Sitting in the south of Cambodia, Kampot is teeming with wild nature ranging from the towering Bokor mountain to the eery caves to the ancient architecture of the buildings.
About Kampot
Kampot is situated in the south of Cambodia, bordering Kampong Speu and Koh Kong in the North, Kep to the South, Vietnam and Takeo to the East and Sihanoukville to the West. Kampot City is the capital of the province, located right by the Teuk Chhu River and only 5 km from the gulf of Thailand.
Within the city, the city flourishes as a peaceful town with not much going on. The old French Architecture of the past are still featured prominently all around the city. From the old, dilapidated bridge to the shop houses by the river to the “Old Market”, Kampot City isn’t afraid to show it off. If architecture isn’t much of your thing, there are still plenty to enjoy; the river provides an amazing view of the sunset while the newly restored “Old Market” is a must if you want to pick up some fresh Kampot products. Kampot is very well known for its peppers and durians as indicated by the numerous peppers farms and a roundabout of a literal durian. Being a quiet town, it provides visitors not only a nice place to have a vacation but also provides access to other amazing location just outside of the town.
Being lined with mountains, it provides the province with more than the scenery. About an hour from Kampot City is Bokor Mountain, currently being developed by a Chinese casino, was once known as the home of a ghost town. Abandoned buildings from the French Colonial era used to stand eerily atop the mountain, giving viewers a truly unique experience. With the Chinese casino being built atop the mountain, it has lost a lot of it’s magic but visitor can still experience the nature that it provides. Other points of interests in the province are:
- Teuk Chhu Waterfall
- Secret Lake
- Pepper Farms
- Caves
Going to Kampot
Kampot is one of the more well known vacation spot in Cambodia so along with that comes various forms of transportation such as bus, van, taxi, or even the train. Taxis are generally the fastest way to get to Kampot but that comes with the price of safety and a lack of space in the car as a Toyota Camry will generally have about 8 person in it. A bus or van is usually the preferred mode of transportation where it tends to be much safer and more reliable. Some of the companies that can take you to Kampot are:
- Mekong Express
- Giant Ibis
- Ekareach Express
- Phnom Penh Sorya
- Bokor Transport
- CTT Transportation
- Champa Mekong
- Cambodia Post VIP van
- Kim Seng Express
- Kampot Express
All these can be found and booked through the BookMeBus app. If you’re looking for something different, you can take the train. The train only runs on the weekends and holidays and only runs to the province, Takeo and Sihanoukville. The train is fairly slow, taking around 6 hours to get to Kampot.
Getting around
A lot of places in the province that can’t be accessed simply by walking. A vehicle is recommended especially one that you personally own but if not, there are plenty of rental places in Kampot City. Motorcycle and bikes can be rented out for very cheap and because it’s such a quiet town, you wouldn’t have to worry about traffic in the city.