[Left Photo: Bokor Mountain]Where is Kampot?Kampot Town is the capital of Kampot province. A lot of Kampots all in one place. A quiet town, best known as the starting point for trips to Bokor Mountain and it's riverside scene. Kampot is a great escape from the larger cities and towns in Cambodia. Located near the ocean, close to Vietnam, you can travel to SihanoukVille and Phnom Penh in a few hours, and to Vietnam in only an hour. Also, the original seaside resort of Cambodia, Kep, is a short drive away.
Located on both sides of the Kampot River also know as Teuk Chhou or Prek Thom, and connected by 2 bridges, the East side of Kampot is where most of the restaurants, guesthouses, and market are located. Along the riverfront, on both sides, are several hotels, guesthouses and restaurants with Western and Khmer (Cambodian) hosts. The riverfront is fairly quiet and quite picturesque.
Walk around town, rent a bicycle, or rent a small motorcycle to get around. Also, you can ride motorcycle taxis and tuk tuks (a cart pulled by a motorcycle) for 12 to 50 cents to most places in town.
Some attractions downtown, besides the riverfront, are the central market, small caves with Buddhist shrines, and the football stadium. Towards the ocean on the East side is the port of Kampot and many Cham Muslim communities and schools. Across the river is Kampot's Wat or Buddhist Temple which is open to tourists. Past the Wat are Kampot's salt fields, and further out of town are Kampot's famous Black Pepper and Durian farms. Along the riverfront, mostly North of downtown's bridges, are several guesthouses and restaurants, right on the river.
Across the River (West Side) the first big road to the right from either bridge, takes you to the Kampot Zoo (about 20 minute ride and $5 entrance fee), lions, tigers and bears (and maybe some monkeys), and the Kampot River rapids, Teuk Chhou, an informal park for eating, drinking, sleeping, and playing in the water. Take your own motorcycle or get a motorcycle taxi or Tuk Tuk for about $5-7 round trip.
Some information about Bokor Resort: Road to Bokor resort ( Cambodia ) reopen(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-04-04): Regarding to the request from national, international tourists, after the closing of Bokor resort due to the road construction, the authority of kampot province has coordinated with Sokha Hotel to reopen the Bokor resort for tourists to visit from 3rd April 2008 onwards even though the road construction is still under processing.
Bokor Mountain is a popular destination because of the rough ride up the dirt track to the top, the views of Southern Cambodia and Vietnam, and the cool temperatures; not to mention the abandoned casino and summer palace of the former King. Most people stay at one of Kampot's Hotels for the night before and after a trip to Bokor.
For the ride, for the scenery, for the cool mountain air, for the adventure, for relaxation. All good reasons to travel the the top of Bokor Mountain.
Bokor Hill Station
32 kilometers and 1,101 meters up from road 3 near Kampot, is the Bokor Mountain Hill Station, in Bokor National Park.. Originally a small resort town, it is now an abandoned ghost town and National Park (except for the many tourist and Park personnel). Most famous for the abandoned Casino at the top of the mountain, there is also a church, buildings for the former king, and either a view of fog or a view of Southern Cambodia and Vietnam's island Phu Quoc.
There is currently construction, both on the road going up the mountain, and on top, to turn this area into a resort. Usually, the road will be closed to tourist, but you can only find this out while you are in Kampot or by calling ahead to one of the tour services or guesthouses. Stay tuned for Bokor Resort, Bokor Fantasyland, Bungee jumping, Buddha Religion Land, Bokor Golf Course, Bokor Casino and many more Bokor facilities in the coming years.
Getting up to Bokor National Park
From Kampot, take the road towards route 4 about 8 kilometers. On the right side, you will see a large plaque welcoming you to Bokor National Park. Just up the road is the Bokor ranger station where they collect a $5 entrance fee.
You can take a dirt bike (or a 100cc small bike, not recommended) up to the top. Drive slow, (especially coming back down). If you don't have your own bike, big dirt bikes can be rented in Kampot for less than $12/day. The drive up is not smooth or fast, but quite nice. You may want to bring some warm clothes as the temperatures, especially at night are much cooler, and there often fog or rain at the top.
You can also get a ride in a pickup truck (either inside or in the back) for a day trip, including lunch for $12 to $25. Most tours leave from downtown Kampot.
Walking is sometimes an option, but plan for a few day trip, with lots of gear. You'll need to check at the ranger station at the bottom of the mountain, to see if they'll let you walk.
There are some sights to see on the way up, such as the waterfalls, and the old King's "staff" accommodations, so you might want to take a few rest breaks along the way. You should also bring something to eat and drink, which is really helpful if your vehicle breaks down.
Once on top, there are some hotels for about $5, or you can stay for free if you make your own hotel.
Most people stay in hotels in Kampot, Cambodia, and take the day tour up the mountain. You can also get the trip from Kep, Cambodia, but it's about 90 minutes more travel time, round trip. Check info below about Kampot province, Bokor resort...
Cambodia tours=>
http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/Vietnam tours=>
http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/Laos tours=>
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