Mekong River Trip - Stung Treng Part 4




Stung Treng in Cambodia. Stung Treng is the capital of the province of the same name. The town lies 485 km north of Phnom Penh and 210 km south of Pakse in Laos, it’s only 40 km from the Lao border. The town is perched on the banks of the Sekong river, not far from Mekong river. Sights around the town are few – a couple of rapids and waterfalls. You can rent a boat for trips along the Mekong. Stung Treng’s market is brimming with goods that come in by road, river, or plane, down from Laos, across from Vietnam, or up from Phnom Penh. Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese goods all find their way here.
You can reach Stung Treng by boat from Phnom Penh from September to January. To save time, take a fast boat to Kratie and change to a slow boat from Kratie to Stung Treng, or simply fly from Phompenh.



Stung Treng in Cambodia. Stung Treng is the capital of the province of the same name. The town lies 485 km north of Phnom Penh and 210 km south of Pakse in Laos, it’s only 40 km from the Lao border. The town is perched on the banks of the Sekong river, not far from the Mekong river. Sights around the town are few – a couple of rapids and waterfalls. You can rent a boat for trips along the Mekong. Stung Treng’s market is brimming with goods that come in by road, river, or plane, down from Laos, across from Vietnam, or up from Phnom Penh. Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese goods all find their way here.
You can reach Stung Treng by boat from Phnom Penh from September to January. To save time, take a fast boat to Kratie and change to a slow boat from Kratie to Stung Treng, or simply fly from Phompenh.


The construction of a bridge across the Mekong River in Kratie province and a road under a concessional loan from the Government of the People's Republic of China worth more than 114 million US dollars was opened this morning, January 2, 2023, in Bos Leav commune, Chit Borei district. Kratie under the high presidency of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and His Excellency Wang Wentian, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Cambodia.


His Excellency Sun Chanthol, Senior Minister of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said that the project to build a bridge across the Mekong River in Kratie province and this connecting road includes a 1,761-meter-long bridge across the Mekong River in Kratie province on the east bank in Talus village, Bos commune. Laos, Chit Borey district, and the western coast are located in Thmor Reap village, Prek Prosop commune, and Prek Prosop district. The bridge will be built with a diameter of 13.5 meters, two lanes for vehicles to and fro, 3.5 meters long, two lanes for bicycles, and 1.75 meters for two pedestrians. Go back and forth, 1 meter long and 0.5 meters long on both sides of the bridge. The connecting road is 31.69 km long, including the road connecting from the end of the bridge 15.49 km long and the 4 lanes in Kratie city are 16,208 km long.



The Senior Minister continued that these roads will be built, expanded, and upgraded with the same 7 cm thick concrete (AC) pavement, of which 4 sections of 26.67 km will be widened from 9 Meters up to 13 meters on the road from 11 meters to 19.5 meters and a section of 5,025 kilometers will be widened 19 meters on the road 30 meters with a lane for 4 vehicles. Lane (2 to 2), a lane for bicycles, 2 lanes (1 to 1), and there is a park in the middle of the road, 4 meters long. The project will include the construction of four intermediate bridges with a total length of 384 meters, 26 types of sewers of all kinds, and equipment traffic signs, traffic diagrams, kilometer markers, and safety poles according to road technical standards.



He added that the project will be constructed by Shanghai Construction Company (SCG) and technically supervised by Guangzhou Wanan Technical Consulting Company, with a construction period of 42 months to be completed in 2026, with a total budget of more than US $ 114 million in concessional loans from the Government of the People's Republic of China, together with the Royal Government of Cambodia's contribution for demining, UXO clearance, and other taxes. Senior Minister Sun Chanthol emphasized that the bridge under construction on this occasion is the 11th bridge and among the major bridges built under concessional loans and grants from Chinese friends, including the Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge (Sekong). Stung Treng) Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge (Prek Kdam) Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge (Prek Tamak) Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge (Chroy Changvar II) Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge (Mekong Stung Treng) Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge (Takhmao) Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge (Big Island) Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge (Sen Sok) Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge (Stung Trang-Kroch Chhmar) and Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge ( Sitbo)



The Senior Minister, Minister of Public Works and Transport, emphasized that the project to build a bridge across the Mekong River in Kratie province, along with the connecting road, which is preparing for the groundbreaking ceremony, is an important strategic project for connecting communication and hope between the people. The people living on the east coast and the people living on the west side also connect the remote areas in the northeastern region to the towns. The project is part of National Road 60B connecting Kratie to Kampong Thom, which is connected to the main national and provincial roads, such as the west coast, connecting to National Road 6 at the junction of Kampong Thmor, Kampong Thom province. Continue to Siem Reap and connect via National Road 71A along the Mekong River to Stung Treng in the upper reaches and to Kampong Cham in the lower reaches of the Mekong River. On the east side, it connects to National Road No. 7 towards Stung Treng, Ratanakkiri, and Mondulkiri provinces and connects to National Road No. 73 through Chhlong district, Tambor district to Tbong Khmum province and then to National Road No. 7 towards To Kampong Cham or Prey Veng and continue to Phnom Penh.



The sights we saw, the food we ate, the Khmer language we learned, and the fun banter that was had, were a daily occurrence on our CRDT tour. Thank you, Tola and your team. I can highly recommend these guys if you want a reliable and trustworthy organization to show you the real Cambodian way of life. During this time we talked with local people, worked on community engagement projects, and basked in the beauty of the small island on the Mekong. The Mekong River between the Laos border and Stung Treng is very heavy on stunning scenery and light on population. Wide sweeping stretches of river, swirling pothole currents, numerous sets of rapids, boulder outcroppings, and forested landscapes along the banks all await the boat travelers.



Either for travelers who want to continue to Laos or for those who are interested in enjoying a wild stretch of the Mekong in Cambodia, it makes for a great trip.
With a virtual forest of trees growing and countless sunken islands right in the middle of the river, the trip is difficult to downright impossible to make on this shallow stretch of the Mekong during the dry season. As they carefully try to choose the best way to guide their craft through the maze which is created by nature without losing a propeller to the river, the trip becomes a barrier course for the boat drivers during this time of the year. The period from May to November when sufficient upstream rains have increased the river to a level that allows the boats to carefully pass through is the best time of the year to take this trip.


Although once getting to the border area, there is not a whole lot to do, travelers can leave their passport with Cambodian immigration (at the small checkpoint on the river’s west bank) and cross to the Laos side to look at the tiny market in the Laos village of Geedahn and have a meal at a riverside restaurant.







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