Teacher Trekker

The town of Kampot is located in Southern Cambodia alongside the Praek Tuek Chhur River just kilometers away from the Gulf of Thailand. It serves as the capital of the Kampot Province. This quiet little riverside town is situated to the southeast of the Elephant Mountains and is most known for being the gateway to Bokor National Park.

Originally, I planned on leaving Phnom Penh and staying there for a day to visit the park before making my way to Sihanoukville, but torrential rains the first day flooded the trails and hindered my plans to hike the mountain. As a result, I ended up staying in Kampot for 3 days. When the weather didn’t cooperate, I found indoor activities to keep me busy and then headed outside to explore the second there were pockets of good weather. Finally on the third day, the cloud coverage cleared enough to visit the top of Bokor Mountain without being in a rain cloud. Over the course of my time there I found a growing expat community that pointed me in the direction of many interesting activities and attractions making it a good place to explore for a few days. After a brief introduction you will find my list of 10 Things to Do in Kampot, Cambodia.

Basic Tourist Information

Once you have arrived in Kampot there are a number of places that you can go to ask questions, obtain general tourist information and book tours. The most obvious place to start is with the staff at your sleeping accommodations. Another option is to explore the blocks surrounding the Old Market and nearby park. You should be able to easily locate a number of tour agencies in the area that can assist you.

Another option is to check out the Tourist Information Center on Street 735 between Streets 700 & 722. The map below will help you navigate your way around town. Keep in mind that this site is a business and the employees will be attempting to get you to book a tour. That being said, the staff I encountered were knowledgeable and glad to help despite my lack of interest in booking anything with them.

Finally, make sure to pick up a hard copy of the Kampot Survival Guide. It’s a great resource for all things Kampot. If you don’t have easy access to the internet it will be well worth picking up a copy once you arrive in town. Now let’s take a look at the list!

Teacher Trekker’s Top 10 Things to Do in Kampot, Cambodia

# 10 – Meet People at Local Bars, Bungalows & Hostels

Anyone new to Kampot and looking to connect with fellow travelers will find the best places to do that are local bars, bungalows and hostels. If you need lodging or are just looking to meet people then consider stopping by the Mad Monkey Hostel. There is also the Naga House, which has riverside bungalows, but there were more mosquitoes than I cared to sleep with. Acquaintances stayed at both locations where we hung out and made use of their bar and lounge areas. During the evenings, most of the action is centered around the handful of bars on Street 735 that runs parallel with the river. It was there that I met many foreigners who have decided to move to Kampot for awhile and was able to gain a great deal of information from them. Some of the places I spent some time at include Oh Neil’s, Nelly’s Bar, and Madi Bar. I did stop at RikiTikiTavi, but found the drink prices to be unnecessarily high compared to the rest of the bars. Please refer to my Kampot Food, Lodging & Transportation Guide where you can find additional suggestions and reviews.

# 9 – Massage

Since the weather was so poor during well over half the time I spent in Kampot, there was ample time for indoor activities. Close to the hotel I was staying in was the TVY Massage Parlor. It was located basically in front of the AstroTurf soccer field. Upon entry, the prices were so modest ($6USD/hour) that it was impossible to not spend an hour relaxing while the rain died down. There are many other massage parlors throughout town with similar prices as well as a few more high end establishments. It’s not my typical suggestion, but considering the price and the weather it was an easy decision. To avoid any confusion please be aware that I am referring to a legitimate massage.

# 8 – Kadode Kampot Pepper Factory

I actually stumbled upon the Kadode Kampot Pepper Factory trying to hail a tuk tuk driver. Once I saw the sign, the driver offered to wait for me. Following the sign led me to a sample pepper production farm. A woman came outside and gave me a small tour around the farm. She explained the pepper production process and their dedication to all organic farming techniques.

We then went inside where I saw employees packaging their product. I sampled different flavors of pepper, salt and palm sugar. I ended up buying some sample packs of each of them. I’m sure it was possible to spend much more time there, but the whole process took 15-20 minutes and that was mostly because I was negotiating for a graffiti covered cup/bowl that they had the samples in. Sadly, the girl was not allowed to sell them to me. If you’re looking for authentic organic Kampot Pepper pick it up from the source!

