Life in Stung Treng
Life in Stung Treng
Looking for as much first hand information from anyone who has worked / lived in the Stung Treng (Town) area would like to share. What the area is like... anything to do... other expats living there... etc... all opinions, thoughts, suggestions welcome... thx!
- cptrelentless
- Expatriate
- Posts: 3033
- Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 11:49 am
- Reputation: 565
- Location: Sihanoukville
Re: Life in Stung Treng
You can get really good dried meats at the market, nice sausage. That's about it. The times I've been there I was the only honkie in the village, didn't see any signs of other foreigners. Gets pretty quiet by 9pm.
Re: Life in Stung Treng
Stopped overnight there a week ago a whole lot of nothing to do there apart from looking at the river
I'm standing up, so I must be straight.
What's a poor man do when the blues keep following him around.(Smoking Dynamite)
What's a poor man do when the blues keep following him around.(Smoking Dynamite)
Re: Life in Stung Treng
It may depend on languages you speak, and what you like doing. If you only speak English, and want to spend time with other English speaking people, you may not meet a lot of them. If you speak Khmer or Lao, and like spending time with the locals, you can meet a lot of people.tcw57 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 06, 2019 12:27 pm Looking for as much first hand information from anyone who has worked / lived in the Stung Treng (Town) area would like to share. What the area is like... anything to do... other expats living there... etc... all opinions, thoughts, suggestions welcome... thx!
There are a small number of English speaking people there.
## I thought I knew all the answers, but they changed all the questions. ##
-
- Expatriate
- Posts: 3065
- Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2014 11:36 am
- Reputation: 677
Re: Life in Stung Treng
Quiet country towns require a certain mindset. Here or anywhere.
Be careful what you wish for.
Sent from my SM-G570Y using Tapatalk
Be careful what you wish for.
Sent from my SM-G570Y using Tapatalk
Re: Life in Stung Treng
I'm not very familiar with Stung Treng, but I live about 120 km East of it, so I can provide you with some general advice on living in the Northeast.
Make sure you get yourself a motorcycle. Traffic is pretty slow and once you get used to it it's pretty convenient to drive one. But... For safety, bring your own helmet. Good helmets are hard to find in Cambodia (especially for foreign sized heads) and forget about finding one in Stung Treng.
The same goes for shoes. Bring an extra pair of good shoes.
Food... If you fancy Western food like muesly, yoghurt, or even milk, bring some when you come. It will be hard to find and if you can find it locally the price will probably scare you away even more than in Phnom Penh.
Medication... Most meds sold will be generics (or copies) from India, Bangladesh, etc. If you're picky about it (I am), bring stock from Phnom Penh. You can find find originals there.
Internet... WiFi is more and more common, but getting wi-fi in your home might be either expensive, or difficult, depending on where your house is. However, connecting the internet through your phone is a cheap solution. Make sure you bring a phone supporting 'working as a hotspot' (don't they all?) and check with your employer about local coverage. Forget about the the free sims given away at the airport, get yourself a decent (paid) sim so you can make use of the promotions of the provider which will give you much more bang for the buck than the free sims.
Books, or other entertainment... Stung Treng is a very sleepy town, and the initial excitement will wear off pretty fast. Bring stuff to do after work, and during lunch breaks. A lunch break typically lasts two hours, so.....
Safety... Ever since I have been in Cambodia I have had my own safe for my passport, back up money, and documents. Where I live I can buy a safe now, not sure about Stung Treng. I advise you to get one. If you use one with batteries, change them regularly. I once had leaking batteries destroying the lock. Attach the safe to the house.
Power(bank)... Power cuts are common, so are surges and drops in power. Expect powercuts during every (thunder)storm and during the dry season due to lack of power. Powerbanks can help you through and a UPS can protect stuff like TV and DVD player against surges and drops of power. Without protection modern TV's won't last long.
Water... When you arrive, check where your tap water comes from. Where I live they pump water from a stream behind 'Mango mountain' and sell it as 'clean water' for 2000r per M3. Not recommended for any use in my opinion, especially in the dry season, so do your checks. Stick to bottled water the first days to get used, avoid local branded water but stick to the main (national) brands. Local 'drinking water' is usually water from a well, or collected rain water, either way not purified / processed in any way. The same goes for the local 30L jars. If you want to go cheap, buy a good water purifier.
Food... Local food is generally safe, but get your protection fro HEP C (and B).
Mozzies... It mosquito season. People have dengue fever everywhere. Stung Treng too. There's not much you can do actually, because this mozzie will bite during the day. Ask for advice locally. Keep your living environment clean and avoid standing water around your space. Check the space of your neighbors too. Mozzies can easily cross 150m to feast on the taste of your blood. Expect to be bitten a lot in the first weeks. It will get less eventually. Don't scratch, use tigerbalm or bring something from your home country, you can get a nasty skin infection in no time with the conditions here.
