Kampot is situated in south Cambodia nearing the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, the Teuk Chhou River runs through its centre. Known for its French colonial architecture, it’s a popular tourist spot. Bokor National Park houses the misty Elephant Mountains where lies Bokor Hill Station, a 1920s French ghost town…

Our Trip

Kampot was our first port-of-call in Cambodia and as we rode into the town we passed the central market and rode over the bridge to find our accommodation; the excellent Kampot Manor. The guesthouse is run by Dave, a very friendly and helpful Aussie now living in the fair country who has great local knowledge. We stayed for three days and managed to squeeze in a bit of activity – despite me being incredibly sick the first day and barely leaving the hotel room.

Our bikes resting in the guesthouse car park, view from balcony

On our second day we skipped brekkie but had an amazing lunch in town at Pepe and the Viking – Eddie had meatballs and mash and I had a chicken pesto penne – this places is very highly recommended if you visit Kampot. We sat in the alfresco area and took in the views of the river and played with the cute resident cat, and as we were there we saw the prime minister and his entourage pass us! We knew something was happening when all the police turned up to guard the street and about 20 minutes later a long procession of black cars drove down the road – so nice of him to visit us while we were in town!

Amazing food at Pepe and the Viking, Kampot

Didn’t dare ask for a selfie! 😉

We were hoping to go to the movies afterwards but alas they were closed, so we headed back to our guest house and had a chilled out evening.  We ate a fantastic meal at the guesthouse that night of chicken and chips – the best chips we’ve eaten in three months on the road! – and spent the evening reading/looking at maps and taking in the views of the river from our balcony, watching the fishing boats sail out to sea.

On our third and final day we decided to take a trip over to Kep (see Ride day 37: Kampot to Kep loop) where we saw the prime minister a second time – ever get the feeling you’re being followed?

Upon our return to Kampot that afternoon, we went to the Ecran Cinema where we watched ‘The Killing Fields‘ in a private viewing room – neither of us had seen it before and figured that while here in Cambodia, it’s a good opportunity. What a film, this was my first introduction (here) to the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge.

After the film we returned to Pepe and the Viking Cafe where we had eaten the day before for a few drinks and to play with our mate, the cat. While watching the river we watched all the fishing boats sailing out towards the sea.

For dinner we ate at Rikitikitavi restaurant where we sat on the balcony watching the boats and people pass.We ate a fantastic meal of beef Lok Lak and chicken with cashew nuts. The service was super friendly and it’s beautifully lit with fairy lights – also highly recommended.

The following day we rode out of town towards our next destination Sihanouk, on our way we rode through Bokor National Park to see the Bokor Hill Station ghost town, very spooky! (See Ride day 38: Kampot to Sihanouk).