Kampong Thom Museum

This seriously bijou museum (it's one room and a small outdoor gallery) actually packs a pretty good punch with statuary and stelae from local sites, including a fine selection of beautiful pieces from Sambor Prei Kuk. It's well worth poking your head in on your way back from the site itself.

This tiny one-room museum was opened in 2010 but is already gathering dust, and if it sees an average of one visitor a day we’d be surprised.
Exhibit-wise they’ve gone for quality not quantity -- there are some superb exhibits, particularly a collection of Sambor Prei Kuk and early period lintels. All the favourite Angkor statue subjects are there: lions, nagas, Buddha, Lokesvara and Vishnu, in stone and in wood, along with some impressive lingas and a seventh century inscribed stele.

It’s priceless stuff and it’s a shame more people don’t get to see it. Good as it is – and all exhibits come with English-language explanations – it would be difficult to spend more than 10 minutes here even if you peruse every item. Still, there isn’t too much else to do in town, it’s free to enter, and you can stop off and see Wat Kompong Thom.

How to get there

Located around three kilometres out of town to the north on the main highway, a tuk tuk should take you there and bring you back for $2 or $3.

Kompong Thom Museum 

• National Route 6, Kompong Thom
• Daily 07:00-16:00
• Admission: Free

By Mark Ord .