Blogs from Kampot, South, Cambodia, Asia - page 14

I loved Kampot and Kep. They have that kind of faded grandeur that I particularly enjoy. Kampot used to be the primary port until Sihannoukville took over, leaving it to drop quietly off the radar. Aside from the lovely colonial architecture and the chilled out riverine way of life, the primary attraction is Bokor Hill Station. This was established as hilltop retreat for the French, a cool and breezy escape from the tropical heat. There was a casino, a hotel, a church, a holiday villa for the king and a multitude of other buildings, all now long abandoned. If you can get up the hill (if…), you can explore the eerie empty buildings in the mist that rises from the sea. It’s a pretty unique and creepy experience, especially if you keep in mind the local ... read more

So we decided after a week of doing literally nothing but eating, sleeping and drinking that we best move on and see some more before our time in Cambodia came to an end. So we decided to head for Kampot, this is a sleepy little river town which its tourism derives mainly from the national park on its dorstep. We got a mini bus for $6 each and landed in Kampot around midday, we found a few guesthouses and after some hagglinbg i got one for $4 a night which included free internet (altho it turned out it didnt even work). The room wasnt great and was really hot at night but we endured for the sake of our budget. We had the whole afternoon to sightsee, so we hired some bikes from the guesthouse and ... read more

Kampot is a lovely little ghost town in southern Vietnam, lovely but not enough to keep you entertained for long- the local are even so stretched for things to do they have started a 'Spoof' new journal for Kampot! So after one chilled out nite we, and some french girls we have collected along the way, head out in a Tuk Tuk towards the Cambodia / Vietnam Border. Plan seems simple enough- tuk tuk to border, walk through nomans land between the 2 and then bus from the bustation to Ho Chi Minh / Saigon...... how naive we are, lesson to be learnt about nothing ever being as simple as it looks!! The tuk tuk took us down a tiny off road back st- think about 1 hr in a cart without suspension- fun!!! eventually to ... read more

A short tuk tuk journey into town and at first glance its not as pretty as Kep. It's much bigger than its sister town and has a more cosmopolitan feel to it. Locals are out in the street doing daily stuff. Street corners are hugged by moto drivers, traffics islands have gas stations on, the day we arrived was the start of a 3 day wedding! We initially struggled to get somewhere to stay,and after a longish hike across town we headed to the riverside. This pretty part of town has a line of guesthouses and restaurants, pays host to a bridge made up of four sections - each one being repaired after a bombing in the war. We secured a room at a place called 'little garden'.. top floor.. in the sun all day.. which ... read more

It is always good to arrive in a town with no money, then read in the Lonely Planet that there are no cashpoints in that town..........................our hearts sank with that bit of knowledge when we arrived in Kampot and had just enough cash for a room but nothing else. I took a wander upto the only bank to see if I could get a cash transfer or draw money off my credit card..................much to my relief on arrival I found they had just installed there 1st ever cashpoint the previous week, and then the fun began. In front of me were a whole family of locals Gradparents through to grandkids all with their shiny new bank cards testing out the ATM for the 1st time. 8 of them and 3 bank staff were all huddled round ... read more