Stung Treng province
Stung Treng marks Cambodia's northern border with Laos and the point where the Mekong River enters Cambodia after swirling its way around the Four Thousand Islands of southern Laos. Originally a part of Laos, Stung Treng switched to Cambodian ownership during the French period and to this day you'll hear a lot of Lao spoken in town. The quite large province stretches out from both sides of the banks of the Mekong, though just about all travellers to this part of Cambodia stay on the east bank, at the provincial capital of Stung Treng.
The province holds considerable promise for those with an adventurous spirit (and a fair amount of free time) as there are a number of riverine trips that can be undertaken, along with exploring the western bank of the Mekong that very few bother with -- motorcyclists in particular rave about the off-road opportunities in western Stung Treng en route to Preah Vihear.
For most travellers, Stung Treng is but a glimpse from their minibus window as they're shuttled to and from the Lao border and the larger town of Kratie to the south. Stung Treng is also where the road east to Ratanakiri begins, so overlanders heading there will need to pass through here. As with many of the low-key destinations in Cambodia, Stung Treng can be a little under whelming, but give the place some time and you'll find enough to keep yourself busy for at least a day.
