Sre Ampel Waterfall — Quick Facts
- What is it?
- nature — Clear Mountain Pools at the Foot of the Aural Range
- Where?
- Kampong Chhnang , Cambodia
- Entry Fee
- Small community entry fee
- Opening Hours
- Daylight hours
- Time Needed
- Half a day including the drive
- Best Time
- Late wet season to early dry (roughly September–December), when flow is strong and pools are full
- Don't Miss
- Swimming in a deep, clear mountain pool with the Aural range rising behind and no crowd in sight
What to See at Sre Ampel
The Falls and Pools
Sre Ampel’s water comes down off the Aural range — Cambodia’s highest mountains — and moves across rock in a chain of cascades and ponds. The pools are the attraction: deep, clear and constantly refreshed, good for a real swim rather than a splash. Greenery closes in around the rock, and birdsong does the soundtrack.
A Community-Run Site
The waterfall is looked after by a local ecotourism community in Kdol Sen Chey commune — entry fees stay in the village, and simple picnic shelters and food stalls operate in season. Expect Khmer weekend picnickers rather than foreign tourists.
How to Get to Sre Ampel
The falls are in Kdol village, Kdol Sen Chey commune, Tuek Phos district — about 58km from Kampong Chhnang city.
- By car or moto: Rural roads that get rougher near the site; a high-clearance vehicle or moto is the comfortable choice, especially in the wet season
- Combine: The Tuek Phos belt — Tmor Kral, Anlung Svay, Keat Farm and the campsites — is all within striking distance for a full day or overnight
Practical Tips
- Flow is strongly seasonal: spectacular after the rains, modest by late dry season — time your visit accordingly
- Bring swimwear you can wear modestly (Cambodians typically swim clothed), water shoes for the rocks, and cash for the community fee and food stalls
- Pack out what you bring in; the community keeps the site clean
Nearby Attractions
- Tmor Kral Waterfall — the stone-carpet falls and its ecotourism village, in neighbouring Chieb commune
- Keat Farm — Cambodia’s pioneering sheep farm, on the way back through Tuek Phos
- Merl Pkay Camping — stargazing campsite for turning the trip into an overnight
Nearby Attractions in Kampong Chhnang
village Ondong Rossey Pottery Village
The Village That Gave the "Pot Province" Its Name
village Kampong Chhnang Floating Villages
Phoum Kandal & Chong Kos — Life on the Water, Without the Tour-Bus Crowds
other Farmhouse Resort & Spa (Smiling Gecko)
A Farm-to-Table Resort Where Every Stay Funds Rural Cambodian Futures
experience Keat Farm (Sheep Field)
A Thousand Sheep in the Cambodian Hills — the Country's Pioneering Flock
Useful Links
Practical Info
- Entry Fee
- Small community entry fee
- Opening Hours
- Daylight hours
- Time Needed
- Half a day including the drive
- Best Time
- Late wet season to early dry (roughly September–December), when flow is strong and pools are full