Things to do in Kampot
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Kampot
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season peak. December and January are the best months, cool, dry and everything open, February the driest.
Properly hot but dry, with peak pepper harvest. April brings Khmer New Year and peak crowds and prices.
Wet season, greener, cheaper and quieter, with heavy afternoon rain, emerald countryside and Popokvil at its best.
Wettest and most flood prone window, the worst for a first visit. October improves late as rains retreat.
What's on
- Bon Om Touk (Water Festival) usually November
End of the rains marked with boat races, fireworks, street food and lanterns, with smaller celebrations in Kampot and Kep.
- Khmer New Year (Chaul Chnam Thmey) mid-April, roughly 14-16 April
Three days of nationwide celebration, busy and expensive by local standards. Book ahead.
- Pchum Ben September/October
Ancestors festival with dawn offerings at pagodas across Kampot, coinciding with peak rains.
- Cambodian Independence Day 9 November
Street food, performances and fireworks nationwide, in the best weather window.
- Chinese New Year January/February (lunar)
Celebrated visibly around the Old Market and riverfront by the Chinese-Cambodian community, in peak dry season.
- Sea Festival (Festival of the Sea) December, rotating among coastal provinces
When the rotation lands on Kep or Kampot, expect seafood stalls, concerts and crowds in perfect weather.
Best things to do in Kampot
La Plantation
Guided pepper tour and tasting that explains Kampot pepper, with lunch and pepper ice cream in an open sala.
BoTree Farm
Smaller family run pepper farm with personal tastings and a quieter feel than the flagship estate.
Sunset river cruise with fireflies
Shared longtail cruise upriver at sunset, with fireflies in the mangroves after dark in dry season.
Walk the Old French Quarter and the riverside
Self guided walk through colonial shophouses and the riverfront, best at golden hour and again after dark.
Phnom Chhngok Cave Temple
Seventh century Shiva shrine inside a limestone cave, reached by steps and a scramble with local guides.
The salt fields
Dry season evaporation pans where workers rake white salt into piles and the sky reflects at sunrise.
Secret Lake (Brateak Krola)
Mountain fringed reservoir on the pepper circuit, with a heavy Khmer Rouge history drivers explain well.
A Khmer cooking class
Market first Khmer class cooking fish amok, curry and a stir fry, with strong vegetarian options.
Where to stay in Kampot
Old Town / central riverside
first trip, all-round base, food-first trips
Walkable to the best restaurants, cafes, night market and cruise boats, with colonial character and sunset views.
Traeuy Kaoh and the west bank / upriver road
quiet, resort time, families and longer stays
Villa resorts, garden bungalows and swim from the jetty guesthouses, a short tuk-tuk ride from town.
Fish Island and the south riverside lanes
local immersion on a budget, repeat visitors and long stays
Cham and Khmer residential island of fishing families and small guesthouses, minutes from the centre.
Think twice about
- Durian Roundabout / main highway junction (National Road 3)
Constant truck and bus noise, dust, no riverside charm and the least walkable blocks in town.
- Party-hostel stretch of the central riverfront
Music and drinking run late, with recurring noise complaints if you want sleep.
- Bokor Mountain summit casino hotel
Staying up there maroons you 45 plus minutes from town restaurants, in frequent cold fog at a pricey casino resort.
- Unlit upriver and Fish Island lanes
Sparse lighting, territorial dogs at night and mud after rain make walking home a poor choice.
Best restaurants in Kampot
Twenty Three
Small bistro for modern European specials including souffle, pork belly, lamb shank and beef cheek.
Kimly
Crab market restaurant frying blue swimmer crabs with fresh green Kampot pepper over the water.
Rikitikitavi
Riverfront Khmer classics like loc lac and curries, plus two for one sunset cocktails from 4 to 6pm.
Aroma House
Warm Mediterranean and Middle Eastern kitchen for hummus, falafel, kebabs, salads and grills.
Ecran Noodles & Dumplings
Hand pulled noodles and house made dumplings in a simple riverfront shophouse at street prices.
Rusty Keyhole 2
Expat ribs institution with slow cooked generous ribs, Khmer and Western dishes and a lived in bar.
