Here’s a selection of the things to do in Kampot, Cambodia – the former French colonial city whose architecture was left to crumble in the wake of independence & war-time conflict.
I was always excited about visiting Kampot in Cambodia – the capital city of the southern Kampot province. It’s more often than not bypassed by travellers on a short visit to Cambodia, just fuels intrigue for those wanting to venture a little further beyond Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. I never got around to it during my first whistle-stop tour of the country and as a result, had high expectations of the town for when I returned.
The truth is, while people rave about this emerging coastal town, it does attract a particular type of traveller that has subsequently given it a negative reputation of hedonism that can overshadow its unkempt nature and window of history appeal. However, known for its French past, its world-renowned pepper and scenic waterside and national park highlights, there are still plenty of things to see in Kampot that make a few days there absolutely worthwhile.
Planning Travel to Kampot, Cambodia
How to Get to Kampot
Most travellers make their way to Kampot from Phnom Penh on the straight journey south, while some may come along the southern coastline from Sihanoukville to Kampot. Both trips take approximately three hours.
Kampot By Bus:
The Cambodian bus network is the easiest and most cost-effective option for travel. Giant Ibis is the most comfortable service.
- The bus from Phnom Penh to Kampot takes around 3 hours and 30 minutes with limited departures approximately every four hours. The earliest bus leaves around 8 am and the last departures are before 6 pm. Bus ticket prices to Kampot start from $10 per person.
- The local bus and minivan services between Sihanoukville to Kampot takes three hours and cost $6 per person. The first departures are at 8 am and the last at 4 pm.
Kampot By Train:
Those looking for a different Cambodian experience may want to schedule their arrival in Kampot with the limited Cambodia train schedule.
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- On Friday and Saturday, only one train departs at 7 am from Phnom Penh to Kampot – a journey that takes around 4 hours and 30 minutes.
- Two trains run on Sunday at 7 am and 4 pm. You have to purchase your ticket at the station, as they cannot be booked in advance.
Safety Tips and Expectations
- I didn’t always feel entirely safe as a solo female traveller – not so much in the daytime but particularly at night when trying to get from town to the pitch-black Tuek Chhu Road where many well-known guesthouses are. Walking between them to see friends was a demanding adrenalin-fuelled few minutes. Pack a torch, and avoid being alone.
- Kampot attracts a particular type of traveller. It’s been some years since I last visited, but Kampot was full of the worst stoners I’ve met in Cambodia. While I’m not against smoking, it was hard being around the kind of travellers who think they omit cool by being stoned to the point of oblivion in a hostel. They weren’t chilling out, they were completely out and that became a difficult sight, too.
- Check local listings for evening events. One bar per night from Thursday-Saturday was designated as the go-to place to be, and apart from Saturday night at Bodhi Villa, the nightlife atmosphere isn’t expansive. However, it has a well-established and thriving live music scene, with different venues such as Infamata Bar, The Plantation and Karma Traders hosting weekly events – check local listings when you arrive.
The Best Things to Do in Kampot
Visit Kampot City for History Architecture
There is something picturesque about the old once-upon-a-time-prosperous town being left to fade in the background that makes Kampot exude an arty presence. French colonial buildings ravaged by time and ‘ghost’ buildings left to crumble in the wake of Cambodian independence and war-time conflict. The streets here tell a thousand stories of hope and devastating loss.
Hire a bike and cycle for a few hours around town and explore randomly. You’ll be surprised what old buildings you come across, what local cafes and eateries you’ll find yourself in and what crumbling corners of the city draw you in with their carved doors, balcony and staircases or the bright paint colours preserving the remnants of such designs.
Kampot Day Trip to Bokor Hill Station
A day trip from Kampot to Bokor Hill Station is easily arranged via an operator in town or by hiring a driver or moto and takes around an hour to get to. A French ghost town in Preah Monivong National Park that surrounds the city of Kampot, it was built as a holiday resort by the colonial French in the 1920s and abandoned during the 1940s during the Indochina War. It was later abandoned by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s.
The Bokor Palace Hotel & Casino was to be the star attraction of the colonial show, although now stands as an empty reminder of a long-gone era. Seeing the somewhat spooky carcass of bygone days is one of the most popular things to do in Kampot. However, it’s been cleaned up a little as word has it that a new investor has moved in with plans to turn it into a colonial-themed museum.
Further along from the hotel, you will come to an abandoned (Blair Witch Project’esque) church which stands solitary next to the roadside. I wouldn’t go up to Bokor Hill Station at night that’s for sure.
Visit the remains of The Black Palace – King Silhanouk’s Summer Residence
Before you reach The Bokor Palace Hotel you can visit the remains of The Black Palace – which was once King Sihanouk’s summer residence. He wasn’t a particularly big spender, so this wasn’t a typical lavish palace – more like a humble private home tucked away in the hills.
Visit a Pepper Plantation
Kampot pepper is a world-renowned and highly sought after spice, and your time here is a chance to taste its high-quality deliciousness exactly, right at the spot where it is cultivated. Set to a backdrop of low mountains and a wide lake, La Plantation is the most popular for farm and processing tours, and the chance to indulge in black, red and white pepper tasting sessions. This family-run project is known for its sustainable practices, investing in and supporting the local communities in the surrounding area. If there is time, add on an extra excursion to your pepper tasting and plantation visit, with a tour of the countryside or a chance to get out lakeside.
Within Kampot itself, the Kampot Pepper Artisan trader, Farm Link offers tours and pepper tastings and contributes to the growth of regional agriculture enterprise that supports a large group of farmers. Each peppercorn here can even be traced back to the exact farmer who grew it.
Take a Trip to Kep and Rabbit Island
Take a bus, taxi or tuktuk and head for Kep, just 30 minutes away. This is a much faster option than the two-hour ferry journey, despite its scenic advantages. Kep is a relaxed natural beauty, with beaches, national parkland and a host of pepper farms. A highlight from Kep is visiting the beautifully compact and rugged Rabbit Island, a short boat ride from the mainland town.
Is a Trip to Kampot Worth It?
Yes, get outside the trap of hostel dwelling and you will soon see the things to do in Kampot offer quite the selection. The timeworn architecture of Kampot provides a fascinating window into the once-prosperous colonial power that operated here, now left to crumble in the wake of modern Cambodian life yet eerily remaining in the background as a reminder of what once was and what could yet again be. The pepper plantations help continue a tradition of farming with worldwide adoration, and whose operations today keep local communities supported and trained in agriculture, and the national parkland, rivers and lakes, beaches and unspoilt unkempt nature that surround it all show how this southern Cambodian beauty has its charms.
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