Kampot sits on the Praek Tuek Chhu river in southern Cambodia, about five kilometres from the Gulf of Thailand, with the Elephant Mountains rising behind it. In the 19th century it was one of Cambodia's main seaports, and the Chinese traders and French administrators who followed left a core of two-storey shophouses and colonial buildings that still gives the town its look. Today it has about 42,000 residents and feels more like a large village than a city.
What people come for is pace. The usual day here is a morning drive or boat trip, a long lunch, a rest through the hot afternoon and a walk along the river at dusk. The sights are spread out and low-key: a French hill station on Bokor mountain, pepper plantations, salt pans beside the road to Kep, a cave temple and a few waterfalls and rapids. Kampot pepper has protected geographical-indication status, and visiting a farm is the one activity most travellers remember.
For Indian families, Kampot suits a quiet add-on to Phnom Penh or the Cambodian coast rather than a headline trip. It is easy for older travellers who dislike crowds: the town is flat, the riverside promenade is short and the main efforts, the Bokor road and the farm visits, are done by car. The trade-offs are food and distance. There is no Indian community to speak of, vegetarian choice is limited but real, and the nearest international airport is a road journey of roughly three hours.
The wet season matters more here than in many places. From about May to October rain is frequent and heavy, Bokor is often in cloud, and August is the wettest month by a wide margin. December to February is the comfortable window, and this guide is built around it.
Before you plan
Kampot at a glance
- Best months
- December to February is driest and…December to February is driest and most comfortable; March to May is hot, and the heavy rains run from about July to October.
- Ideal trip length
- 2 to 3 days2 to 3 days; 1 day is enough for Bokor or the pepper farms plus the riverfront
- Airport
- No commercial airline service at KampotNo commercial airline service at Kampot; fly to Phnom Penh (about 148 km by road) or Sihanoukville (SHV), then drive about 2 to 3 hours
- Railway station
- Kampot Railway Station is on the…Kampot Railway Station is on the Southern Line (Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville); passenger services resumed in 2016, but check the current timetable before relying on it
- Getting around
- Walk or cycle in townWalk or cycle in town; tuk-tuks, hired cars and drivers for Bokor, the pepper farms and Kep
- Daily budget
- Budget US$30-50 per personBudget US$30-50 per person, mid-range US$60-120, comfortable US$150 and up (rough guide; hotels dominate the cost)
- Senior comfort
- Flat town and short walksFlat town and short walks, but heat, uneven pavements and a long drive from Phnom Penh; Bokor and caves involve steps and slopes
- Language
- KhmerKhmer; English is widely spoken in tourist businesses, and prices are often quoted in US dollars as well as riel
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Kampot: January, February, December. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Kampot itinerary
One good day
1 day in Kampot
Hire a car and driver or a tuk-tuk for the morning and visit a Kampot pepper farm before the heat builds. Stop at the salt fields on the Kep road if you pass them, then be back in town for lunch around the Old Market. After a rest, cross the Old Bridge on foot in the late afternoon and take a sunset boat on the river, finishing with dinner on or near Old Market Street.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Kampot
Go to Bokor early, with a driver, so you are on the mountain in the clear morning air. Allow a long morning for the hill station ruins and viewpoints, then come down for lunch and a rest. In the late afternoon walk the riverside colonial quarter and the Durian Roundabout.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Kampot
Settle in, walk Old Market Street and the riverside, and cross the Old Bridge on foot before dinner. Keep the first day light after the road from Phnom Penh.
Day-by-day plan →
