Chhlong

Kratie


The main attraction in this somnolent riverside town, 31km south of Kratie, is the old governor’s residence, a gorgeous yellow-and-white French colonial mansion near the river. It's now a top-end boutique hotel, Le Relais de Chhlong. Architecture buffs might also drop in at the House of a Hundred Pillars (1884), about 500m north of Le Relais. According to the house’s owner, the Khmer Rouge removed many of the pillars, so only 56 remain.

A few more decrepit French colonial buildings line the river. Chhlong is worth a wander if you are driving through with your own transport, but is probably not worth a special trip from Kratie. Keen cyclists might like to follow the old river road between Kratie and Chhlong, as it passes through some traditional Cham minority villages along the way.