Named for the Cham Muslim residents who immigrated here centuries ago, Kampong Cham is one of eastern Cambodia’s largest urban centres and a key transit point for onward travel connections.

It is nevertheless a laid-back city with a picturesque riverside setting and an evocative mish-mash of historical architecture – which includes traditional Chinese shophouses, elegantly weathered French colonial buildings and the so-called ‘New Khmer Architecture’ that was developed in Cambodia’s 1960s heyday.

Several ancient temples and shrines and are dotted across the town’s surrounds, adding to the town’s timeless, mystical allure.