# 7 – Go to a Karaoke Bar

Most of the hustle and bustle at night takes place along Street 735, but at some point in the evening around 10 p.m. you should see the flickering of lights and hear the sounds of loud music coming from the opposite side of the river. From the looks of it there was a club in the distance, but after making inquires, it turns out the lights and music was coming from a local karaoke bar. Both locals and expats told us not to go, like we were going to get murdered upon entry, but their words didn’t deter the group I was with. It’s not like they didn’t let us in or serve us.

Actually, the experience was quite the opposite. Our tuk tuk driver took good care of us. He helped cut whatever tension there may have been, but I did not sense that there were any issues. He assisted in getting us a table and ordering drinks before some of our group butchered their way through some American and British classics. We were the only foreigners in the entire establishment, but no one seemed to care. The majority of the songs were in Khmer, but there were enough western songs to make the best of an evening of karaoke on the river. If you’re looking to get away from the expat scene in Kampot, take a trip to the karaoke bar on the opposite side of the river and hang out with some locals.

# 6 – Take a Boat Trip

For $5 you can take a sunset and fireflies boat tour up and down the Praek Tuek Chhur River, commonly referred to as the Kampong Bay River by foreigners. To reach the dock head to the Tourist Information Center on Street 735 between Streets 700 & 722. It is located next to the Old Bridge that was built by the French between 1916 and 1917, but now is structurally too weak to support vehicles. The tour information and signs all indicate that the tour is two hours, but it was a bit longer than that.

The boat departs at 5:00 p.m. allowing for the opportunity to watch local fishermen head off to the ocean for their evening catch prior to the sunset. During the trip you will pass lush green fields and be able to catch glimpses of large concentrations of fireflies in trees along the river, but poor weather may reduce the amount of viewable lightning bugs. You may also spot jumping fish during the trip, but I didn’t see any. The boat continues slowly chugging upriver until it reaches the turnaround point where it momentarily stops, giving people the opportunity to jump into the water for a brief swim before heading back downriver towards Kampot.

The two level boat was a modest size that couldn’t fit more than fifty people without sinking to the bottom of the river. The bottom level included the bar, bathrooms and some formal seating. The top level was an empty metal surface that functionally serves as the roof of the boat, but was also the floor where the majority of the people sat cross-legged style hanging out during the trip. You may want to bring a blanket. Included in the price is a complimentary beverage of either soda, beer or water. Refills were available for purchase. No food was served, so plan ahead and bring a snack if you feel it’s necessary.

There was a mix of reggae and dance music playing the majority of the time adding to the relaxed setting. Some people treated the tour like a booze cruise, while others just enjoyed the ride under a star filled crystal clear sky. The boat returns to the dock at some point after 7:00 p.m. allowing everyone on board to enjoy the rest of the evening.

# 5 – Explore the Countryside for Locally Produced Products

What better way is there to show no respect for the weather than to jump into a tuk tuk and explore the countryside on muddy waterlogged sometimes impassable red clay roads hunting for palm wine and rice wine? Well that was my plan after being pent up indoors or under food cart umbrellas for more time than I could stand. The driver told me he could deliver, and I took him at his word. We headed out of town and for a solid hour we drove down country roads fighting our way through the muck going from home to home looking for the elusive elixir. The driver would jump out from time to time asking random people questions before carrying on. Other times it was because we were getting stuck. I had to help push a number of times. He would stop at homes, jump off his seat, scurry off and come back each time empty handed. We went across a bridge that isn’t on any of the Kampot guide maps and drove another 4 kilometers to a palm wine farm. Nothing!

On the way back we stopped at a local bar, which looked like nothing more than 6 people hanging out in the early afternoon under some palm leaves at a makeshift picnic table with large ceramic jugs scattered amongst the garbage, dogs and chickens running amuck. The man who appeared to also be the one in charge said that due to the rain they didn’t have any palm wine. They had something, because he barely got the words out of his mouth, and the rest of his crew were all severely inebriated. I later found out in Myanmar that rain does impede the production process. What was clear is that whatever they had was not for sale and we moved on.

