In-Depth Guide To Kampot: Cambodia’s Chillest Riverside Town

Kampot, a town of 50,000 near the Cambodia-Vietnam border, isn’t what you might think. It’s more developed than most towns or even cities in Cambodia, and its tourist infrastructure is very strong. It also offers a ton of geographical diversity nearby.

Even though it’s a well-off municipality,  it maintains a comfortable and laid-back atmosphere that you’ll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the country and which can only be described as chill.

I recently visited Kampot for the first time and did some serious research about visiting through a combination of exploration and talking with locals and long-time expats.

In this Kampot travel guide, I’ll share with you what I learned about where to stay, what to do around the city, and how to get there. I’ll also go into depth about the nearby seaside town, Kep.

What makes Kampot unique

In my experience, travelling through Cambodia has always been a pretty down-and-dirty experience for a few reasons, Marek discussed in his post about the pervasively rough feeling of tourism in the country. Even Siem Reap, a city I love visiting, has that very rough-around-the-edges feel.

Kampot is an exception to my usual Cambodian travel experience. It’s pretty, clean, and practically bohemian in its local lifestyle. There are a few unique aspects that set it apart from the rest of Cambodia and give it a different vibe…

Just modern enough

Kampot is big enough and wealthy enough to offer modern comforts like convenience stores, boutique hotels aplenty, and cute air-conditioned cafes and restaurants. It’s also clean and has good air quality.

But, at the same time, it is slow-paced, quiet, and charming like only small towns can be. I can’t stress enough how rare this combination is in Cambodia.

The Preaek Tuek Chhu River

Kampot has utilized the lounging potential of its riverside like no other town in Cambodia. Lots of the riverbank has been converted into sandy beaches or waterfront bars on bamboo docks.

In fact, I had never really experienced a truly nice “river beach” until visiting Kampot – more on that in this post’s “what to do in Kampot” section.

Architecture

Kampot has a larger concentration of French colonial architecture than anywhere else in Cambodia.

Most Cambodian cities rebuilt a lot of their buildings after the Khmer Rouge, but Kampot did not for a variety of reasons.

When it finally did start developing as a city near the start of the millennium, awareness about the value of heritage architecture had already spread, and it was preserved. The result is a visually distinct city, especially near the town center.

Creative expat culture

Lots of towns in Southeast Asia are global nomad havens, but Kampot seems to attract a ton of longer-term expats who stay there for decades. Those expats are often artists, musicians, chefs, or offbeat entrepreneurs who establish quirky businesses there, giving the town a creative edge you won’t find elsewhere in Cambodia. 

I also noticed during my trip that the expat community seemed friendlier than in most Southeast Asian locations I’ve visited.

How to Get to Kampot

The most popular ways to get to Kampot are:

By train

There is a train station in Kampot, meaning it is connected to several other large Cambodian cities by rail. Unfortunately, Siem Reap is not on that list. Battambang, Pursat, Phnom Penh, and Sihanoukville are.

Note: The Poipet-Sisophon-Battambang rail service is currently suspended.

Cambodian trains are actually quite comfortable. They don’t have sleeper berths like the train in Vietnam, but even the standard compartments have AC and are well-maintained. I’m a huge proponent of long-distance train travel in general, as I feel it’s the most scenic way to travel almost any country.

The only major issue with the train in Cambodia is that it’s very slow compared to other trains, travelling at only 35kph (22mph). The table below lists travel times by train.

By bus

If you’re already in Cambodia but you’re not in a city along the train line, cross-country buses are available. They’re basically the same cost as the train, and they’re not as scenic, but they’re a bit faster. 12go.com is my recommended vendor for bus tickets in Southeast Asia.

book your bus tickets on 12go

From the Vietnam border

Since Kampot is less than an hour from the Vietnamese border, it’s not uncommon for travelers to cross the border from the Vietnamese town of Hà Tiên to the Cambodian town of Prek Chak before making their way there.

The large area between Ho Chi Minh City and the border, aka The Mekong Delta, is my favorite part of Vietnam to travel through; you can read all about it in my in-depth Mekong Delta travel guide.

