Kampot Travel Tips: What to See and Do

Kampot is the name not only of the province in Cambodia that gave the famous pepper its name, but also of a small town: Kampot City is a popular destination for tourists, and Cambodians love coming here too, for example to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Photo by Cambodia Tourism Board on Unsplash, cover photo by Aritra Roy on Unsplash

Arriving straight from hectic Phnom Penh, you notice it at once: in Kampot City, life moves at a gentler pace. It's a rural small town, the houses are low and nature is everywhere. Set on the Kampot River, it has plenty of small resorts that invite you to relax with bungalows and good food.

The town centre is fairly pedestrian-friendly, and there are some French colonial buildings, lots of small art and craft shops and something good to eat on every corner.

Photo by Cambodia Tourism Board on Unsplash

Bokor Hill makes a great excursion: a plateau at around 1,000 m with a stunning view across the whole region to the sea. You can easily spend a whole day up here. The old pagoda (a small Buddhist monastery), built right at the edge of the cliff, is a must-see. In the rainy season the Popokvil Waterfall is very impressive too, and there are all sorts of remains from the colonial era, huge statues and plenty of nature to discover.

The easiest way is to ask for a scooter right where you're staying: even if they don't rent them out themselves, they can usually organise one for you. But do wear a helmet, and be aware that traffic here is less orderly than at home.

Photo by Aritra Roy on Unsplash

Not far from Kampot City there are countless pepper farms, big and small. Some of them offer great tours of the pepper plantations and explain how the pepper is processed. Afterwards there's usually something good to eat. The tuk-tuk drivers offer these trips themselves, too.

If you'd like to learn more about how it's processed and about Kampot pepper in general, you might also enjoy our story about Kampot pepper.

Photo by Siborey Sean on Unsplash

If you're planning your trip right now: not far from Kampot City lies the small seaside town of Kep, with a great market right by the sea. Kep is especially famous for its fresh crab, which you can enjoy in the small restaurants there. Served, of course, with a fresh sprig of green Kampot pepper!

Photo by SAM sokkolinmony on Unsplash