large mammal – have been sighted off
the beaten path. In addition, wild elephants still
roam remote pristine forests and monkeys and snakes
abound in mountainous areas. While the international
market for endangered species poses a great threat
to the preservation of the Kingdom’s wildlife,
conservationists strive to research, document and
preserve them.
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