Prey Veng

Prey Veng shares its tropical climate with the rest of Cambodia; a ‘dry season’ that lasts from November to May and a ‘rainy season’ that runs from June to October. Temperatures are relatively constant (i.e. hot) throughout the year but humidity can vary. There are times of the year that are noticeably cooler (Dec-Jan) or hotter (March-May), and as is normal for a monsoon climate, times when heavy rain is nearly constant (Aug-Oct). Prey Veng is fine to visit during most of the year, though the hottest months from March to May can be too hot for comfort.

Humidity and rainfall may vary through the year, but Prey Veng is typically hot. Few visitors will experience something they would call cool. Temperatures in the day range throughout the year from above 100°F in the early afternoon to around 70°F at night.

The hottest time of the year in Prey Veng is toward the end of the dry season, when daytime temperatures can be dangerously hot. During the wet season, although copious amounts of rain are dumped on Prey Veng with monotonous regularity, rainstorms and thunderstorms often last just one or two hours in the afternoon.

While monsoon rains may provide respite from the intense Cambodian sun, torrential rains wreak havoc on rural dirt roads, which become muddy morasses; travel to areas serviced by these roads can become difficult to impossible in the monsoon season months (June-October) for those without 4-wheel drive vehicles or off-road motorcycles.

Prey Veng is a mostly agrarian province, with few attractions or activities other than experiencing day-to-day Cambodian life, which generally consists of farming and weaving. Most visitors only linger in Prey Veng long enough to cross the Mekong River at Neak Luong ferry crossing, but those looking for an authentic Cambodian experience may enjoy exploring the province for slightly longer.

Prey Veng city, the capital of the province, is a small town of minor interest to most tourists. A few colonial buildings sit as a reminder of the town’s former importance and there is a pleasant riverside area that is a popular place to eat and hang out in the evening. The town also features a nearby lake that evaporates half of the year.

The province hosts one of the oldest archaeological sites in Cambodia, the Ba Phnom temples: a must-visit site in the country for obsessive Cambodiaphiles, though generally uninteresting for the common visitor as little to none of the original structures remain.

Other nearby attractions include Chheu Kach Ba Phnom Resort in the Bohn Chor mountains, and Prey Vea, Kandal, and Prey Cha Rick temples. Finally, the border with Vietnam is not far way from Prey Veng and day trips to Ho Chi Minh City and the Cu Chi Tunnels are popular excursions for those already holding valid Vietnam visas.

Prey Veng is just 55 miles from Phnom Penh and shared taxis or minibuses can get you here cheaply in 90 minutes or so. It lies just north of the Phnom Penh-Ho Chi Minh City highway, making it fairly easy to get to. The nearest airport is in Phnom Penh.

Most people travel to Prey Veng from either Phnom Penh or Ho Chi Minh City on their way to or from the nearby Vietnamese border.

Prey Veng is located along National Road No.1 between Vietnam and Phnom Penh, a heavily trafficked route that is one of the best roads in Cambodia. Consequently, the route is serviced by numerous bus companies. Travel to and from Prey Veng and Phnom Penh is a relatively painless 2 hour bus ride, though there are also private or share taxis that make the trip in slightly less time and perhaps minimally greater comfort.

Busses and taxis also make frequent trips throughout the day to and from svey-rieng and the Vietnamese border. The trip should only take about 2 hours. Bus companies facilitate the crossing process and are unlikely to miss the border closing time.

Prey Veng town is not geographically expansive: nearly all of the hotels, restaurants, and sights within the town are near enough each to other that walking from A to B is a very feasible option.

If you want to explore sights outside of town, there are a small number of motodop taxis and tuk tuks that can take you wherever you like for a reasonable, yet negotiable, fee. The touts in Prey Veng aren’t overly aggressive, which is a plus, but you can always inquire at your hotel/guesthouse to help you arrange transportation to sights in and around town with ease.

As Prey Veng doesn’t attract many overnight visitors (at least not many westerners), there is only a small selection of hotels and guesthouses for visitors, which are generally located in the center of town: all are located near enough to each other that it is possible to walk around town a bit to weigh your options.

There are considerably few dining options in Prey Veng. That said, there is a decent selection of restaurants that cater to local clientele, including street stalls selling inexpensive local dishes along the riverfront. One can also find food stalls selling inexpensive meals around the Prey Veng Market.

There is almost no nightlife to speak of in Prey Veng, certainly not any catering to foreign tourists. There are a few local-style beer bars in town, which are basically open-air establishments that have attractive waitresses to serve beers and/or whiskey. If you hunt around a bit you may find one that doubles as a karaoke parlor, which has karaoke rooms for singing (typically only Khmer music) but also ‘karaoke girls’ who aren’t necessarily there to sing.

There are very limited shopping options in Prey Veng. The town has a central market that is typical of most cambodian markets, selling nearly everything local’s need for their day to day lives, including ingredients for cooking and household supplies. There are some small shops selling sundry items around town but otherwise, this isn’t much of a destination for souvenir shopping.