Where to Stay in Kampong Cham - Best Value Hotels & Restaurants

Accommodation

You won’t find a huge variety when it comes to accommodation in Kampong Cham although some places are a little bigger and better equipped than others. Fortunately accommodation is cheap wherever you choose to lay your head.

If you want to get away from it all then you could try Mekong Bamboo Hut Guesthouse which is located on Koh Pen Island on the other side of the Bamboo Bridge. You can stay here for less than USD10 per night and for this you will get a wooden platform with a hammock or a mattress. It is certainly basic but lots of fun to meet fellow guests.

For something a little more traditional but still cheap try Mekong Crossing on Pasteur Street which is also under USD10 per night and is one of the best loved guesthouses in town. Rooms come with hot water and there is a big balcony where you enjoy vistas over the Mekong.

As some of the other guesthouses in town, Mekong Crossing has great food, too. It is particularly known for its hearty curries that use local ingredients as well as the Western style bites including, bizarrely, crumpets that are made on site.

Back to accommodation options, another good pick in the same price range and with similar rooms as Mekong Crossing is Moon River on Sihanouk Road. Here you will find medium sized rooms with fans or air-conditioning and they have fat screen televisions if you fancy a bit of entertainment.

There is a decent restaurant at Moon River, too, and whenever you are staying you are most likely to eat there at least once. Thai specialties like Thai beef salad (lap mu) are served in huge portions.

For anyone looking for something a little more upscale (and it doesn’t improve much in Kampong Cham) then consider the Mekong Hotel which caters to large tour groups and has bigger rooms than other places, many of which look out over the river. You can choose from fan or air-conditioned rooms and expect to pay under USD 35 a night depending on whether you want a forward or rear facing room and a fan or air conditioning.

Food

One of the great delights of Kampong Cham is how many food options you can get. Whatever your preferences, it is almost impossible to go hungry here.

A few places in town are also part of an NGO such as the fabulous Destiny Coffee (12 Rue Pasteur) which we rated as probably the best place in town. They sell an array of Western foods like burgers and burritos and a salad will cost no more than USD4. If you want some local bites then they also sell Khmer dishes.

For more in the way of Khmer food, head to Smile Restaurant (6 Sihanouk Road) which has plates like bai sach chrouk (a classic pork and rice dish) at USD2.95 or spring rolls for USD2.50.

If you are looking to venture into town then a good choice is Hao An (Monivong Road) which does a great range of hot pot. You get to choose from a selection of meats, seafood, and vegetables and then cook it yourself at your table according to your tastes. Expect to pay between USD4-6 for a full meal.

If you don’t mind the very basic set up then you can go down to the river and enjoy the barbecue stalls along Sihanouk Road which sell beer and grilled meats. You will have to pull up a chair as there is no standard seating as such but this makes it a great experience and was one of the highlights of our trip.