Day 9 - Phnom Penh to Kampot

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It was another early morning start to the day. The hotel had booked us on the Sorya bus line to Kampot. Giant Ibis are soon to start a Kampot route but we are few days too early. It was an interesting trip as this is a local bus not a tourist bus that is designed to get you from place to another as quick as possible. The bus leaves from near the central market but still offers a pick up from your hotel door. It was great to be able to see the outer suburbs of Phnom Penh and local life as the Riverside has heaps of locals but many tourists as well. Initially the bus went along quite quick but the closer it got to Kampot and Kep the more stops it made to pick up local people and their market shopping….huge bags of rice and copious quantities of vegetables and fruit. Many people got off the bus it what seemed to be the middle of nowhere and no one else in sight. When the bus arrived in Kep it dropped people off at their guest house. Nothing like door to door service. Leaving Kep behind it headed off to Kampot still picking locals up along the way and dropping them off. The bus arrived into Kampot at a little bus station with the usual waiting local transport options, motorbikes and tuk-tuks. A ride to our guesthouse one street away cost us $1. Nothing to negotiate. We stayed in guesthouse street, a street obviously with heaps of guesthouses, local travel agents, and small food places. Kampot is a sleepy little town and pretty hard to get lost in if you just head for the river. It is so laid back and we headed off to find a coffee shop. Late lunch consisted of a delicious and spicy chicken and vegie curry. This was probably the best food we had yet had. The riverside of Kampot is probably the busiest part of town and the boats on the river are very colourful. Tomorrow we hope to explore much more of it.

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