The Te Teuk Pus Hot Spring Resort is located in Oral District, Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia. To reach the site from Phnom Penh, travelers take National Road 4 for about 48 km to Kampong Speu town. From there, they turn right onto National Road 44 and continue for approximately 50 km to Oral District, followed by an additional 22 km westward to arrive at the resort.
The resort is renowned for its natural hot springs, where water emerges at a scorching 70 °C. Locals believe the mineral-rich waters help relieve joint pain and skin conditions, although these claims have not been scientifically verified.
According to Khmer folklore:
A long time ago, this place was a large ancient village called “Te Village,” governed by a wealthy landlord. This landlord was a greedy and stingy man who did not want his wealth to fall into the hands of any extended family members. To preserve his fortune, he arranged for his son and daughter to marry each other.
At their wedding ceremony, he invited only the wealthy. The poor were excluded, not even his servant, Grandma Tey, was invited, as he believed she would not bring a gift. Worse still, the miserly landlord ordered that the crocodile Grandma Tey had raised be captured and killed to prepare food for the guests.
This cruel act enraged the goddess of the earth, who opened the ground and swallowed the landlord, his children, and all the wedding guests, sending them straight to hell, leaving nothing behind.
Terrified by the event, Grandma Tey fled to Te Mountain, where she shaved her head and became a nun. The place where she shaved her head later became known as “Ke Yeay Tey Village.”
Meanwhile, the spot where the earth had swallowed the landlord turned into a pond, with hot water rising from the ground hot enough to cook a chicken. Since then, the area has been known as “Te Teuk Pus” (Boiling Water), a name it retains to this day.
The site holds spiritual significance for the Suoy people, an indigenous minority group in Cambodia, who continue to perform traditional rituals there. A statue of Yeay Tey, a legendary figure, stands near the springs as a symbol of spiritual reverence.
During the Khmer Rouge regime, the area was under guerrilla control. In recent years, however, the Cambodian government has transformed it into an eco-tourism destination, preserving its natural beauty while making it more accessible to visitors.
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