Koh Paen Eastern Cambodia

This serene island in the Mekong River just south of town offers a slice of rural local life, with fruit and vegetable farms and traditional wooden houses. During the dry season, several sandbars – the closest thing to a beach in this part of Cambodia – appear around the island. Bicycles can be hired from some local guesthouses to explore under your own steam. An elaborate bamboo bridge connects Koh Paen to the southern reaches of Kompong Cham (foreigner US$1, dry season only). The bridge is an attraction in itself, built entirely by hand each year and looking from afar like it's made of matchsticks. Sadly, its future is in doubt as a concrete bridge opened 2km south in 2018, making it functionally obsolete.