Kampot and Kep: pepper farms, river sunsets and crab

Why go

After the temples and the capital, the south is where most travellers exhale. Days drift by on river boats, pepper farm tours, countryside rides and long seafood lunches. Both towns are small and easy, and there is enough to do for several days without ever feeling rushed.

Kampot

Kampot's old town sits along the Praek Tuek Chhu river, a grid of French era shophouses, the restored art deco market and the quirky Durian Roundabout. Evenings are for river sunset cruises, when fireflies light the mangroves, or kayaking upstream. The riverside is lined with restaurants and bars, and the night market has grills and noodles.

Bokor National Park

Above town, Bokor Mountain rises into cooler, misty air. The French built a hill station here in the 1920s, and the shell of the old Catholic church and the restored Bokor Palace hotel still stand on the plateau. Today there is also a large casino resort and new development, but the drive up through forest, the views over the sea and the giant Lok Yeay Mao statue are memorable. Go by tuk tuk or with a driver.

Pepper country

Kampot pepper has a protected geographical indication and was prized in the kitchens of France. Farms such as La Plantation and Sothy's welcome visitors to see the vines, learn how green, black, red and white pepper are made and taste the difference. Combine a farm visit with the salt fields, worked by hand in the dry season, and the cave temple at Phnom Chhnork, with a seventh century brick shrine inside the rock.

Kep

Kep was the Riviera of 1960s Cambodia. Many of its modernist villas were left in ruins after the Khmer Rouge years, and some are still visible among the trees. The town is spread out along the coast, with a small beach, a seafront promenade and the famous crab market, where women haul crab out of the sea in baskets and the stalls cook it with fresh green pepper. Kep National Park has a shady loop trail around the hill with sea views. From the pier, boats run to Koh Tonsay, Rabbit Island, for hammocks and simple beach huts.

Where to stay

In Kampot, stay in the old town for restaurants on foot, or upriver in a bungalow resort for peace and swimming. Kep has hillside resorts with sea views and boutique hotels such as Knai Bang Chatt built around modernist villas. Many visitors base themselves in one town and visit the other on a day trip.

Getting there

Buses and minivans from Phnom Penh take around three to four hours to Kampot. Kep is half an hour from Kampot by tuk tuk. The restored railway runs between Phnom Penh, Kampot and Sihanoukville on some days, a slow and scenic option, so check the timetable. Minivans connect to Sihanoukville for the islands and to the Vietnamese border at Ha Tien.