Upon arrival in Stung Treng you are unlikely to be impressed with this riverside border town, particularly if you arrive in the heat of the day.
That said, even the hottest and dustiest towns like Stung Treng have a certain charm as the sun fades, something best appreciated from along the riverside; Stung Treng sits on the Sekong River at the point where it merges with the Mekong. There are a number of street-food restaurants along the sidewalk overlooking the river that are set up at sunset and are the best place for enjoying the atmosphere of the town.
Stung Treng has only moderately interesting attractions: there are a few modern Buddhist temples in Stung Treng, including Tala Boriwat, and some social enterprises in Stung Treng that are worth checking out if you happen to be passing through the town; the province however, has opportunities for doing home stays with local villages and seeing wildlife, including the Preah Rumkel Ecotourism Village and a number of exotic birds if you have time to stay a little longer.
Getting to Stung Treng is almost exclusively by bus nowadays as the roads leading in and out of town are improving year by year, making river transportation too slow for practical use. However, there are opportunities to travel the length of the Mekong between Stung Treng and Kratie on the Mekong Discovery Trail [This is in Kratie] provided you are aware that it is not yet a fully integrated network and you are ready for a bit of adventure.
All in all, the town has enough attractions to keep you busy for a day or two if you want a break between long trips to other destinations in Cambodia and Laos, but these can easily be skipped if you just want a place to spend the night and then move on.
Orientation
Although Stung Treng is a pretty major transportation hub for people and goods moving between Cambodia and Laos, and to a lesser degree between Cambodia and Vietnam, there isn’t a lot of tourism infrastructure. A medium-sized town by Cambodian standards, Stung Treng lies along the Srepok River where it merges with the Mekong River. Most guesthouses and hotels are along the east-west running riverfront or the north-south road that leads the town market and ends at the riverfront where the ferry pier and bus terminal are located.
Where to Go
- Virachay National Park: (This is in Ratanakiri) This spectacular park is partially in Stung Treng Province, though most trips are based out of Ban Lung, Rattanakiri
- Preah Rumkel Ecotourism Village: - a remote village on the Mekong River near the Lao border, where Irrawady dolphins live.
- Social Enterprises in Stung Treng: There are a variety of programs to assist disadvantaged Cambodians, including silk weaving and hospitality training.
- Thala Boravit: Village and 7th Century temple ruins: take a short boat trip to this charming village and ancient temple ruins.
When to Go
It is best visited during the November to February cool, dry season, particularly as the interior roads are best during this time of year.
Things to Do
Just before sunset or early in the morning are the best times to appreciate Stung Treng; the town lies just 25 miles south of the Lao border and has an interesting mix of Khmer and Lao residents, most of whom are engaged in some sort of trade at the bustling local market. There are also a couple of social enterprises around the outskirts of town that help disadvantaged Cambodians through skills training and education programs, including silk weaving and hospitality training.
Other attractions include a number of Buddhist temples in Stung Treng within the town and the ruins of a 7th century temple across the Mekong in the town of Thala Borivit, which is one of five ecotourism experiences along the Mekong River that are organized by The Mekong Discovery Trail, whose main office is located in Kratie. Other notable Mekong Discovery Trail attractions in Stung Treng include the village of Preah Rumkel Ecotourism Village,the Ramsar Wetlands, and a few opportunities to see the famed Irrawaddy Dolphins.
Wat Srah Keo Mony Sovann, Wat Khan Takyaran, and Wat Thom Raing Sey, are more commonly known to locals in Stung Treng as Wat “Leur”, Wat “Kandal” and Wat “Thom”, which colloquially mean the lowest, middle, and highest temples as they lie geographically from the center of town. The temples make fine additions to a tour of the town, particularly Wat Thom, which is the most impressive of the three.
Beyond Stung Treng, the other nearby attractions include Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands) in Laos and Virachay National Park [This is in Ratanakiri], part of which lies in Stung Treng Province. Some tour operators therefore advertise trips into the park, though these ultimately leave from Ban Lung, Ratanakiri and can also be arranged from the National Park office located there.
In regards to activities, the primary activities are associated with the eco-tourism opportunities presented by the Mekong Discovery Trail, including boating, kayaking, mountain biking, appreciating wildlife, experiencing rural Cambodian life, and trekking.
Getting There
Stung Treng has a small airport that no longer is operational. Most tourists take the bus from Phnom Penh, which takes up to 10 hours (the minivan is a bit faster, if less comfortable). Buses from Kratie take 2-3 hours, and the city is just one hour south of the Laos border. If you can arrange it, the most interesting way to get here is to take a boat up the Mekong from the capital, though there are not regular commercial ferries operating such voyages.
