Kampot travel guide

Kampot is a charming riverside town that was established in the early 1900s by the French. The town lies at the base of the Elephant Mountain Range, 5 km inland on the river Prek Thom and was for a long time the gateway to the beach resort at Kep . On one side of the river are tree-lined streets, crumbling mustard yellow French shop fronts and a sleepy atmosphere, while on the other side you will find locals working in the salt pans. The town has the feel of another era – with a dabbling of Chinese architecture and overall French colonial influence – which, with a bit of restoration work, could easily be compared to UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Hoi An in Vietnam and Luang Prabang in Laos. Life is laid-back in Kampot and the town has become an expat retreat with Phnom Penh-ites ducking down here for the fresh air and cooler climate.