1. Stung Saen City (Provincial Capital)
The quiet administrative hub on National Road 6, Stung Saen (formerly Kampong Thom city) is a pleasant transit town with tree-lined streets and a laid-back riverside market. Evening food stalls serve fragrant kuy teav noodles while locals exercise dancers sway under strings of lights. It’s the perfect base for exploring Sambor Prei Kuk and Prasat Andet, with comfortable hotels and authentic Khmer restaurants.
2. Baray District
Home to Cambodia’s largest man-made reservoir, the ancient Baray Toek Chhar, a 7 km-long Angkor-era lake still used for irrigation. The surrounding plains burst with lotus flowers in the rainy season, and local fishermen cast nets at dawn. A giant reclining Buddha watches over the water—an ideal spot for peaceful sunrise photography.
3. Santuk District
Sacred Phnom Santuk rises dramatically from the flat plains, its 809 stone steps lined with hundreds of Buddha statues and playful monkeys. At the summit, a golden pagoda and panoramic views stretch to the distant Dangrek Mountains. During Pchum Ben, the hill becomes a colorful pilgrimage site filled with incense and chanting.
4. Prasat Balangk District
The gateway to Sambor Prei Kuk – Cambodia’s most important pre-Angkorian temple complex and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over 150 brick sanctuaries from the 7th century hide in cool forest, wrapped in strangler figs and visited by only a handful of travellers each day. Community homestays and bicycle trails make it one of Cambodia’s most magical archaeological experiences.
5. Prasat Sambour District
A continuation of the Sambor Prei Kuk archaeological zone, this rural district is dotted with smaller brick prasats and ancient lion statues half-buried in rice fields. Local villagers still worship at these 1,400-year-old shrines, leaving fresh flowers and incense—an intimate blend of living heritage and ancient history.
6. Sandan District
Remote and forested, Sandan is one of the province’s wildest corners, with red-dirt roads leading to ethnic Kui (Kuy) minority villages. Traditional longhouses, elephant grass roofs, and gong music welcome rare visitors. Emerging community tourism offers jungle treks to hidden waterfalls and overnight stays with families who still practice animist rituals.
7. Kampong Svay District
The largest and most sparsely populated district, home to the colossal Prasat Preah Khan Kampong Svay – a 12th-century city complex covering 25 square kilometres, once the second-largest in the Khmer Empire. Enormous barays, causeways, and a four-faced tower await adventurers willing to venture off the beaten path.
8. Stoung District
Classic Cambodian countryside of endless rice paddies and sugar-palm trees. The district is famous for its palm-wine production—watch farmers climb trees at sunrise to collect sap, then taste the sweet, slightly fizzy drink fresh from the bamboo tube. Quiet pagodas and ox-cart tracks make it perfect for slow, authentic rural exploration.
Together, Kampong Thom’s eight districts weave a spellbinding journey from serene river towns to lost pre-Angkorian cities and remote indigenous villages—offering travellers one of Cambodia’s most authentic and crowd-free adventures.