The capital city of Stung Treng sits 40kms (25 miles) from the Lao border, 281 kms (175 miles) from the Vietnamese border, and 485 kms (300 miles) from the national capital, Phnom Penh. Consequently, Stung Treng is a popular stop-off point on the way to or from the Lao border and Kratie/Phnom Penh to the south and Ban Lung, Ratanakiri to the East. There are many busses and minivans thats service the route daily.
From Phnom Penh, the trip is much quicker, if less comfortable, in a minivan than a bus, and best (though most expensive) in a private taxi. Some of the buses stop frequently between Phnom Penh and Kratie, making the trip unnecessarily long; It may be best to pay a bit more and try to get on an ‘express’ bus. Between Kratie and Stung Treng, however, the trip generally takes about 2.5 hours.
The trip to and from Stung Treng and Ban Lung, Ratanakiri takes around 3-3.5 hours by minivan or bus. And from Siem Reap the ‘express busses’ cover the route in about 10-12 hours.
To / From Laos:
The border with Laos is about 1 hour north of Stung Treng where Dom Kralor, Cambodia links with Voeung Kam, Laos. The border is open from 8am to 430pm and as of February, 2011 both Lao and Cambodian visa on arrival were possible; bring US Dollars and a recent passport photo to get a visa processed at the border.
By Bus
There is a small bus stop at the intersection of the roads leading north to Laos (Route 13), East to Ratanakiri (Route 78), South to Phnom Penh (National Road 7), and West to Stung Treng, where passengers are occasionally dropped off. However, the main Stung Treng Bus Station is located along the riverside of the Srepok River, just east of the Ferry Pier.
Getting Around
Several guesthouses and hotels offer bicycle rentals for exploring Stung Treng town. There are also motodop taxis who usually hang out around the Stung Treng Ferry Pier (Kampong Sala), just north of the market, where it is also possible to get ferries to to Tala Boriwat and Kontigo (‘the pinky finger’): 2000 Real for a one way trip. Most of the town can be explored on foot however.
Where to Stay
Stung Treng doesn’t feature the finest hotels and guesthouses in Cambodia; that said, there are towns with much worse selection; Stung Treng benefits from its location near the Laos border and therefore has a decent number of guesthouses and hotels to select from. Unfortunately, most of them are very poor options. Your best bets are [Le Tonle Guesthouse]] and the riverside-guesthouse. Many others have staff that don’t speak English or simply would rather not talk to or help you.
Where to Eat
Stung Treng is hardly a hot-spot for dining. Some guesthouses and hotels have restaurants, but otherwise there are not many options for dining out. Your best bets for dining are riverside-guesthouse, the Khmer restaurant on the corner near Riverside, and just around the corner at Ponikas Place. For a unique dining experience you can go to le-tonle-tourism-training-school, where disadvantaged Cambodians are taught hospitality skills, including cooking and serving meals.
If you care to try a local delicacy, Stung Treng is famous for Nhem, parcels of raw, spiced fish wrapped in banana leaves. Nhem is made from fish caught in the river, to which is added ginger, garlic, chili and salt.
Where to Party
There is no nightlife to speak of in Stung Treng. If you MUST have a few drinks, try the street-food stalls along the riverside for sunset or the restaurant at [Riverside Guesthouse]].
Where to Shop
There aren’t a lot of shopping opportunities in Stung Treng for the average visitor; Stung Treng, which is a bustling town market, likely benefits from its location at the intersection of roads from Vietnam and Laos. But this trade doesn’t include a lot of handicrafts or tourist souvenirs.
For sundry supplies and clothes try the Stung Treng Market, which is typical of most markets found in other provincial capital cities. If you are looking for something special, however, mekong-blue has a sericulture farm and silk weaving workshop beside a small shop where you can purchase silk products that are made by and benefit the disadvantaged women who work there.
Need to Know
- What is it: A stopover point for those traveling to/from Laos with a few attractions that are worthy of a day to explore, including numerous ecotourism opportunities
- What to do: Visit a social-enterprise, take an ecotourism trip, check out 7th-century-temple-ruins, dine by the riverside (and try Nhem, a local fish specialty).
- How long?: The town can be visited in a half-day, while the interior of the province requires substantially more time.
- Trivia: Nhem, a local delicacy, is parcels of raw, spiced fish wrapped in banana leaves.
- For who: Stung Treng town isn’t really for anyone in particular, though the ecotourism experiences available along the Mekong are great for those with a sense of adventure and real appreciation of authentic Cambodian lifestyles and nature.