So, exploring Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region and ending up at the border is a great way to travel to Kampot.

It’s also easy to take a bus directly to the border from Ho Chi Minh City using FUTA Bus Lines. It only costs 240k ($9) and the buses are comfortable and clean. From the border, just catch a taxi or tuk-tuk to Kampot.

By taxi/tuk-tuk

If you’re travelling from a nearby location, a taxi or tuk-tuk is a more expensive but also extremely convenient method. Both vehicles tend to cost about the same. The table below suggests average costs and travel times.

Where to stay in Kampot

From my travels around Kampot combined with testimony from locals, I can suggest five areas to stay in that provide very different backdrops for your trip in Cambodia. Read about each one and decide which vibe appeals most to you.

If you want to get the most variety possible, try staying in two or three of these areas for a few nights each if you’re in Kampot for long enough.

Spoilers, my top recommendation for a hotel in Kampot is Fish Island Bungalows.

Old Town

Kampot has one of the nicest Old Towns I’ve ever been to. It is the tourist hub of the city, so you can expect to see the usual backpacker trappings like mid-range hostels, travel agencies galore, slightly overpriced street food carts, and restaurants selling Cambodian specialties as well as Western favorites like hamburgers and spaghetti.

(taneso99o/depositphotos.com)

Unlike most backpacker districts, though, Kampot’s Old Town includes upscale niceties. There are a lot of invitingly clean cafes and boutiques, all the streets are decked out in strings of soft yellow lighting, and the riverside promenade on one end of Old Town is extremely pleasant.

Since Kampot’s Old Town has so many tourist-friendly amenities and it’s in such a central location, it’s perfect for those who are new to traveling and don’t feel up to navigating the Khmer language or the complexities of staying in a more rough-and-tumble area.

I stayed in Good Morning Kampot for part of my trip on a local friend’s recommendation and have nothing bad to say about it at $10/night. Other good hotels in the Kampot Old Quarter include:

River Beach

BEST FOR LOUNGING

The Prek Tuek Chhu River runs through the middle of Kampot, and the riverbank to the South of the town, on the same side of the bridges as Old Town, is an incredible place for lounging.

I’ll talk about the riverbank itself a bit more in the “what to do in Kampot” section of the guide, but the area has a few hostels that I walked by and made a note to stay in next time I’m in Kampot. 

The area is certainly not as centrally located as the accommodations in Old Town; the road running along the river is a barebones slab of asphalt that stretches on for kilometres. But the peace and quiet of the riverbank is amazing, especially since most of the bungalow-style hotels along the riverside have pools to lounge by.

Some of the best and coolest hotels along the river are:

Fish Island

BEST FOR LOCAL TROPICAL VIBES

Fish Island, which is located across the river directly south of Old Town, is full of the tropical small-town vibes one might imagine when they think of a jungle village in Southeast Asia.

It’s choked with greenery, most of the buildings are little more than shacks built from sheet metal, and there are chickens, cows, and stray dogs roaming the dirt paths that branch off the main street.

I stayed in Fish Island Bungalows ($18/night) for my last night in Kampot, and I absolutely loved it. The staff was nice, the premises were clean, and both the room and the grounds were gorgeous. Highly recommended.

find the best rates here

You can also stay on the far side of the island, which feels more remote and peaceful since it’s not on the same branch of the river as Old Town. It has lots of bungalows that looked very nice, but my pick would be Lumhery Kampot because it has a private beach, a multi-story dock on the river, and fantastic-looking rooms.

Besides the great options mentioned above by Dustin, another one is to go north along the river, where you’ll find many more charming bungalows and mini-resorts. I did this on my visit and enjoyed being a bit further from the town, surrounded by nature.

The river narrows here and there are no wide beaches like in the south, but it’s a lovely area for lounging and kayaking. It’s a bit more isolated (approx. 10 minutes’ drive from the town center), so you will need either your own transportation or use taxi rides.

