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Untitled Kampot Cambodia information and Travel Guide to Hotels.
KAMPOT
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 Kampot Cambodia
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Set with picture perfection near the base of the Elephant Mountains on the Prek Kampong Bay River,
the provincial capital of Kampot is quite different than Sihanoukville.
Quiet streets, few tourists, French colonial and Chinese architecture, all serve to lend Kampot a quaint and much older small town ambiance.

Visitors come to Kampot for a taste of provincial Cambodia, the inexpensive,
fresh-from-the-ocean seafood, and to use it as a stepping stone to the Bokor Station, Kep City and the rest of southeastern Cambodia.
Coming & Going:
From Sihanoukville: 1.5 - 2.5 hours, 110km. In Sihanoukville, taxis can be found opposite the market. 8,000-12,000R/person or $18 - $20 for a private taxi ($25 for good a/c). Travel north from Sihanoukville on Rte 4 to Veal Renh (43km). Turn east on Rte #3 to Kampot.

From Phnom Penh: Route #3 to Kampot is now paved and in comparatively good condition - about the same condition as the alternative route, Route #2 via Takeo. Taxis: can be found at the west side of Phsar Thmei in Phnom Penh. 10,000R/person or $20-$30 for a private car, 3 hours. Prices are in flux due to increasing prices for petrol. Bus: There is now a twice daily mini-bus that travels between Kampot and Phnom Penh via Kep and Kampong Trach. $2.50/person, 5 hours. Departs Kampot at 7:30 and 1:00PM from the taxi stand. Departs Phnom Penh at 7:30 and 1:00PM from the Mondial Center, on Mao Tse Toung Blvd. (012-376807).

Chau Doc: Taxis now travel directly between the Chau Doc border crossing (Vietnam) and Kampot. 2-3 hours. $21 for the whole car.
Koh Kong: Minibuses travel directly between Kampot and the Koh Kong border crossing (Thailand), bypassing Sihanoukville. $8/pax. 6-9 hours.

Getting Around:
The town is small and motodups are common. Foreigner price for motodup: 1000-1500R across town. Motorcycle rental: 100cc ($3-$5/day) and 250cc ($5-$7/day). There are a few motorcycle shops just off the traffic circle. Cheang Try Rental (012-974698) is very helpful. All hotels and guesthouses can help you arrange motorcycle rental, motodups, cars and taxis.

Accomodation:
Cheap Guesthouses available. Nothing fancy here yet.
Attractions:
The most common and cheapest way to tour (aside from driving yourself) is by motodup/‘local guide’: $6-$10/day depending on the destination, time of year, linguistic abilities of the driver, etc. Virtually every guesthouse and hotel in town can arrange boat trips, island trips, Bokor tours, countryside tours, etc. Mealy Chenda, Long Villa, and Kampot Guesthouse always have guides and drivers at the ready. Little Garden Bar offers local tours and canoe tours. In Kep, Champey Inn, Kep Beach GH, Veranda GH and Vanna Bungalows arrange jungle treks, boat trips to Rabbit Island, etc. Art Suriya Travel specializes in inbound tours, but also offers unique unique, personalized tours of the Kep/Kampot area. Contact at the Champey Inn in Kep, 012-501742, www.artsuriya.travel.com .

There are very few formal, certified guides in Kampot/Kep, but the local informal guides (often motodups) can actually be pretty helpful, if for no other reason than they know the way to the sites of interest. Sok Lim Tours Office is a licensed local guide offering tours and tour information, including custom-tailored jungle treks and a popular combination tour of Bokor, Tek Chhou and a sunset river cruise. 012-719872,
totminkalim@yahoo.com

Bokor Hill Station is a mountaintop collection of buildings (hotel, casino, church, royal residence, etc.), constructed by French authorities in the early 1920s as a complement to the already popular Kep resort area. In the 1990s, a travel author referred to Bokor as ‘the eeriest place in the world’, and it lives up to that reputation. In its time, Bokor was an elegant getaway for French officials and foreign visitors to old Indochina - a classic colonial ‘hill station’ located in the mountains to allow foreigner visitors accustomed to more temperate climes to escape the tropical heat. But years of neglect have left ghostly ruins - vestiges of a different age, often shrouded in fog and clouds. One thing that the years have not changed is the absolutely spectacular view of the coast and the cool (sometimes cold) mountain air. Wild elephants and other jungle animal are occasionally seen. Small guesthouse on top with $5 rooms, good toilets and very few other services. If you are going to stay on Bokor, take food as the guesthouse has little to offer. 37km from Kampot. Take Route #3 west from Kampot to the well-marked turnoff. $5 entrance fee at the ranger station about a kilometer up the road. Badly broken pavement all the way up the mountain. Easiest in a 4WD. For experienced riders, it’s a moderate dirt bike ride. It is painful but possible on a small 100cc bike. Bring warm clothes.

