The Kampot Guide! As nice as Phnom Penh can be, sometimes you simply gotta get out of hive of scum and villainy and get to a place a bit more chilled out. Kampot is a good place to chill.
How do you get to Kampot?
Presuming you are coming from Phnom Penh, Kampot is (technically) a 3-hour drive. A taxi would cost you about $40 (depending on your bargaining skills), or the Ibis Bus (the most comfortable) is 10 bucks a person.
There is also the wonderful option of taking the train. This will take you have %= hours, but is well worth it simply for the journey itself. The train costs $7.
What is Kampot famous for?
Its main industry is Kampot pepper, and that is what the town is most known for, with there being various tours linked to the industry. Kampot pepper is truly a force to behold! Definitely buy some when you are in town.
From a tourism point of view, it has stunning countryside scenery, a beautiful river running through the middle, and is a great place to grab a moped and just explore.
One of the highlights here, and please ignore those who say otherwise is Bokor Hill. Kep seafood market can also be visited as a day trip from here.
Honestly one of the best things is simply sunset.
What is the Kampot nightlife like?
Kampot is very much on the tourist trail. There are western bars and restaurants galore, some of course better than others.
Monkey Republic stands out as a great place to hang out, with them recently hosting the first ever Kampot Beer festival.
You can read about that here!
What is the food like in Kampot?
Due to it having a large ex-pat community the food was pretty good, with lots of western options that were very cheap. Happy Pizza served me a pretty good steak for $7.50, can’t say fairer than that. I was also lucky enough to sample the best poutine, and burgers the town had to offer
Street Food Kampot Guide
The street food scene is extremely good, with all the main Khmer cuisine classics being served by the street vendors on the river. Everything that is worth doing, be it clubs, bars, or indeed street food is located alongside the riverfront of Kampot.
To read about Bokor Hill Station click here.
How long should I spend in Kampot?
This depends a lot on you, and what you are looking for, but there are enough expats here that have decided to call it home. If you are a stoner Kampot is heaven. If you are not 3-4 days is more than enough time to stay here.
And that is our Kampot Guide, worth a visit, but you would not want to live here. At least in our humble opinion.