Skun (ស្គន់) is a crossroads town in Cheung Prey district, in Kampong Cham province, located approximately 75 km northeast of Phnom Penh. Known to Cambodians by the nickname "Spiderville," this roadside stop at the intersection of national routes 6 and 7 owes its reputation to a singular commerce: the sale of fried tarantulas, offered alongside a host of other edible insects.

Why stop in Skun

Skun is not a destination in itself but an almost mandatory stopover on the road connecting Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, or Siem Reap. The market scattered around the central roundabout concentrates within a few meters the whole of Cambodian culinary imagination for supplementary proteins: tarantulas, crickets, silkworms, scorpions, grilled snakes. For the traveler, it is an opportunity to observe a local economy entirely structured around a specialty born from a dark period, and to taste, or not, its products.

The stop is also justified by its strategic location: from Skun, you easily reach Kampong Cham, the Phnom Santuk site to the north, or you head up toward Kratie on the Mekong.

Why spiders in Skun? A recent history

The consumption of tarantulas does not stem from an ancient culinary tradition. It became widespread during the Khmer Rouge period (1975-1979), when widespread famine drove rural populations to hunt anything that could be eaten. Arachnids, abundant in the surrounding bush where they live in burrows, became an accessible source of protein.

Once peace returned, the habit remained. Khmer traditional medicine also attributes to the tarantula virtues for the heart and lungs—a local belief that should be taken as such, without proven medical value. Today, hunting in the bush, preparation (most often carried out by village women), and roadside sales constitute an economic sector in its own right for Skun.

What to see, what to taste at the market

Fried tarantulas

Prepared whole and fried in oil with garlic and salt, they are sold on large platters, often accompanied by a sauce based on pepper and lime. The texture is crispy on the outside, softer inside; people say they vaguely resemble chicken or soft-shell crab. The legs are the part most consumed by curious travelers; the abdomen, more liquid, requires more courage.

Other insects

The market offers a wide range:

• fried crickets and grasshoppers
• water bugs (giant water striders), with a very pronounced flavor
• silkworms
• black scorpions on skewers
• small fried frogs

Local products

Beyond insects, you'll find local pineapples, fresh cashews, dried fish from the Mekong and Tonlé Sap, as well as fried or grilled water snakes on skewers. Villagers also harvest palm fruit, transformed on-site into palm alcohol.

Practical advice

• Stop duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour is enough to tour the market and taste a few specialties.
• Food safety: prioritize insects that are still hot and freshly fried, and avoid platters left in the sun for several hours.
• Budget: portions are sold in small boxes or cones, at a moderate price payable in riel or dollars.
• Climate: tropical, with an annual average of 27.8 °C and 1,533 mm of rainfall. April is the hottest month, December the coolest. The dry season (November to April) is more comfortable for lingering roadside.
• Accommodation: a few simple guesthouses exist, but most travelers only make a stopover here.

How to get to Skun

Skun is located on national route 7, which makes it very accessible from the capital.

By bus

All buses connecting Phnom Penh to the northern and northeastern provinces (Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Kratie, Stung Treng) pass through Skun. The journey from Phnom Penh takes approximately 2.5 hours. Buses heading to Kampong Cham are generally the most economical.

By minibus or shared taxi

Minibuses serve Skun daily from Phnom Penh heading to Kompong Thom, Kratie, or Siem Reap. Faster than buses, they stop on demand at Skun's roundabout.

Nearby areas

From Skun, several sites can be reached within an hour or two of travel:

• Phnom Santuk, a wooded hill topped with a complex of temples and Buddha statues, accessible heading north.
• Kampong Cham province and its ancient Khmer temples, to the east via Route 7.
• Further along Route 7, Nokor Bachey, a temple-pagoda blending Angkorian ruins and an active sanctuary.

Frequently asked questions

Preparing your stopover

Skun fits naturally into an itinerary connecting Phnom Penh to the northeastern provinces or the temples of Angkor. To build a circuit that combines this unusual stop and the country's major sites, consult our custom trips to Cambodge.