Bored and tired of our countless failed attempts to find any Cambodian countryside hooch, I suggested to our driver that we do something else. The rain stopped and the sun even tried to burst through the clouds, so he suggested heading out to the salt fields, the pepper farms and fruit trees. I declined that option. I had little interest to drive another half an hour to see the salt fields, larger pepper farms considering I already went to the sample farm and factory and fruit trees that you can see anywhere if you ride on land transport long enough in Southeast Asia. I had another idea in mind that the driver was able to make a reality.

# 4 – Visit Local Religious Sites

Instead of continuing on the search for booze or visit local farms I asked the driver if he could take me to some local religious sites. We went to a few locations. First, we drove past a small pagoda that I didn’t catch the name of on the way to the larger Treykoh Temple. The exterior of the temple was well maintained compared to many of the sites I have seen throughout rural Southeast Asia. I was fond of the green naga statues running along the edge of the river. We then went inside where he showed me images of the 2 head monks of the temple, the Americans who helped fund the rehabilitation project, and the people responsible for taking care of the temple for many years. The interior walls were full of brightly colored Buddhist imagery. It was obvious how much work was put into the restoration of this site and that only became more apparent when we made our next stop.

There were many small temples and pagodas that we passed during our drive throughout the countryside. I’m sure the tuk tuk driver would have stopped at all of them if I wanted to, but at some point visiting every one of them becomes a bit redundant. The “same same, but different” mantra was in play, and I decided it was time to head back into town. I would have liked to visit some of the shrines that are located in nearby caves, but the weather made the roads nearly impassable at the time, so I had to abandon that pursuit. Hopefully the weather will be more cooperative for you so that you can get to the Buddhist shrines that I had to skip.

My driver then took me to what he referred to as a very special place, Wat Andoung Prang. The reason for this is that the temple is his primary place of worship. This is the wat that is close to his home, where his ancestors are located, and where he and his family practice daily. It was clear once we pulled up that the temple was in need of major renovations. Many tiles were missing from the roof resulting in a large hole that continued to be damaged by water. Rain water fell into the main chamber of the temple and was slowly destroying its interior. What felt as if it could have once rivaled the beauty of Treykoh Temple was not falling into disrepair. I quickly assessed that this place needs to be saved, so I asked to meet with the head monk. I collected his contact information and made a moderate donation to help with the roof project already under way. Unfortunately, I can no longer find that information to reach out, so if you are in the area and stop by, please get it for me and email me via my Contact Me Page.

# 3 – Locate & Try Local Palm Wine & Rice Wine

The first half of my exploration around the countryside of Kampot was dedicated to locating palm or rice wine with no success. I quickly came to terms with the situation and abandoned all hope to locate any locally produced alcohol. Afterwards I shifted my attention to visiting small religious sites in the area. Just when I was about to call it the day was when fate intervened on my behalf. It was necessary for my driver to gas up before heading back to Kampot. Once we pulled out of the makeshift refueling station was when it happened. I shouted out to my driver, “Who is that guy & what is he carrying?”

Walking or should I say stumbling down the road was an emaciated 6 foot tall half naked man wearing nothing but a flannel button down shirt that managed to barely cover his rear end. In his hand was a clear plastic bag with a straw. His staggering was reminiscent of the homeless drunkards who ride the NYC subway system that I encounter on late night train rides. “That’s the village drunk”, the driver replied, and the lightbulb went off in my head.

I told the driver to double back and talk to the local drunk. It turned out that the drunk man just picked up some rice wine in the plastic bag he was carrying. My driver looked at me, and I looked at him not needing words to communicate the next phase of this mission. After a brief discussion with the local alcoholic, we jumped back into the tuk tuk and made our way to a family’s hut on the side of a road. The driver hopped off the tuk tuk and inquired with the woman running what was apparently the local distillery. She did not have any palm wine, but rather rice wine. If you’re not familiar, rice wine tastes nothing like wine and instead is more a rice whiskey that tastes like American backcountry moonshine. I wasn’t going to let that deter me.