Being on a budget solo trip, I stayed at The Hideaway, but for a more upmarket couples’ or family stay, I would recommend the nearby Devi Kampot Resort or Villa Vedici.

— Marek

Getting around in Kampot

Kampot is small enough to where walking is a very feasible mode of transport. To get to locations on the edge of town or if you’re in a rush, though, the two best alternatives are:

Bicycle

Bike rentals are available at lots of guest houses and agencies in Kampot’s Old Town for as little as $1 per day, which is a fantastic deal, especially when you consider some of the other best excursions in Kampot (listed in the next section) are good cycling routes.

Tuk-Tuk/passapp

Tuk-tuk drivers post up in front of guest houses and other tourist areas, and they charge $2-5 to drive you around town.

If you have a Cambodian SIM card, I’d highly recommend you use the local ride-hailing app, Passapp. It’s cheaper than freelance tuk-tuks, and you’ll be able to see the price before you book a trip, so you can avoid payment confusion.

What to do in Kampot

On the surface, it might seem like there’s not a lot to do in Kampot other than relax. But with a little digging (which I’ve done for you), you’ll find lots more activities to keep you busy.

1. Visit a Peppercorn farm

Kampot has arguably the best pepper in the world. I’m not being hyperbolic; world-class chefs like Alain Ducasse and Ferran Adria swear by the black, green, red, and white peppercorns from the area because of their tendency to elevate dishes.

The mineral-rich quartz soil of the area, the sea breeze, and the tropical heat imbue the pepper with complex aromas not found anywhere else.

Lots of agencies in Kampot’s Old Town offer tours of nearby peppercorn plantations, but the most highly-rated – and the one I went on – is La Plantation’s tour.

Touring a small plantation and seeing how pepper is picked and processed might sound a bit dull (it did to me before I did it). Maybe it appealed to the foodie in me, but learning how the locals maintain such a prestigious pedigree for their crops was actually fascinating.

The guided tours are free, relying on the fact that many customers will buy spices at the farm after the free tasting. There are also $25 tours that provide more interaction with farmers and hors d’oeuvres.

2. Visit the Kampot Museum

The former residence of the French representative in Kampot is right next to Old Town, and it’s the best place to learn about the area.

The main exhibit details the history and development of Kampot, complemented by some photos, student artwork, archaeological artefacts, and a model depicting recommendations for future development.

With just a couple of rooms, it’d be hard to spend more than half an hour or so there, but it’s well worth the $2 admission. The museum is supposed to be open every day from 8-11 am and 2-5 pm, but it seems to close erratically; go in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon for the best chance.

3. Take a walk or a bike ride on the other side of the river

My favorite walk in Kampot took me across the river and through a very small-town part of Kampot.

Here is the route I took:

1. From Old Town, walk across the Old Bridge. This is easily the least pedestrian-friendly portion of the walk, as the bridge’s sidewalk is very narrow and motorbikes are zooming by less than a meter from you. You might want to take a tuk-tuk over the bridge instead.
2. Head left after the bridge. The road isn’t very nice to walk on at this point, but take a left at the first opportunity to get to the riverbank. Check out the small Hindu shrine nearby.
3. Walk south down the riverbank across the river from Old Town. There are lots of plastic chairs and tables set up where locals hang out in the evening.
4. When you come to a bridge on your left, cross it onto Fish Island.
5. On the other side of the bridge will be a dirt road leading to your left. Walk down it towards the clock tower. It was the prettiest “tropical small town” road I found in Kampot.
6. Once you reach the clock tower at the end of the small road, turn around and head back to the main street.
7. Turn left on the main street and take the loop depicted on the map below. Use Google Maps to keep from losing your way.
8. Check out the traditional Cambodian temple marked on the map.
9. Make your way back to Old Town using the same route you took on the way.

Here’s a map showing the route I recommend:

4. Eat around the world

For a small and still relatively unknown Cambodian town, Kampot has an incredible array of international restaurants and cafes. Simple Things, a vegetarian restaurant equally beloved by carnivores, and Epic Arts Café, a social enterprise that supports inclusivity and the arts, are long-standing favorites.

