Nestled between the base of the Elephant Mountains on the banks of the Kampong Bay River.  Kampot offers visitors a stunning location to unwind for a few days, admire the crumbling colonial architecture and soak up rural Cambodian life in a peaceful and relaxing environment.

Kampot is a unique spot on the south coast of Cambodia offering a quite different experience that the coastal area of Kampong Som (Sihanoukville).

Historically Kampot rose to prominence as the original port town of Cambodia.  Although following the construction of Sihanoukville in the 1950s Kampot role as a major town began to decline, and today Kampot is most known for being the gateway to the Historical hill station of Bokor National Park. 

However with its picturesque location, fantastic selection of classical colonial French architecture, and relax atmosphere, visitors find that there is a lot more to Kampot than Just the National park.

Bokor National Park

The Bokor National Park is an extensive reserve that covers parts of four provinces of Cambodia.  The park covers a total of XXXXXsquare kilometers, however the main attraction is the Colonial era Hill Station that was constructed by the French during the 1920s. 

Nestled amongst the clouds the Bokor hill station was the ideal place to acclimatize to the Cambodian climate, and escape the heat of the plains. To read a review of the Bokor Palace Click Here.

Inauguration of Bokor Palace Casino

Artists impression of the New Casino

to be constructed on Bokor

During the years of conflict in Cambodia the hill station was abandoned and fell into a state of disrepair, and today the hill station feels more akin to a  ghost town, leading to comparison with the HOTELXXXXXX, made famous in the shinning, and has been referred to as one of the “eeriest places in the world”  For an

As of 2008, a concession was granted to redevelop the Hill station and construct a new hotel, casino and gradually all other amenities to establish a new hill station resort. To read an interview with Sok Kong, head of the Sokha Group click Here.

Although the road to the Hill station is under construction, trips to the top are still available, encompassing about a five hour trek through the jungle and utilizing construction vicheles for the rest of the journey.  During Khmer national holidays the road is generally reopened and visitors are able to make their own to the top, or avail of one of the tours going up.

Road Up Bokor Circa 1950s

Sights and sounds
A the centre of the Hill station was Bokor Place and casino, there were also shops, a post office, a catholic church and the royal residence of King XXXXXXXXXX, (known as the black palace).  The remains of these structures can still be found in varying states of disrepair.  There is also still an active Buddhist wat (temple) and the Ranger station, which offers accommodation and cooking facilities. 
  Bokor’s moist evergreen forests shelter a wide variety of rare and threatened animals, including the Indian elephant, leopard, Asiatic black bear, Malayan sun bear, pileated gibbon, pig-tailed macaque, slow Loris, red muntjac deer, lesser mouse deer, pangolin, yellow-throated martin, small Asian mongoose and various species of civet, porcupine, squirrel and bat. Over 300 species of bird, including several types of hornbill, also live here. Don’t expect to see much wildlife, though – most of the animals are nocturnal and survive by staying in more remote parts of the park.

Caves Phnom Chourk
Toul Chouu
Zoo
Kep
Boat trips
Reservoir