The woman welcomed me into her home to sample her product. She opened up a plastic cooler and used a ladle to pour out some of the liquid into a small wax cup. The second it touched my lips I knew this was some low quality alcohol, but at $.50USD per bag you really couldn’t go wrong. The woman poured about a liter of hooch into a plastic bag that she tied up with rubber bands. She handed me a few straws, and BOOM! – mission accomplished. It wasn’t very good, and I could equate the taste to paint thinner or fuel, but it was extremely potent. My father later said it couldn’t have been all that bad if it didn’t melt through the plastic bag or burn through my stomach lining. It didn’t blind me or kill me either. Thanks for the encouragement Dad! The remainder of the day I proceeded to share my bounty with any and all of the travelers that I encountered that evening. The alcohol was nothing special. Rather it was the hunt that was the really fun part, and to think if it wasn’t for that stop to get gas, we would have never found the local drunk who led us to the rice wine. The hunt for palm wine would need to be put on hold until I made it to Myanmar a few weeks later.

# 2 – Visit Bokor National Park

Kampot is often referred to as the gateway to Bokor National Park also known as Phnom Bokor National Park and officially named Preah Monivong National Park. It is only one of two national parks in Cambodia that has been awarded the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Heritage Parks title. During a visit to the park, there is the opportunity to hike through the jungle or use modern transportation to reach waterfalls, abandoned buildings, religious monuments and other natural wonders.

The main attraction at the top of Bokor Mountain is the Bokor Hill Station and the remnants of an era of French colonialism throughout the Indochine that no long exists. Today, the hilltop community is nothing more than a ghost town. There are a variety of dilapidated buildings to explore including the Bokor Palace Hotel, an Old Catholic Church, the former summer residence of King Sihanouk and a number of other buildings all of which have been abandoned.

There are a number of additional sites worth visiting depending on your interests. You can head over to the Popokvil Waterfall. The falls are not safe for swimming, but it is a good spot to have lunch and enjoy the view. Booker Organic Farm which supplies a number of local resorts that offer all organic menus is also in the area. Just by the farm you can go looking for Nephentees flowers and other interesting flora. Wat Samprov Pram sits at the edge of a cliff that drops off into the ocean below. Finally, a stop at the Lok Yeay Mao Monument will provide amazing views of the Gulf of Thailand & in the distance Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island. If you look carefully you can see the sun glimmering off of the salt fields in the valley approaching the ocean.

If you are interested in exploring Bokor National Park and are looking for more detailed information including a historical background, the standard day trip itinerary, additional tour options, transportation tips and other relevant details please refer to my full length Bokor National Park Tour article.

# 1 – Eat The Best Italian in…Cambodia? Southeast Asia?

Located at a roadside food stand on Street 722 is Ciao, or what many refer to as “The Italian’s”. If you’re looking for authentic Italian cuisine during your time in Kampot then you’re in good hands with Chef Diego. This Italian expat cooks with the freshest ingredients the Cambodian market has to offer and infuses it with the techniques he learned growing up making pasta and other delicacies in Italy. The prices are very reasonable considering nothing on the menu costs more than $4. The seating is limited and all the dishes are cooked to order, so be prepared to wait, but it is well worth your time.

I realize that I’m saying the #1 thing you need to do in Kampot is find an Italian chef and let him cook for you. I mean it too! I’m by no means exaggerating when I say it is literally dollar for dollar the best Italian I have ever eaten, and this is coming from someone who was raised on Sunday Italian family dinners and notable Italian restaurants throughout New York City. A more detailed description can be found in my Kampot – Food, Lodging & Transportation Guide.

Conclusions

It is clear that there are a considerable amount of attractions and activities worth exploring in and around the quiet riverside town of Kampot. You will be able to meet tons of interesting people from locals and expats to travelers wandering through. Although the town itself is quite small you may want to rent a bicycle or motorbike to explore the surrounding area as everything is very spread out. If you don’t want to brave it alone then schedule a group tour with an informative local guide. Whatever you decide, make sure to visit Bokor National Park and the various attractions on the mountain. Presented in this article are only some of the possibilities available to you during a visit to Kampot. If you are looking for additional suggestions make sure to check out the Kampot Survival Guide. It’s a great resource for all things Kampot and well worth picking up a hard copy once you arrive in town. Finally, you may want to check out my Kampot – Food, Lodging & Transportation Guide for additional suggestions and reviews. Happy Trekking!