Where it sits
Kampong Thom straddles the national road halfway between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, running from the Tonlé Sap north-east towards the Kulen Prom Tep plains. Most travellers pass straight through it, which is exactly why it rewards a stop.
What to see
Sambor Prei Kuk is the reason to come. This was Ishanapura, capital of the Chenla kingdom in the early seventh century, and its octagonal brick towers scattered through dipterocarp forest predate Angkor by roughly three centuries. It became Cambodia’s third UNESCO World Heritage site in 2017.
The site is quiet in a way Angkor never is. Expect brick sanctuaries wrapped in strangler figs, carved lintels, and often nobody else in sight.
Elsewhere in the province, Phnom Santuk is a hilltop pagoda reached by around eight hundred steps, with stone carvers working at the base.
Practicalities
Kampong Thom town has a handful of simple hotels on the main road and makes a workable overnight stop between the capital and the temples.