Café Espresso
Original artisan coffee house for flat whites, brunch, veggie burger and homemade pasta specials.
Simple Things
Garden cafe by the Old Market for vegan bowls, falafel, smoothies, coffee and yoga studio calm.
Outdoor things to do in Kampot
Bokor National Park
Full day up a cool mountain road to ruined French hill station buildings, a church, statues and views.
Green Cathedral kayaking
Kayak a calm palm tunnel loop north of town, best at dawn or sunset, self guided or with a guide.
Climbodia
Half day of caving, via ferrata, abseiling and climbing in a cave complex, with no experience needed.
Kep day trip
Day trip for crab market lunch, Kep Beach and abandoned French villas, 30 to 40 minutes from Kampot.
Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island)
Simple roadless island from Kep for swimming, hammocks and seafood, with basic facilities and no frills.
Kep National Park
Eight kilometre forest loop above Kep with sea viewpoints, monkeys and almost nobody on weekdays.
Countryside cycling
Flat riding through villages, rice fields, salt edges and karst views toward pepper country.
Stand-up paddleboarding and swimming upriver
Swim and paddleboard upriver at riverside resorts and cafes with jetties, rope swings and lunch.
Best hotels in Kampot
Amber Kampot
Twenty five riverside villas with plunge pools, spa and restaurant, plus its own boat into town.
Sabay Beach Kampot
French run upriver resort with river beach, stylish rooms and a strong sunset cocktail reputation.
Rikitikitavi
Long established central riverside boutique with spotless rooms, restaurant and sunset cocktail terrace.
The Columns
Restored colonial boutique near the river, known for its breakfast and antique touches, with no lift.
Pippali Boutique Hotel
Plant filled boutique a short walk from the centre, with pool, balconies and many repeat guests.
Hotel Five.S
Old Town boutique with saltwater pool and Bokor views at mid tier prices.
Hotel Old Cinema
Converted cinema boutique hotel in the Old Town, a solid mid tier backup in peak season.
Bohemiaz Resort & Spa
Countryside bungalows around a natural pool with sauna and massage, undercutting town guesthouses.
Is Kampot expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | KHR 100,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | KHR 240,000 a person |
| Splurge | KHR 900,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Bokor National Park: a few days ahead
- Climbodia: a few days ahead
- Twenty Three: a few days ahead
- Les Manguiers: a few days ahead
- Book accommodation for December to February and Khmer New Year, when the best small hotels and cheap rooms sell out.
- Book Twenty Three and any special dinner a day ahead.
- Book Climbodia in high season and private Bokor cars a few days ahead.
- Arrange tuk-tuks, cruises, pepper farms and cooking classes through your hotel the day before.
Is Kampot safe?
- Road safety is the main risk. Ride defensively, wear a helmet and do not ride Bokor or Kep roads at night or in heavy rain.
- Watch bags on beaches, bikes and bar tables against petty theft.
- Cambodia enforces severe drug penalties. Do not accept drinks from strangers or leave drinks unattended.
- Kampot medical facilities are basic. Serious cases go to Phnom Penh, about 3 hours away, so evacuation cover matters.
- Swim in the river only at established venues and be cautious of currents after heavy rain.
Kampot travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Only sealed GI Kampot pepper with the official logo is the real thing. Loose market pepper at a suspicious price is ordinary pepper.
- Salt fields in the wet season, Popokvil in the dry and guaranteed fireflies are the three seasonality oversells.
- Do not rush Bokor as a half day afterthought in midday heat and fog.
- Kampot town has no real beach. Swimming belongs upriver and on Rabbit Island.
- Bring your own padlock for scooter rental and never surrender your actual passport as a deposit.
Getting around Kampot: public transport and more
- Central Kampot is flat and walkable. Beyond that use tuk-tuks, agree the price first, or use PassApp or Grab.
- Around town is about 1 to 3 dollars, a countryside circuit about 15 to 25 dollars, and Kep about 15 to 25 dollars.
- Bicycles rent for a few dollars a day and scooters for about 6 to 10 dollars a day from guesthouses.
- About 3 hours from Phnom Penh by road, or under an hour from the Ha Tien border crossing.
Who Kampot suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Kampot your trip
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