Kampot
With a sultry, unhurried air, little traffic, and some
fine cafés, Kampot is among the most atmospheric towns in Cambodia. Nestled
along the Kampot River, the town’s riverside promenade is a delight at sunset,
as fishermen cast their lines and locals enjoy a drink against a backdrop of
the Bokor Mountain Range.
Kampot’s central area is quite compact and easily
explored on foot. Its French Colonial buildings,
although in an advanced state of decay, remain
impressive.
An ideal starting point is the riverbank close to the old
bridge, which was badly damaged during the Khmer Rouge years. Visitors can then
head southeast to the old, disused market with its incredibly steep pitched roof. Many of the shops and
houses around here show clear Colonial influence – louvered windows, terra-cotta tiles,
and fine balconies. An interesting
stop is the Kampot Traditional
Music School, south of the town center, where disabled students
learn traditional dance and music. Alternately, visitors can head for the
Provincial Training Centre, located in a compound behind the main post office,
which trains women in textile weaving. The center aims to teach them a trade
that
will give them a sustainable income, although there is
not enough demand for their products. Visitors can help by buying a silk length
or a cotton krama (scarf).
Those staying longer can also visit some of the sights around
town. About 2 miles
(3 km) south of Kampot, on the road to Kep (see p116), are
impressive salt fields, with some 1,000 pans. The prepared salt is collected at
harvest time by hundreds of locals. About 2 miles (3 km)
farther along the same road lies the small Khmer Muslim fishing
village of Kabalromih, an important boat-building center located on the fringes
of a large mangrove swamp.
Tek Chhouu Falls
Road Map C7. 5 miles (8 km) NW of Kampot. from Kampot.
A popular picnic spot, the
Tek Chhouu Falls are a series of rapids best visited
after the rainy season. Families come here to sit on little bamboo platforms
beside the rapids and take in the view of the Kampot River. There are natural
pools, good for swimming, and rocky shelves, ideal for sunbathing. The Tek
Chhouu Zoo, en route to the falls, is great for children.
One of Kampot province’s main tourist attractions, Bokor
National Park covers 610 sq miles (1,581 sq km) of primary
rain forest, grasslands, and deciduous forest. Although illegal logging has
decimated large tracts of the park’s southern section, Bokor remains home to
the Indian elephant, tiger, leopard, pangolin, Asiatic black bear, Malayan sun
bear, pilleated gibbon, slow loris, and pig-tailed macaque. Fortunate visitors may
also chance upon any of
the 300 bird species that inhabit the park, such as the grey-headed
fish eagle and the spot-bellied eagle owl.
Besides a variety of birds and animals, Bokor’s attractions
include the atmospheric Bokor Hill Station, which featured in the 2002 Matt
Damon movie City of Ghosts. Located atop the 3,543-ft (1,080-m)
high Phnom Bokor, the station is an abandoned French summer
post from the 1920s and includes the remains of a once-magnificent four-story hotel
and casino. The crumbling remains of this building are now covered in extraordinary
burned-orange lichen, giving the complex an ethereal air. On clear days, there
are stunning views over Kampot to the Gulf of Thailand, although this is a
rarity as the summit is usually blanketed in mist. Close by lie the ruins of an
old Catholic Church, which has withstood years of warfare and occupation by the
Khmer Rouge. Although the church’s interior is now gutted, the stonework is
encrusted with the same orange lichen.Yet another intriguing spot
is the Bokor Palace, also known as the Black Palace, located
6 miles (10 km) east of the Bokor Hill Station. Once the royal residence of
King Sihanouk, its wasted shell is a reminder of the palace’s
former grandeur – the marble floors, tiled bathrooms, and
fireplaces are still intact.
Bokor National Park’s unearthly isolation is set to change
with a new casino resort being developed by the Sokha group; the access road to
the park is often restricted by the company. Most organized tours to the park
also include a visit to the pretty Popokvil Waterfalls, 3 miles (5 km)
northeast of the hill station. This two-tiered water-fall, separated by a
shallow pool, which can be paddled through, is usually not deep enough to swim
in. However, it is a peaceful spot engulfed by swirling mist and cool air.
Phnom Chhnork Road Map C7. 5 miles (8 km) NE of Kampot. 8am–5pm daily.
Situated on a small hill that rises from the pancake-flat
plain east of Kampot, Phnom Chhnork is a renowned cave-temple. Approached by a short
walk through rice paddies, the temple is reached by
ascending a flight of stone steps, which lead to the cave
containing an evocative 7th- century Funan brick temple dedicated to Shiva, the
God of Destruction. This temple is accessible by a hired moto or
tuk-tuk from Kampot.
Phnom Sorsia
Road Map C7. 11 miles (18 km) E of Kampot. 7:30am–5pm daily.
A religious hill complex, Phnom Sorsia consists of a garishly
painted Buddhist temple and a karst outcrop riddled with caves. A staircase leads
up to the temple, to the left of which is the first cave with a stalagmite
resembling an elephant’s head, giving the cave its name – Rung Damrey Sor, or
White Elephant Cave. Farther east lies Bat Cave, filled with thousands of bats.
The walk up to the summit leads to a stupa and scenic views.
