"Avoid at all costs." Khett Stoeng Treng by planxty

I don't like to write negative tips if I can avoid it, so I will tell you about the positive things I found in Stung Treng (nobody ever refers to it as Khett Stoeng Treng despite the VT search engine). I stayed in an excellent value hotel, and found a lovely restaurant with a very friendly family running it. There you are, the good bits.

I had read that Stung Treng was a bit of a nothing town and that tourists never go there, so that decided me. Big mistake. They say you never get a second chance to make a first impresson, so let me tell you my first impression of Stung Treng. I jumped off the bus and avoided the usual, although not very numerous, touts. I knew where I wanted to stay. The bus stops just by the market, and the stench was pretty ripe. I have travelled a bit and I am used to pit latrines and the like so it didn't put me off too much. I circumnavigated the market with my wheelalong kitbag when I became aware it was dragging. I suspected a bit of rubbish, of which there was plenty, had sngged the wheel, and indeed it had. I looked down to find out I was dragging along a rather large rat. Fortunately (for me, not the rodent) it was completely flat, the victim of roadkill. Welcome to Stung Treng.

Things got no better. Whilst out for a walk I came upon a fairly main road close to the centre of town that was almost totally blocked by uncollected rubbish being "grazed" by cattle (see photo).

There is absolutely nothing to see or do here, and I advise you not to go there. I am sorry to say my abiding memory of this place will be the filth and the stnch.

• Pros:I can find nothing good to say about it.
• Cons:Read the introduction!
• In a nutshell:If you get here, keep on moving.