Kampot
Set on the banks of a wide lazy river, it's surprising that Kampot isn't more popular
than it is. The city was Cambodia's main sea port in pre-colonial times, and the French
also used it, giving the city a mix of Chinese, French and Khmer flavors. But the sea
and river were not deep enough for modern cargo ships, the town lost trade and started
to fade into a forgotten backwater, especially when the Khmer Rouge came to power in the
1970s.
Fortunately for the modern traveler, it didn't completely tumble down, and now those
old colonial go-downs and Chinese shop-houses are being restored and turned into quaint
guest houses, hotels and restaurants. While there are a few outstanding sights in the
area, especially Bokor Mountain, there is not really a lot
to do in Kampot. It's more a place to slow down and take a
breather, without the hassles of a more developed destination.
Where to stay: Kampot has no international standard hotels. For that matter, there's only one real hotel in the whole town. However, there are several nice guesthouses along the river-front, some of which could give a 'boutique' hotel a run for its money.
Where to eat: All of the guesthouses have their own restaurants, which tend to be rather good. There are a number of other options along the riverside, so it's quite conductive to simply taking an evening stroll and just stopping where-ever looks good. There are also a couple of places around town that are good for an afternoon cuppa and snack.
What to do: As already discussed, Kampot is not the place for people who have to be on the move every minute of the day. Aside from the visit to the old Bokor hill station, you may want to make a visit to the pepper plantations where the world famous Kampot pepper is produced. You will also want to simply take a walk around town taking in the amazing wealth of architectural relics the city has to offer.
In this section
There are a dozen or more guesthouses in and around Kampot, but unless you're really trying to pinch a penny you'll want to opt for one of the 'better' establishments along the river in town. The list below represents the best of these options. If you want more choices, see the list at Travelfish.
Bokor Mountain Lodge Housed in an old colonial style building, if you can overlook the outdated rooms it's not a bad place to stay.
Map of Kampot City Kampot is a very small city. You can walk from one end of it to the other in 15 to 20 minutes. Most of the interesting sights — mainly the amazing colonial architecture — are along the river or within a few blocks of it. This is also where many of the better guesthouses and restaurants are located.
Fishing boats at anchor near the crab restaurants. Early in the 20th century - even before the hill station on Bokor was built - the coast around Kep became the favored seaside getaway destination for well-to-do French colonists. Like the Bokor hill station, the villas lining the coast at Kep were abandoned by the early 1970s, when the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia.
Kep lies about 25 kilometers to the east of Kampot.
The road up Bokor mountain before is was rebuilt. Perhaps the most interesting sight around Kampot is the old hill station on Bokor Mountain. Originally developed by the French in the 1920s as a place to escape the heat of the city, the small resort village on top of the mountain was abandoned in the 1970s when the Khmer Rouge began their reign of terror. The mountain is now a jungle covered national park, and the hill station is a ghostly echo of Cambodia's colonial past.
Photos of the the lotus pond in Kampot. Click on any of the thumbnails to see the full size image. Pepper flowers Pepper vines Ripe pepper Among gourmets, Kampot pepper is becoming increasingly prized for its strong yet delicate aroma and taste. As with fine wine, it's all about the climate and soil. Modern mass cultivation began in the 1870s, when the Sultan of Aceh burned his Indonesian plantations to keep them out of Dutch hands and moved production to Kampot.
About halfway between Kampot and Kep, a rough limestone hill juts out of the coastal plain. A cave in the hill holds a very old Khmer style shrine. The hill is called Phnom Chosir, or Phnom Sorsea, or Phnom Sasear, depending on which transliteration you believe.
The Khmer shrine in Phnom Chosir cave. Access to the cave is through a small country temple. It's about a 100 yard walk through rice paddies and farms to reach the base of the hill, where some Buddha statues guard the stairs to the cave.
The beach at Rabbit Island Those looking for the best beaches in the Kampot / Kep area usually head for Rabbit Island, or Koh Tonsay in Khmer. The island is very close to the quintessential deserted tropical isle, with white sandy beaches and coconut palms swaying in the light breeze. There are several beaches, some of them you can have almost to yourself. The long west-facing beach has a few rudimentary restaurants and even a few bungalows for rent.
While it is somewhat out of the way, Kampot is still rather well-connected to other parts of Cambodia. You can easily get there from Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.
From Phnom Penh, there is regular bus service to Kampot. The cost of the bus trip is usually around US$5 and takes around three hours. A quicker and more flexible option is to use a private car transfer, which will run you US$25 to US$35 (or more, if you arrange it through a hotel that takes a cut).
Kampot is still very much an 'up-and coming' destination. There are as yet no international hotels present, and within Kampot itself there is only one 'proper' hotel, the Borey Bokor, which doesn't have a web site and by all accounts is more suited to locals. The city does have several good guesthouses, which are the best places to stay if you want to spend several days in the area and like to get out of the hotel once in a while.
There are only two banks with teller machines in Kampot, although a third appeared to be on the way in August 2010. See the city map for locations of the two existing ATMs. Both of the banks have currency exchange serves as well. Note that, as everywhere else in Cambodia, the ATMs dispense US Dollars (although at least one of them can also give you Riel). See the currency page for additional information about money in Cambodia.
Kampot has several good restaurants, and even one or two fantastic ones. Many of the restaurants are part of the city's many guesthouses, but there are a few stand-alone restaurants, cafés and bars as well. Most of the places are near the riverside promenade or along the park blocks running up from the river. Restaurants tend to come and go. However, a few special places are of note: Akashi Café is probably the best restaurant in town, although it's only open for lunch.
Kampot is most definitely not a shopper's paradise. There are, somewhat refreshingly, very few shops selling souvenirs or local handicrafts. Epic Arts Café sells a few things made by local people with disabilities. Down the street, the Handicraft Café is about the only real souvenir shop in town, although they seem to push massage services a lot more than the crafts.
Photos of Kampot's main market. Click on any of the thumbnails to see the full size image.
Like its neighbor Thailand, Cambodia's year is generally divided into three seasons: the “cool season,” “hot season” and “rainy season.” But for travelers from Europe and North American these might more appropriately be labelled hot, really hot and really hot and wet. Fortunately, Kampot's location near the sea gives it a much more temperate climate than inland destinations.
Historical Weather Patterns for Kampot The cool season runs from November to February, and of course this is the best time to visit.
Photos of old buildings around Kampot. Click on any of the thumbnails to see the full size image. Old shophouses Cinema Prison Building Government office Kampot has been settled for centuries, but the current layout of the city along with the oldest buildings date from the French colonial period of the late 19th and early 20th century. Most of the old buildings are in a rather sad state, but there are several good examples that have been restored to the former glory.
Photos of the the lotus pond in Kampot. Click on any of the thumbnails to see the full size image. At the south end of Kampot, roughly behind the governor's house, is a large lotus pond. You'll see lotus ponds in the countryside around Kampot. While you may be aware of the religious symbolism of the lotus in Southeast Asia, you may not be aware that the lotus is also widely used in the cuisine of the region.