If you’ve been craving a specific cuisine, you can probably find it in Kampot, too. There’s street-style Mexican at Kampot Cantina, Mediterranean at Aroma House, and Indian at Masala Twist.

5. Get a massage

In towns all over Southeast Asia, you’ll find spas on seemingly every corner. The region is famous for the massages that cost $5-$8 an hour, but the standards vary and the quality is unpredictable.

Kampot has plenty of these nondescript spots, and more upscale spas, of which the best are Nibi Spa, Bali Massage, and, if you’re a female traveler, the women-only spa Banteay Srey across the river from town. Nibi offers a spa day (not including massage) for $20, and all three of these spas do massages for roughly $15-20.

6. Walk or cycle to the River Beach

The riverside along the road south of Old Town has been made into a beach that stretches for kilometres. Most of the sand is natural, although some of the more popular beach areas are layered with ocean sand shipped in from Sihanoukville.

One of the best walks I took during my trip to Kampot ended up at the river beach. If you’re in the mood for some on-foot exploration, follow these steps in the evening, when it’s cooler out and the locals are spending leisure time on the promenade along the river:

1. On foot, head south from Old Town along the riverside, past the seahorse statue. This is the center for local activity, so it’s great for people-watching.
2. Walk past the monument of the man on the horse and past the old fish market, an area with lots of street food and kids riding tiny electric vehicles.
3. Continue past a block of local cafes – shout out to my girl Pi Sey at PK Coffee, a very inexpensive and pleasant cafe along the way that has a riverside deck.
4. From here on out, the pedestrian path gets a bit rougher because there’s no sidewalk. Pretty soon, though, the riverbank will open into a beach you can walk along. The sand is not very nice for the first 500 metres or so, but it becomes cleaner as you get further away from town. It’s a gorgeous walk in the evening, and I enjoyed walking all the way down to the Last Beach Resort.

Here’s a map showing the route I recommend:

7. Cruise the river via kayak or sailboat

River Cruises are a common tourist activity in Kampot, but I would recommend instead floating along at your own pace in a kayak or sailboat. Both options give you a much more serene, fulfilling experience than crowding onto a noisy riverboat with other tourists.

The best place to rent kayaks is from the beach in front of the Last Beach Resort. Rental costs $5 for two hours. I went in the middle of the day, but I’d recommend instead going during sunset because it’s cooler and more picturesque. 

Sailboats are a more expensive option. Sail in Kampot offers introductory private classes for $60 or solo exploration for $40/two hours.

8. Bike on back roads to Secret Lake (aka Brateak Krola Lake)

Rural areas east of Kampot

Secret Lake is deceptively named because it is quite well-known among locals for being a fantastic evening hangout spot. Very few tourists know about it, though, so I guess it’s somewhat of a secret in that respect.

I took a tuk-tuk to the secret lake so I could vouch for its serenity, but I was told that exploring the backroads near there on a bicycle is the best way to experience the rugged, wild beauty of Suburban Kampot.

9. Go up to Bokor Mountain

Just a few miles from Kampot, and easily visible from town, stands Bokor Mountain. It has quite a varied history, first as a hill station and vacation spot for French colonists, then as a military site during the Khmer Rouge.

Marek during his visit to Bokor Mountain

With its fascinating abandoned buildings, sweeping views over the countryside, and slightly cooler temperatures, it has more recently become a popular tourist attraction. Unfortunately, Chinese companies are buying up the area and have already opened a massive casino at the top, so it may eventually lose its appeal.

But for now, a trip to Bokor remains one of the top things to do in Kampot. You can sign up for a group tour at most any hotel or tour agency in town, or you can rent a motorbike and go up independently. The ruins of Bokor Palace, once the main attraction, has already been renovated, but you’ll still be able to visit the ruins of a church, temple, police station, and some other colonial-era buildings.

This guided tour gives you the complete Bokor experience. You’ll explore the haunting ruins of an abandoned French church, cool off at the hidden Popokvil Waterfall, and wander through the Nepenthes Flower Fields, home to otherworldly carnivorous plants.

