Kampot Cambodia

When travelling to Kampot from Phnom Penh there are two reasonable options, A VIP van or a bus. Despite the price being pretty much the same we decided on the bus route. Trust me, don't. Not only was it crowded and noisy, with half the bus being used to transport construction materials, it took twice as long as predicted, turning a 4 hour journey into a painful 8.

I couldn't recommend any touristy activities to do in Kampot, as we didn't really do anything here. This sleepy, charming little river town just seemed to be the best place to relax and take a moment to refresh ourselves after months of hectic travel. With a mix of French style cafes, and restaurants cooking up delicious Cambodian cuisine, it felt like we had the best options for dinner every night. At first, we just couldn't understand what drew tourists and ex-pats alike to this sleepy area of Cambodia, but we quickly fell into the relaxed life of cafes in the morning, walks along the river promenade and finding bars to play pool in the evenings.

The first hotel we stayed in was across the river from the main town, the area was okay but the residential area just wasn't as convenient as we'd hope. Although, we did get to see quite a few Cambodian weddings take place on the street just outside!

After a few days we decided to treat ourselves and headed off to Bohemiaz Spa Hotel, a cute little place a few miles outside town. We stayed in their version of a hobbit hut, which sounds charming but really was just small, hot and cramped. What was welcome, in the 36 degree heat, was the natural swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi. It was nice to get away into the countryside, but the food really wasn't anything great and we wanted a bit more room to relax in private.

So, we moved back to town for a little bit. Staying in a place that wasn't that pretty on the outside, but the AC worked, and the owner, an elderly Cambodian man, would head out every morning to get us fresh bread to go with our breakfast!

With some more time to spare, we finally found our favourite place around Kampot, retro Kampot. Feeling a bit like Goldilocks, we finally found the place that was just right. A beautiful wooden building out in the jungle, with wicker chairs filled with comfy cushions to hang out in, and hammocks stretched out next to the river. It was peaceful, the food was amazing and we could go kayaking straight from the garden. We did go kayaking, but I must admit Ben had to do most of the work, fat and lazy from all the French bread, I had no oomph to help propel us forward and relegated myself to taking photos.

Feeling refreshed and more than relaxed, it was time to head back to Phnom Penh to catch a flight to Bangkok.

Looking back, now knowing that our time was limited as the coronavirus was getting ready to shut the world down, I don't think I would have done anything different in Kampot. As beautiful as Cambodia and it's people are, it was also a hard country to visit with tales of horror and sadness seeming to be hidden around every corner, we needed somewhere to just shut off. To have no plans and to just go along with vibe of the town, and I can't think of anywhere better to do that than in Kampot.

Trip date: March 2020