Caves near Kampot: Limestone mountains (‘phnom’) dot the landscape between Kampot and Kep. Many contain limestone caves, some adorned with exotic rock formations, and almost all containing Buddhist shines. Make sure to bring a torch and wear shoes suitable for climbing on rocks.

The caves of Phnom Chhnork - Cave #1 Pre-Angkorian ruin set in a limestone cave amongst stalagmites and stalactites that are slowly growing back into the ruin. Small, 4th-5th century AD brick structure associated with the ancient state of Funan. A bit of carving is still visible. Look for the limestone formations near the entrance of the cave in the shapes of elephants. Cave #2 The entrance is about 300 meters from Cave #1 in the same limestone outcropping. Very little in the way of formations, but quite deep, requiring climbing over piles of rock and through small openings. Small shrine.

The cave at Phnom Sla Ta'aun. Plain by comparison to other caves, but still an interesting climb. Look for the huge rock balanced in a hole in the ceiling. Small shrine.

The cave at Phnom Sasear, also known as the ‘White Elephant Cave.’ Located next to an colorful pagoda. The stairs up the side of the outcropping provide a beautiful view of the countryside, especially during the wet season. The cave contains a shrine at the base of a limestone formation alleged to resemble a white elephant.

Kampong Trach: Kampong Trach is the district that borders Vietnam. The road trip from Kampot to the main town passes though some picturesque rural areas. There is a new side road to Kampong Trach town that skirts the base of Phnom Voar, (where the victims of the 1994 Khmer Rouge kidnappings were held.) These mountain areas of Kampong Trach were one of the last Khmer Rouge holdouts. Kampong Trach town is small and relatively uninteresting. The area’s main attraction is a series of limestone caves and tubes that have been carved into a nearby mountain. The roof of a large cave in the center of a mountain has collapsed, making a small, enclosed jungle. Pagodas and shrines have been built amongst the caves, providing for some excellent photo possibilities. Bring a flashlight and wear good walking shoes.

From Kampot, take the Kep road, bear left at the White Horse Monument and follow to Kampong Trach. After a few kilometers the road changes to badly broken pavement. The side road mentioned above requires a left turn onto a graded dirt road about 7 km past the White Horse Monument. It is not a straightforward route and it may be better if you go with a guide. Set aside the better part of a day for the trip to the caves and back.

Kep Beach. A single, kilometer long crescent of sand near the tip of the Kep peninsula. Dining platforms and seafood vendors line the road behind the beach. Busy on weekends but often deserted during the week. The road through Kep traces the coastline to the beach and then circles back on itself. Cars and vans must pay admission to drive the loop (2500R-5000R). Motorcycles and pedestrians are free. Be aware that the loop is an one way street and the police do occasionally enforce the law, levying fines against violators.

Massage The well-known NGO-based Seeing Hands 5 Massage has just opened a branch in Kampot. Shiatsu massage by seeing-impaired Cambodian masseurs and masseuses. On the riverfront road. Tel: 012-503012

Phnom K’Chnor Pre-Angkorian ruin set in a limestone cave amongst stalagmites and stalactites that are slowly growing into the ruin. Small, 4th-5th century AD brick structure associated with the ancient state of Funan. A bit of carving is still visible.

Rabbit Island (Koh Tunsay) An easily visited island near Kep - about 20-40 minutes from Kep by local boat. White sand beaches and coconut trees. Relatively clear water. Snorkel around the rocks. No coral but lots of fish. There are now some very basic guesthouse facilities on the island. Arrange a boat trip through your guesthouse in Kampot or Kep.

River Trips Short sunset river cruises and longer cultural/wildlife/eco trips upriver can be arranged through Sok Lim Tours or your guesthouse. Sunset river cruises are becoming more popular, running from Kampot to the rapids at Tekchhou and back.

Tekcchou Resort: A picnic area on the Prek Chha river. Popular with the locals, especially on weekends. Lots of food/drink stalls. The cool rapids and river breeze are quite pleasant. 8km. Good road.

Tekcchou Zoo: Asian-style mini zoo displaying a variety of local fauna. 8km north
  FACTS.   
Communications:
Post Office: Located on the river road. Stamps in stock. Reliable service. EMS parcel service.
Phone/Fax: There are also a couple of phone shops on Rte #3 near the market. Look for the 'international call' sign. The Internet shops also offer international phone/fax, though sometimes only internet phone.
Money:
The new Canadia Bank accepts Visa card, and offers exchange services and MoneyGram cash transfer. Acleda Bank offers Western Union services. There are no ATMs in Kampot, Kep, Sihanoukville, or anywhere in Cambodia. Moneychangers and goldsellers are located on the streets that surround the market.


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