From the Heart
Temple guardians, silk weavers, forest defenders, river life. The stories that make a journey real.
Essential Reads
Slow Mornings on the Stung Sen River
Before the heat of the day sets in, the river that gives Kampong Thom its name comes alive — fishermen checking nets, monks receiving alms, and a town slowly waking up along its banks.
The Forest Defenders of Prey Lang
Southeast Asia's largest remaining lowland evergreen forest is patrolled not by park rangers, but by volunteer community members who walk in unarmed to stop illegal logging with nothing but a camera and a phone signal.
The Silk Weavers of Baray District
In a district known for its ancient reservoir, a quieter tradition survives on wooden looms passed down through generations — one thread, one pattern, one story at a time.
Keep Reading
The Last Temple Guardians of Sambor Prei Kuk
Every morning before the tour buses arrive, a handful of villagers walk the same forest paths their grandparents walked — sweeping leaves from 1,300-year-old brick, and keeping watch over towers older than Angkor.
Been to Kampong Thom?
If you have a recommendation, an observation, or a story worth telling — we'd like to hear it. We publish traveller contributions that tell the province honestly.