June 2026 To Kampot - livinginthekingdom.me

June 2026 - Phnom Penh to Kampot

This trip was just a little bit stupid. I wanted to get out of Phnom Penh as a lot had been going on and I was sad with a lot of great friends leaving.

However I was on some pretty heavy meds for a strep infection and the 3 days it took me to get to Kampot really wiped me out physically. The good part of this is it meant I did not stay out late and drink much, and I was able to work at getting this blog set up.

First Night - Bati

This is just a small town on National Road 2. It seems to be a place to provide labor for the nearby clothing factories going by the number of trucks passing through bringing back the workers. There were no bars and basic Khmer restaurants.

And of course it was raining.

Accommodation was very cheap at only $10 per night with wifi and aircon. This was at the Heng Heng guesthouse

There are some places nearby I have been to on other trips but I would probably not stay here. Worth visiting are

Second Night - Doun Kaev

Doun Kaev is the capital of Takao Province and is more commonly called Takao town. It was quiet and very pleasant. Restaurants were good including one selling New Zealand meat. The foreshore of the lake is where to hangout at night. I stayed at the Rachana guest house for $17 per night. It was a very smart place.

There was a spectacular sunset over the lake that evening.

Kampot

Kampot is a beautiful quiet town. It has a lot to do as a tourist. My accommodation was the Marany Guesthouse for $12 per night.

Street Scenes

The streets in Kampot are wide, well maintained and have no traffic. After the chaos of Phnom Penh they are a delight to ride on. The town borders a very quiet estuary.

Buildings

Kampot has resisted the need to demolish every building and replace it with a high rise. Although the clutter of internet cables dominates buildings

Kampot Temples

A riverside temple

Kampot at Night

By night Kampot riverside and nearby streets are all lit up with pop up bars and restaurants. Local people in particular are out and about enjoying the warm evening.

Kep

Kep is a quiet beach only 20kms from Kampot. The area boasts some of the best seafood on the planet. The town is quiet with plenty of restaurants but few bars.

I had two meals of locally caught fist that were amazing. and got to listen to some music. I stayed at the Bird of Paradise Bungalows for $15 per night.

The beach is small and crowded and the Crab market has to be one of the most crowded markets I have seen. There is lots of Durian grown here and its smell seems to have filtered into everywhere.