Preah Khan Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Unless you enjoy travelling by ox cart, it is extremely difficult to get to Preah Khan between May and November. The best time to visit is from February to April, as the trails are reasonably dry then.

There’s no public transport to Preah Khan, so your best bet is to hire a moto or a pickup truck in Kompong Thom (120km, five hours), Phnom Dek (on NH64, 35km east of the temple along an execrable road) or Tbeng Meanchey (four or five hours). If you’ve got more cash, you might consider chartering a 4WD.

Only very experienced bikers should attempt to get to Preah Khan on rental motorcycles, as conditions are extremely tough from every side. Take a wrong turn in this neck of the woods and you’ll end up in the middle of nowhere, so consider bringing along a knowledgeable moto driver (US$15 a day plus petrol).

Coming from Siem Reap there are several options. By car, the easiest route may soon be to take a planned toll road heading due east from Beng Mealea. Until then, take NH6 to Stoeng and then head north. By motorcycle, you can take NH6 to Kompong Kdei, head north to Khvau and then ride 40km east on a miserable ox-cart track. An amazing, exhausting alternative is to approach from Beng Mealea along the ancient Angkor road (Cambodia’s own Route 66 – NH66), which in places vanishes into a rough ox-cart track to nowhere. You’ll cross about 10 splendid Angkorian naga bridges, including the remarkable 77m-long Spean Ta Ong, 7km west of Khvau.

If hitting the road seems like just too much effort, head for the skies: charter a chopper from Siem Reap for the ultimate view.