Kampot, Encounter the authentic and non-touristy part of Cambodia

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If you have time and want to explore different parts of Cambodia, do yourself the favour to make Kampot a stop on your way. Kampot has a nice vibe to it. 

Man watering his fields in the countryside

Where to go

It is a smaller city collated 2-3 hours from Sihanoukville by car (The bus is around 6 $). Remember to pre-book because quite often the buses are sold out and Khmer knows when they have all the cards in their hands and you will pay a lot for alternative transportation. Who can blame them, though? Wouldn't we all?:)

A countryside house

Best things to do

Kampot is a nice change from the big cities and it is surrounded by beautiful nature. Spend at least 2 days here. One day you must book an all day tuk-tuk trip. It is the best way to see this city and the amazing surrounding upland. You get to spend all day driving around the countryside seeing the real Khmer and the real life of the people living outside the cities. It isn't fancy, but you see the authentic everyday in Cambodia.
Visiting the local fishing village
Everyone is smiling and waving and sending you onwards with a greeting. You can stop at the local attractions like the salt fields, pepper plantations, beaches, local crab market, caves ( wear smart shoes and bring a flashlight if you want to explore and crawl through the caves, it is highly recommended), durian plantation, the secret lake and much more. You will get a bite of the history of Cambodia, both the good and the bad.

Insider info: It is a bumpy ride so remember to wear a good bra with plenty of support.



The local seafood market in Kep

Other attractions

The sunset/fireflies cruise is a lovely trip with beautiful scenery. It is quiet and peaceful, and you get to see a few blinking fireflies. Doesn't sound bad eh?

Sunset and fireflie cruise

Visit Kep, the neighbouring city. Walk through the ghost-city that was left during the Khmer revolution. At the end of this terrifying city make sure you end up enjoying a drink or two at the yacht club by the water.

If you prefer the beach lifestyle grab a boat to Koh Tunsay (Rabbit-island) and enjoy the clear water in beautiful surroundings and a relaxing environment. Just get a tuk-tuk to the harbour and find a boat. Cheap and easy!

When it comes to food

Kep: Grab breakfast on Veranda lounge in Kep if you want to spoil yourself and take a dip in their pool.
Kampot: Rusty Keyhole is famous for their ribs and BBQ and is a must-dine place if you are non-vegetarian. 
If you want to be entertained while eating your dinner, there is always some live music going on and it is usually in decent restaurants.

In the mood for real local Cambodian, or you are running out of money? Find the local night-market and have a pho.

Staying

Living is so cheap in Kampot! Peppers offers dorm rooms for 3 $ per night, and Monkey Republic offers 3-person bedrooms for 6,5$ per night. Both are fine quality and their vibe good.

Sex-tourism

A thing that will not take much space but should be mentioned here is that Cambodia has a reputation for sex-tourism. When you visit Cambodia, you will soon realise that there is a lot of sex-for-sale. As a male, if you use Tinder you will match with a lot of beautiful ladies and after a little small-talk they will suggest meeting up. The standard price for sex in Cambodia is $50. The price is regardless of whether or not the ladies are standing on the street, picked up in the famous lady-bars or matched with on social dating-sites such as tinder. One big problem is that the average salary for “blue collar”-work pr month is $100. This is what the tuktuk-man on the street makes, the people in the food-stalls and most of the other hard-working khmers. This means that if a lady works two nights a month and earns $50 she has already doubled a family’s income. A lot of women that doesn’t work in the sex-industry still moon-lights on dating-sites and ask for money for favours. It is hard to watch and not easy to solve because of the way Cambodia is working. But traveling around in Cambodia is it an important thing to be aware of. 

Children following our tuk-tuk to say hi

Children saying hi when we drive by


The salt fields outside Kampot

On the way to the fishing village

Our tuk-tuk

Entering the caves

Durian trees

Pepper plantation
* All photos are private and taken by me.
Location: Krong Kampot, Cambodia

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