The adventure ends at the towering 29-meter Lok Yeay Mao Monument, with epic views stretching all the way to the shimmering South China Sea.

There are also some prime hiking trails in Bokor Park, a few of which are listed in the table below.

There’s a ranger’s booth at the entrance to the park where you can ask for directions to specific waterfalls or trailheads. They’ll also charge an entrance fee of $0.50 if you’re on a bike.

Popokvil waterfall (3 miles north of Bokor Hill Station) You can swim in the shallow pond between the falls or hike to their base.

10. Explore the caves

The karst landscapes around Kampot have many small caves, some of which are especially worth visiting. They’re easiest to visit if you have your own motorbike.

Phnom Sorsir is just off Road 33 north of Kep. The cave is part of a small Buddhist complex with a temple and stupa. The cave’s name comes from some of the stalagmites resembling the head of an elephant, but you’ll need a very active imagination to see this.

You may find local guides willing to show you around the cave, specifically how to climb through the back of the cave and loop around through the forest. You don’t really need a guide, but if you use them, you can tip them a small amount (a dollar or two).

Note: There are two caves that claim to be the ‘elephant cave’. The other is Phnom Sorsia.

Phnom Chhnork Temple is a little further off the road, about a 30-minute drive into the countryside on uneven dirt roads. It’s lovely to visit both for the cave itself and for the rural landscapes you’ll see on the way.

There’s one large cavern with a shrine, but a very narrow passage also leads into a deeper set of chambers. Going down this passage may seem a little sketchy at first, but don’t worry (locals will be able to show you the way). It’s a fun adventure with lots of clambering and climbing.

11. Go to Kep for the day

The nearby coastal town of Kep makes a great day trip from Kampot. Buses run back and forth for $3, but you can also rent a motorbike in Kampot and ride down on your own or take the daily crab shuttle, a scenic 2.5-hour boat trip that connects the two towns.

Kep’s seafood, especially the crab, is famous throughout Cambodia. Most tourist-oriented restaurants there emphasize crab and other seafood dishes, but you can also buy crab straight from the market and have it cooked at one of the stalls. Even if you’re not a seafood enthusiast, the market is still an interesting sight to see.

Another part of Kep’s appeal is the woefully under-visited national park that borders the town. You can take an easy walk around the perimeter of the park or a more strenuous hike through the middle, and you’ll be treated to ocean views much of the way. There’s also a sandy beach right in town, where you can go for a swim or rent a lounge chair in the shade.

If a more tranquil beach is what you’re after, Rabbit Island is just a short boat ride from Kep. There’s not much to do there besides swim, sunbathe, walk around, or lie in a hammock, so it’s the perfect place to relax.

Note: Getting around Kep can be very difficult if you don’t have a motorbike, as the town is a bit spread out and isn’t serviced by ride-hailing apps. Mr. Phors is an English-speaking tuk-tuk driver I got rides with a few times; his WhatsApp number is 015292965.

Kampot or Kep: where to stay?

Kampot and Kep are close to each other, and both have their own vibe. Some say Kampot is more for backpackers and Kep more for families, but it probably just depends on what you’re looking for.

Kep is mostly about the sea views. On a clear day, you can see the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc, as well as the smaller Cambodian islands of Koh Po and Koh Tonsay (a.k.a. Rabbit Island). Crab fishers are often seen around the bay. The town hugs two hills that are about 200m tall, which you can climb for even better bay views and a chance to encounter some monkeys.

Kep was a luxury resort in the 1960s before the days of the Khmer Rouge. You can still see many abandoned villas from that era, some of them overgrown. These ghosts of the past give Kep a unique character.

Rural area east of Kampot Kep beach

When to visit Kampot & Kep

The best time to visit Kampot or the nearby Kep is November-February, as the weather is dry and cool during that time.

March-May are also dry months that are good for visiting, though the weather heats up considerably during that time.

May-October is the wet season in the area, so I’d steer clear unless you don’t mind the wetness.

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