The Bamboo Bridge is rebuilt every year to connect Kampong Cham to Koh Paen Island, which is populated by both Cham and Khmer people.
The bridge is constructed every dry season to allow horse-carts and other means of transporting goods to cross the river so the locals can sell their products in the town markets. In the wet season, when the Mekong waters are high, the residents of the island must rely on ferry to cross once the bridge has washed away. Koh Paen is about 20km long and makes a fun morning or late afternoon bike ride.
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Getting There
Just a few blocks from town, the bridge is easy to access by moto or bicycle. No cars are allowed over the bridge.
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Need to Know
- What it is: A bamboo bridge connecting Koh Paen Island to the rest of Kampong Cham.
- When to go: The best time to go is in the morning during the dry season as the bridge is destroyed each wet season by the rising waters of the Mekong.
- Nearest town: Connects Koh Paen and Kampong Cham
- Don’t miss: The horse carts that cross the bridge, which bring goods to sell in town.
- Trivia: The bamboo bridge is rebuilt in Koh Paen every year after the wet season.
- Open hours: During the dry season. There are ferries available during the wet season, but you certainly won’t find any bridge.
- Entrance fee: No entrance fee