Other visitor in the house... Be careful with the red centipedes (https://islandscene.com/Media/Default/J ... e-hero.png) (no matter how small, kill!) and scorpions. They will look for shelter in you house from may-november. Raid (poisonous spray) hardly harms them. If you go to the toilet at night, give the floor a quick check. Tuck in you mozzie net. I once woke up with a scorpion in my mozzie-net and centipedes are famous for a quit nap under your blanket or pillow, so prepare. In that case you'll be fine.
Make sure you get yourself a motorcycle. Traffic is pretty slow and once you get used to it it's pretty convenient to drive one. But... For safety, bring your own helmet. Good helmets are hard to find in Cambodia (especially for foreign sized heads) and forget about finding one in Stung Treng.
The same goes for shoes. Bring an extra pair of good shoes.
Food... If you fancy Western food like muesly, yoghurt, or even milk, bring some when you come. It will be hard to find and if you can find it locally the price will probably scare you away even more than in Phnom Penh.
Medication... Most meds sold will be generics (or copies) from India, Bangladesh, etc. If you're picky about it (I am), bring stock from Phnom Penh. You can find find originals there.
Internet... WiFi is more and more common, but getting wi-fi in your home might be either expensive, or difficult, depending on where your house is. However, connecting the internet through your phone is a cheap solution. Make sure you bring a phone supporting 'working as a hotspot' (don't they all?) and check with your employer about local coverage. Forget about the the free sims given away at the airport, get yourself a decent (paid) sim so you can make use of the promotions of the provider which will give you much more bang for the buck than the free sims.
Books, or other entertainment... Stung Treng is a very sleepy town, and the initial excitement will wear off pretty fast. Bring stuff to do after work, and during lunch breaks. A lunch break typically lasts two hours, so.....
Safety... Ever since I have been in Cambodia I have had my own safe for my passport, back up money, and documents. Where I live I can buy a safe now, not sure about Stung Treng. I advise you to get one. If you use one with batteries, change them regularly. I once had leaking batteries destroying the lock. Attach the safe to the house.
Power(bank)... Power cuts are common, so are surges and drops in power. Expect powercuts during every (thunder)storm and during the dry season due to lack of power. Powerbanks can help you through and a UPS can protect stuff like TV and DVD player against surges and drops of power. Without protection modern TV's won't last long.
Water... When you arrive, check where your tap water comes from. Where I live they pump water from a stream behind 'Mango mountain' and sell it as 'clean water' for 2000r per M3. Not recommended for any use in my opinion, especially in the dry season, so do your checks. Stick to bottled water the first days to get used, avoid local branded water but stick to the main (national) brands. Local 'drinking water' is usually water from a well, or collected rain water, either way not purified / processed in any way. The same goes for the local 30L jars. If you want to go cheap, buy a good water purifier.
Food... Local food is generally safe, but get your protection fro HEP C (and B).
Mozzies... It mosquito season. People have dengue fever everywhere. Stung Treng too. There's not much you can do actually, because this mozzie will bite during the day. Ask for advice locally. Keep your living environment clean and avoid standing water around your space. Check the space of your neighbors too. Mozzies can easily cross 150m to feast on the taste of your blood. Expect to be bitten a lot in the first weeks. It will get less eventually. Don't scratch, use tigerbalm or bring something from your home country, you can get a nasty skin infection in no time with the conditions here.
Other visitor in the house... Be careful with the red centipedes (https://islandscene.com/Media/Default/J ... e-hero.png) (no matter how small, kill!) and scorpions. They will look for shelter in you house from may-november. Raid (poisonous spray) hardly harms them. If you go to the toilet at night, give the floor a quick check. Tuck in you mozzie net. I once woke up with a scorpion in my mozzie-net and centipedes are famous for a quit nap under your blanket or pillow, so prepare. In that case you'll be fine.
- Jerry Atrick
- Expatriate
- Posts: 5436
- Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 4:19 pm
- Reputation: 3051
Re: Life in Stung Treng
I lived in Stung Treng on and off for over a year. Nice place.
Wild meats (boars, deer and forest chicken mainly) are available at a number of the khmer restaurants on the riverside promenade as you go toward the bridge to the Lao border.
Panika's place does breakfasts, lunch dinner, pizza and "indian' food.
There are great Khmer food places scattered about. In general (I find), Northern provinces have the best Khmer food in the country, so you won't go hungry or broke.
Riverside gueshouse is popular with travellers, but is owned by the biggest French Khmer wanker you could even imagine. I'd swerve it.
Drinking - many, many , many KTV joints, any local restauraunt- and a quirky little family run place called "Guitar Milk" that does nibbles, cocktails and icy cold beers in a funky garden setting.
There's also a hospitality training hotel named "Le Tonle" just off the centre of town on the riverbank in a lovely old wooden house which does great food at basically giveaway prices (they have cheap rooms too). Just be prepared for enormously shy and timid servers cutting their teeth in a work environment for the first time and allow extra time as a result.
Internet and medication are in plentiful supply,internet is fast and cheap, never got any fake meds there, either.
Stung Treng does flood, so be careful where you choose to rent, but rents are cheap, a nice motel room with dressing room and separate bathroom, air con, flat screen, fridge, big bed will be around $7 per night.
It also has a steady flow of tourists in transit, many cyclists, in particular.
