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There are many provinces in Cambodia and Kandal is one of the smallest of them. Though this province surrounds Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, Kandal’s capital is Ta Khmao. This province lies 20 kilometers to the south of Phnom Penh. Famous for its ancient history, one of the prime attractions for tourists is Udong which was the capital of Cambodia between 1618 and 1866. There are quite a number of tourist attractions in Kandal province and they include a 8 meter statue of reclining Buddha, a number of stupas and the Ta san Mosque.

Geography: Situated on the south middle of Cambodia, Kandal province covers an area of 3,568 square kilometers. Kampong Cham and Kampong Chhnang border it on the north, on the South Vietnam, on the east Prey Veng and on the west Takeo and Kampong Speu. Most of the province consists of the wet areas typical of Cambodia along with agricultural wetlands and rice fields covering most of the area. This province has an average altitude of about 10 meters above sea level. Tonle Bassac and the Mekong, two of the biggest rivers of Cambodia are in this province.

Population: Kandal Province has a population of approximately 1,280,781 people that constitutes 9% of the country’s population as of 2007. Of these, 621,948 are male and 658,833 are females.

Climate: Since Cambodia has a topical climate; it is the same with this province. One can find hot and humid climates round the year with abundance of rainfall during the monsoon that helps cultivation of a variety of crops. This type of climate is also suitable for tourists and they can enjoy Kandal Province round the year apart from Monsoon when the roads are not in a good condition. Since most part of the country are covered extensively by roads, some parts become a little hard ccessible during the monsoon but all the roads in Cambodia are, now, improving as the repairing is just taking part lately. The average temperature of this province is about 27º Celsius with the minimum temperature being approximately 16º Celsius. One should visit this province between the months of December to January when the weather is no too hot. The winter season lasts from November to March, summer from March to May and monsoon from May to October.

Economy: Apart from the natural agricultural economy all over Cambodia, Kandal Province has an added advantage of being close to the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh that gives its economy an additional boost. There are various exports like pepper, peanuts, palm oil and rice. There are a number of garment industries in Cambodia and most of them lie in this district.

Get in and out: There are many different options of visiting Kandal Province due to its close proximity with Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The central bus station close to the central Market offers vehicles for all destinations. Being close to the capital means that buses that go to other districts also have to pass through Kandal Province. There are lots of air-conditioned buses that leave at scheduled intervals and are cheap. One can also opt in for the costlier share taxis. Further more, you can also get moto taxi for a cheaper price and enjoy the view along the road around Phnom Penh.