Why Kampot?

January 11, 2015
Kampot, Cambodia

Despite concerted efforts to avoid adventure on this trip, choosing a destination not on the regular tourist circuit made that impossible. A long, long ride on a clunky bus, its window curtains caked and drooping with years of dust, filled me with misgivings about spending two nights in Kampot. Should I have chosen the popular beach resort Sihanoukville instead? Was it really full of rowdy youngsters partying and drinking? Kampot was supposed to show me a different Cambodia. It didn't have a world famous monument, and it wasn't a major city. Here, in this tranquil little town, I would see and experience something more authentic. As we rode further and further into remoter parts I felt increasingly doubtful about my choice.

But when a tuk tuk dropped us off at the Riverside Hotel where this postcard view greeted us, my spirits lifted. I knew I could sit on the hotel terrace forever (ok that's an exaggeration!) enjoying the glimmering water and a romantic Old Bridge framed by the gentle Elephant Mountains. After a siesta, forced on by the oppressive heat, I strolled along the wide treelined promenade toward the New Bridge. Reminders that Kampot was once the French getaway place could be seen in the decaying colonial buildings along the street parallel to the river, and in the design of the promenade and its parks. It was early evening and the riverside buzzed with activity. Kids romped around on the playgrounds, families picnicked on the riverbank, and tourists sauntered along taking photos of the sky that was turning golden from an imminent sunset. Wooden fishing boats bobbed on the calm water and I could see nets being cast. The Old Bridge looked like a movie prop in the dying light. As the sun hovered over the horizon I was back at my hotel, on the terrace, with a chilled beer. Despite noisy bikers whizzing past, a peaceful atmosphere settled over the area.

We organized a full day tour ($17) of the Kampot countryside through the official tourist information. A tuk-tuk picked us up right after breakfast and in the company of a young French couple and the driver, who was also a very informed guide, we had a most interesting day.

First, we stopped at salt fields where we could see how salt from the sea ended up on our tables. Quite a labor intensive process with people lugging huge piles of salt in baskets into storage facilities.

Riding into deeper countryside, we past traditional villages that seemed to belong to a different era.

In what seemed like the remote countryside we came to a cave carved into limestone mountains. First, we had to walk across a makeshift bridge - essentially two logs thrown across a canal. Seriously? There was no other way? Well, then! Amazing what you can make yourself do when you have no choice. After a short trail we had to climb up 203 stairs before reaching the cave. At the entrance we saw the ruins of Phnom Chhnok Temple, an ancient looking temple, though I didn't care to find out when it was built. Then, in the dark, cavernous interior we could make out some interesting shapes, most famously an elephant shaped rock. Outside the cave, our guide pointed to a dark and scary chasm. He told us that Pol Pot had ordered people to be thrown into that chasm. We shuddered, remembering the reasons people could be punished. An inability to perform a physical task, an expression interpreted as impertinence, any hint of being an intellectual.

Back in the tuk-tuk we rode along a canal which was used to irrigate the green fields of vegetables we could see around us. Quick growing vegetables like morning glory, onions, and peanuts were planted in the dry season. We came to what appeared to be a huge lake and learned it was a dam commissioned by Pol Pot. The Khmer Rouge wanted to turn the nation into laborers and came up with huge projects to achieve this goal. Much of the Kampot countryside that we were exploring had been Khmer Rouge territory.

Kampot pepper is highly sought after by the world's top chefs. We visited a pepper farm to learn about this significant crop. Landmines had to be cleared from this area before it could be turned into a pepper farm. I expected towering pepper trees like the ones we have at home that produce red (inedible) peppercorns. Instead I learned that black peppercorn plants are shrubs that grow around a support structure. When the pepper is still green, the Khmer people throw small clusters into their curries and stews for a delicate flavor.

A stop in Kep - famous for blue crab - brought me to the shockingly polluted and overfished Gulf of Thailand. The craft market was pretty entertaining and colorful with its variety of tropical fruit, sea shell crafts, and sizzling seafood aromatically spiced and cooked on open grills. And for good measure, a group of Buddhist monks in bright orange robes sat beside a mound of coconuts.
Lunch was at a popular seafood restaurant, famous for the local blue crab. They very kindly made me a tofu vegetable stir-fry which featured every vegetable they could lay their hands on. Pretty decent - cooked just enough to preserve a good crunch and color - though not as flavorful as I'd come to expect in Cambodia. From our table we could see bamboo baskets floating in the water and further away small fishing boats.

I strolled to the end the pier in Kep for a view of Rabbit island. I'd intended to take a boat out there, but the intense heat put me off. The beaches sounded great, but the lack of shade would have killed me.

From Kep we went back inland through more desolate countryside until we came to a little fishing village.

Here we saw rickety, wooden structures, that were probably homes, and a scary pier that looked like it was about to crumble up. Looking at the aging wooden boats you get a sense of how hard these folks must work to feed themselves and have a shelter.

We returned to town to freshen up for the next phase of the tour.

Together with 8 other passengers I sailed in an old wooden boat on the Kampot River at sunset. They gave us each a beverage - I chose a beer - and off we went under the Old Bridge. The air had cooled down to a much more tolerable temperature. We floated past mangrove swamps and cute wooden bungalows perched on the riverbank overlooking the water and the Elephant Mountains across. Away from the city, we were immersed in nature as the sun slunk behind the mountains, turning the horizon crimson.

With the setting sun reflected in the rippling river, we were lulled into a state of bliss. I understood then why Kampot had to be on a Cambodia travel itinerary. After sunset we continued down the river, silenced by the beauty and a lingering euphoria. Darkness had been gathering, but it was only when we came to trees covered with fireflies, that I realized every trace of daylight had disappeared. The driver pulled up against the bank so we could fully appreciate these intriguing insects. There were thousands of them - emitting the only light out there - miles and miles away from the city. Then, as we sailed back toward Kampot we started to hear splashing noises all around us. Pleasant splashes that made you smile, reminding you of nature's generosity. Shining a flashlight onto the water, we marveled at the jumping fish all around the boat. They were large - a foot long -and what made it all the more thrilling was that they were so easy to see. These delightful creatures kept us entertained on the long boat ride back in the pitch dark.

We ended the day at the most popular restaurant in town - Rikitikitava. Entering the all wooden structure, you feel that perfect jungle vibe aimed at pleasing tourists pretending to be adventurous travelers. I really wanted to have one last Khmer curry since it was my last night in Cambodia. So I was quite happy to see that they served a wide range of traditional cuisine. Well, it turned out to be an absolutely satisfying meal. The curry, with colorful vegetables and tofu, was so perfectly seasoned it didn't need the Kampot pepper provided at every table. No wonder this restaurant was so highly rated!


Strolling back to my hotel in the balmy evening, I thought what a perfect day it had been. And what a great way to end my travels in Cambodia. Tomorrow ... a new country ...