That's all I know about that.
Wild meats (boars, deer and forest chicken mainly) are available at a number of the khmer restaurants on the riverside promenade as you go toward the bridge to the Lao border.
Panika's place does breakfasts, lunch dinner, pizza and "indian' food.
There are great Khmer food places scattered about. In general (I find), Northern provinces have the best Khmer food in the country, so you won't go hungry or broke.
Riverside gueshouse is popular with travellers, but is owned by the biggest French Khmer wanker you could even imagine. I'd swerve it.
Drinking - many, many , many KTV joints, any local restauraunt- and a quirky little family run place called "Guitar Milk" that does nibbles, cocktails and icy cold beers in a funky garden setting.
There's also a hospitality training hotel named "Le Tonle" just off the centre of town on the riverbank in a lovely old wooden house which does great food at basically giveaway prices (they have cheap rooms too). Just be prepared for enormously shy and timid servers cutting their teeth in a work environment for the first time and allow extra time as a result.
Internet and medication are in plentiful supply,internet is fast and cheap, never got any fake meds there, either.
Stung Treng does flood, so be careful where you choose to rent, but rents are cheap, a nice motel room with dressing room and separate bathroom, air con, flat screen, fridge, big bed will be around $7 per night.
It also has a steady flow of tourists in transit, many cyclists, in particular.
That's all I know about that.
- SternAAlbifrons
- Expatriate
- Posts: 5752
- Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2019 11:31 am
- Reputation: 3424
- Location: Gilligan's Island
Re: Life in Stung Treng
Yes you can buy the last of a number of endangered species to eat in Stung Treng.Jerry Atrick wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:44 am I lived in Stung Treng on and off for over a year. Nice place.
Wild meats (boars, deer and forest chicken mainly) are available at a number of the khmer restaurants on the riverside promenade as you go toward the bridge to the Lao border.
Up to you tcw57.
But don't get caught by the cops, wildlife alliance (or me)
“We’re nearly all out of wild animals here,” he said.
Primates and Bushmeat Seized From Stung Treng City Market
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/prim ... et-121684/
Best thing about Stung Treng is the waterways in four different directions.
Rent a boat, or hop on a commuter service, at the main landing.
' Might be a bit rough right now - call it surfing.
- Jerry Atrick
- Expatriate
- Posts: 5436
- Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 4:19 pm
- Reputation: 3051
Re: Life in Stung Treng
Lol, the cops own and are the main customers in the same places.SternAAlbifrons wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2019 9:21 amYes you can buy the last of a number of endangered species to eat in Stung Treng.Jerry Atrick wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:44 am I lived in Stung Treng on and off for over a year. Nice place.
Wild meats (boars, deer and forest chicken mainly) are available at a number of the khmer restaurants on the riverside promenade as you go toward the bridge to the Lao border.
Up to you tcw57.
But don't get caught by the cops, wildlife alliance (or me)
Boar and chicken are not endangered species, a few types of deer are, I'll grant that.
- SternAAlbifrons
- Expatriate
- Posts: 5752
- Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2019 11:31 am
- Reputation: 3424
- Location: Gilligan's Island
Re: Life in Stung Treng
Ha! you got me on that one JA. (the cops)Jerry Atrick wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2019 9:31 amLol, the cops own and are the main customers in the same places.SternAAlbifrons wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2019 9:21 amYes you can buy the last of a number of endangered species to eat in Stung Treng.Jerry Atrick wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:44 am I lived in Stung Treng on and off for over a year. Nice place.
Wild meats (boars, deer and forest chicken mainly) are available at a number of the khmer restaurants on the riverside promenade as you go toward the bridge to the Lao border.
Up to you tcw57.
But don't get caught by the cops, wildlife alliance (or me)
Boar and chicken are not endangered species, a few types of deer are, I'll grant that.
Even if not classified as such, all cambodian wildlife is in fact highly endangered.
All hunting for commercial trade, and all wildlife trade, is illegal.
Why would you eat these vanishing animals if you don't have to?
To be a "sophisticated" smart-arse colonial wanker like that plowboy on the other forum? Always boasting about it.
Or just to indulge in a bit of "tasty" dark-side gourmondarie for the illicit thrill?
Anyway, like everything - it's up to you. The cops are hardly likely to jump out from behind the pot plant and take you off to gaol.
As Jerry infers - they are probably more likely to sit down and join you.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 3 Replies
- 1165 Views
-
Last post by John Bingham
-
- 0 Replies
- 1795 Views
-
Last post by CEOCambodiaNews
-
- 0 Replies
- 1634 Views
-
Last post by CEOCambodiaNews
-
- 12 Replies
- 2532 Views
-
Last post by CEOCambodiaNews
-
- 0 Replies
- 1112 Views
-
Last post by CEOCambodiaNews
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: barang_TK, Big Daikon, Bing [Bot], Bluenose, dirtymacca, Freightdog, Google [Bot], jaynewcastle, khmerhamster, Ozinasia, PSD-Kiwi, Richy9999Rich, Semrush [Bot], simon43, Username Taken, yongchi, Zyzz and 954 guests