Its forest surrounded summit adorned with Buddha images and a series of pagodas, Phnom Santuk is the most important holy mountain (207m) in Kompong Thom region and a popular site of Buddhist pilgrimage. Reached by huffing up 809 stairs, with the upper staircase home to troupes of lounging monkeys – or you can wimp out and take the paved 2.5km road – Santuk’s extraordinary ensemble of colourful wats and stupas are a kaleidoscope mishmash of old and new Buddhist statuary and monuments.
Near the main white-walled pagoda is pyramid-shaped Prasat Tuch , which features an intricately carved sandstone exterior. Just beneath the southern side of the summit, there are a number of reclining Buddhas ; several are modern incarnations cast in cement, while others were carved into the living rock in centuries past.
Phnom Santuk has an active wat and the local monks are always interested in receiving foreign tourists. Boulders located just below the summit afford panoramic views south towards Tonlé Sap.
For travellers spending the night in Kompong Thom, Phnom Santuk is a good place from which to catch a magnificent sunset over the rice fields, although this means descending in the dark (bring a torch/flashlight).
