Located in Southwest Cambodia, Kampot is a sleepy riverside town but there are more than enough things to do in Kampot to keep you entertained. We fell in love with Kampot’s chill vibe!

In this post, you will find our favorite things to do and plenty of tips for your trip to Kampot. We stayed in Kampot for 2 days but would have stayed longer if we had the time.

How to get there

We got there by bus from Siem Reap which took around 8 hours.

You can also get there by bus or taxi from other places in Cambodia. If you don’t mind paying a bit extra, you can also travel by hiring a private car and driver for the day. This is the most comfortable and quickest way to travel.

Where to stay

We stayed at the Pippali Boutique Hotel. The hotel was ideally located along the riverside and only a short walk from Kampot’s city center. We loved the beautiful garden and swimming pool.

Bokor Hill Station

The once-abandoned French retreat of Bokor Hill Station inside the Bokor National Park is famed for its refreshingly cool climate and creepy buildings.

Our first stop was at The Black Palace. The Black Palace is located at the beginning of the Bokor National Park. Damnak Sla Khmao (original name) was built as a summer residence for King Sihanouk and was used between 1950 and 1960. Nowadays the palace is abandoned and the ruins are taken over by nature. The structure has fallen into decay and is covered with beautiful pieces of graffiti. The palace itself is a perfect viewpoint to see the surrounding Bokor Hill.

On the other side of the road, you see an enormous monument. The 29 meters high Lok Yeay Mao Monument is known as a goddess in Buddhist culture and locals still come here to pray. Legend says that Lok Yeay Mao was the protector of the mountains and coastal area of Cambodia.

At the top of Bokor Hill (1048 meters above sea level), you can find Wat Sampov Pram. This Pagoda that was built by King Monivong is the highest Pagoda in Cambodia. From here you have beautiful views over the Gulf of Thailand and the Bokor National Park.

Our last stop was an old abandoned church. The church is still in its original state as the French-built it. When you walk behind the church you will be rewarded with beautiful views.

There are more things to see in the National Park but these were our favorite ones.

You can get to the Bokor Hill Station by tuk-tuk from Kampot’s city center or you can book a tour in one of the shops. The entrance fee is 0,50 USD. We arranged a tuk-tuk for the day.

We advise you to take a sweater with you because it can get cold up the mountain.

La Plantation

La plantation is one of the pepper farms in Kampot which produces some of the purest pepper anywhere in the world. This sprawling, lovely organic pepper farm offers guided walks in French, English, and Khmer, explaining how several varieties of pepper are grown, harvested, and processed.

There is a restaurant and shop where you can buy pepper. The money helps pay for children’s English classes at local schools.

At our arrival, we were greeted by one of the friendly staff members who gave us a free tour around the farm. We walked through rows of pepper plants and learned all about red and black pepper.

After the tour, we went upstairs into their beautiful restaurant where we tasted red, black, and white pepper. We bought a couple of bags for our friends and family back home. We also bought red long pepper which is sundried and salted. We used it at home on meats and in purees.

You can get to La plantation by tuk-tuk from Kampot’s city center which takes around 45 minutes. La plantation is open daily from 9 am – 6 pm and the short guided tours are free. You can also take a longer guided tour which includes a BBQ lunch for 20 USD.

Kayak the Green Cathedral

Just 5 kilometers from Kampot is an offshoot of the Tuek Chhou River known as the Green Cathedral or Green Loop. The Green Cathedral is named for its overhead canopy of natural green palms.

Kayaks are available for rent at guesthouses along and near the Green Cathedral such as Retro Kampot, Meraki, and Bopha Prey Riverside Guesthouse.

Completing the loop takes only 1 hour. Along the way, you will pass under several bamboo-style bridges and see a lot of palm trees.

You can get to the Green Cathedral by tuk-tuk from Kampot’s city center.