Pursat Province
Table of Contents
Overview
Pursat is the fourth biggest province of Cambodia. The province is located in the western part of the country and borders clockwise from the north with Battambang, the Tonle Sap Lake, Kompong Chhnang, Kompong Speu, Koh Kong, and Thailand. Pursat offers a perfect access to both the Tonle Sap (just 35km far) and the Cardamom Mountains (right to the West). The name of Pursat refers to a type of tree. The provincial capital of Pursat is also called Pursat town. The city is located right in the middle between the Tonle Sap and the Cardamom Mountains on the riverbanks of the Stung Pursat. Pursat is the home of many marble workshops. The precious marble stones originate from the Cardamoms Mountain.
Tonle Sap
Pursat province offers the magnificent opportunity to see one of the larger and markedly less touristy floating villages without a significant investment in time or money. In fact, there are a number of floating villages in the province only accessible from the lake, Peach Kantil, Kbal Taol, and Prek Kr, but you can only see Kompong Luong for the cost ofKampong Luong Floating Village.
Central Cardamoms
Pursat offers a relatively easy way to enter this fantastic ecological wonder, the massive Cardamom Mountains. Accessing the central Cardamoms from Pursat is not too difficult as there is a road from Pursat to Veal Veng, a small village between the Mt. Samkos and Mt. Aural Wildlife Sanctuaries. There's really nothing to do but to take a drive through the country, to have a look at the mountains, and to talk to people who don't see many foreigners and that is even worth it. There's no organized transport from Pursat to this place, but if you ask around you should eventually get satisfactory results.
Cardamom Mountains as viewed from National route 5 near Pursat Town. 
Geography
Pursat province is 12,692 square kilometres big. It 's located in the Southwest of the country and is bordering to the North with Battambang, to the East with Kampong Chhnang, to the South with Kampong Speu and Koh Kong and to the West with Thailand. The province consists of some typical plain wet areas near the Tonle Sap Basin, covering rice fields and other agricultural plantations. The Tonle Sap itself covers a big part in the province 's Northeast. Most surface area of the country is the Kravanh Mountains, or literally called "Cardamom Mountains". This is a green, forested mountain range in the southwestern part of the province, near to the border with Thailand. The highest elevation is the 1,813m high Phnom Aural in the Southeast corner of the country.
Climate
-Cool season: November- March (18-28c)
-Hot season: March-May (22c -34c)
-Rainy season: May -October (22-32c, with humidity up to 90%.)
Pursat 's average temperature throughout the year is definitely lower than in other areas of Cambodia (except Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri Province).
Economy
Pursat 's economy consists basically of agricultural farming, fishery, rice and fruit cropping in the North of the province near the Tonle Sap Basin. Beside this the harvesting of sandalwood oil, which fetches huge prices in Asia (but sandalwood trees are disappearing fast in Cambodia) is another livelihood for the locals. Unfortunately the illegal logging of precious hardwoods and the poaching of endangered species give some people an additional income.
Tourist Attraction
Cardamom Mountains
A trip from Koh Kong to Pailin will cut through the Cardamom Mountains on the western edge of Pursat province. The Cardamom Mountains of Koh Kong and Pursat provinces are said to be the most pristine wilderness area remaining in Southeast Asia. This ride takes you through the area.
Floating Village of Lake Tonle Sap
Heading east from Pursat town, about one-third of the way to Kampong Chhnang town is the town of Krakor. Just a few kilometers to the north are Lake Tonle Sap and the floating village Life at Kampong Luong Floating Village of Kampong Loo-uhng. It 's a complete village on the water populated mostly by Vietnamese fishermen. You can arrange for a small non-motorized boat to show you around for 4,000 riel per hour.
Neak Ta Khleang Moeang
Neak Ta Khleang Moeang How to go: Location: Description: Is the main historical site in Cambodia and located at Snam Preah Commune, Ba Kan District in Six-Kilometer. The site is the sacred place prayed and worshipped by tourists who come from the near and far areas. This venerable site has a statue of Neak Ta Khleang Moeang respected and worshipped by the Cambodian people. The statue is newly made and put at the right place because the ancient statue is completely damaged by the civil war.
