Kampot Travel Guide

Updated October 2026

Overview and Things to Consider

Kampot sits on the Praek Tuek Chhu river about 5 kilometers inland from the Gulf of Thailand, with the Elephant Mountains and the long ridge of Bokor filling the view west. Most visitors spend their days within two blocks of the riverside promenade, between the old bridge and the French-built market, and the town of about 42,000 people carries on behind them. Sunset boats, kayaks and paddleboards go out on the water, and the guesthouses upriver are wooden bungalows in orchards with a jetty to swim from.

You'll love it if you want to stop moving for a week after Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, if you'd rather ride a scooter through rice paddies than sign up for a tour, or if you've wanted to see where Kampot pepper grows. A growing foreign community has given it house-roasted coffee, a vegan cafe, a Turkish kebab stall and a cluster of riverside bars, which some will call a plus and others the beginning of the end.

You'll hate it if you came for beaches. The coast here is mud flats, mangroves and salt pans, and the nearest sand, at Kep, is a small brown strip. Nightlife is a few bars, not a scene, and Wikivoyage now warns that girl bars aimed at older foreign men have spread along the boulevards. And if you don't ride a scooter, you'll spend real money on tuk-tuks, because the best of Kampot is out in the countryside.

The 2026 moment is mostly about access and what's being built. Phnom Penh's new Techo International Airport, which took over all commercial flights in September 2025, sits south of the capital, so the drive to Kampot no longer starts with crossing the whole city. Meanwhile Chinese contractors have been building a port complex and special economic zone since 2022, and the Funan Techo canal is being dug toward the coast at Kep. The riverside still feels the same, for now.

How Kampot Got Here

Kampot enters the royal chronicles in the 1770s, as the base Prince Ang Non II used against a Vietnamese-allied king, and for about two decades after King Ang Duong built a road from his capital at Oudong in 1840, it was Cambodia's only international seaport. Merchants from Singapore traded through it, a district became known as Chinese Kampot, and the French census of 1889 counted Cambodian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Malay quarters on both banks. You can still read that mix in the town: Chinese shophouses around the old market, a Cham Muslim fishing village across the river on Traeuy Koh, and a pepper trade that made the Chinese community's fortune.

The French made Kampot a provincial capital and built Bokor Hill Station on the mountain above it in the early 1920s, at a cost the histories put at 900 workers' lives in nine months. Kampot lost its port role to Saigon and later to Sihanoukville, and the civil war hit it hard. The Khmer Rouge took the town on April 2, 1974, after a five-week battle, and held Bokor into the early 1990s. Pepper output, about 8,000 tons a year in the early 20th century, had fallen to 4 tons by the late 1990s. The town's quiet, faded look owes a lot to those decades when nobody had money to tear anything down.

Getting There and Around

There's no airport in Kampot. Nearly everyone comes from Phnom Penh, about 150 kilometers northeast, where Techo International Airport (KTI) replaced the old Phnom Penh International in September 2025. It's roughly 20 kilometers south of the center. The Airport Express Bus runs toward the city from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., every 10 minutes for most of the day, for 1,500 riel (under 40 US cents), and takes about an hour to its Kouch Kanong roundabout terminus. The smaller Sihanouk International Airport (KOS), 20 kilometers east of Sihanoukville and so on the Kampot side of it, has flights from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and several Chinese cities; Sihanoukville itself is about two hours from Kampot.

From Phnom Penh, the bus is the easy default. Giant Ibis leaves its terminal on Street 106 by the Night Market at 8:00 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., takes about four hours over 150 kilometers, and drops you at its office on Street 724 opposite Kampot Park; Wikivoyage lists the fare at US$8. Cheaper companies such as Sorya run US$5 buses to the central bus station. A private taxi costs about US$35 to $50 and a shared taxi or minivan seat US$5 to $8. The train is the slow, pleasant alternative: Royal Railway runs a daily 7:00 a.m. southern-line departure from Phnom Penh's central station, through Takeo and Kep, with fares from US$10 on its booking platform and a running time of a little under four hours.

Entry rules are the same for US, UK, EU, Canadian and Australian passports: you need a visa, either an e-visa bought in advance or a visa on arrival paid in US dollars (about US$30 at airports), valid for 30 days, and a passport with six months left on it. Since September 2024, air arrivals must also fill in the free e-Arrival card within seven days before landing. If you come overland from Ha Tien in Vietnam, Wikivoyage reported in 2024 that the Prek Chak crossing didn't accept Cambodian e-visas, so bring US$35 cash for a visa on arrival.

In town you walk or cycle. Scooters rent for about US$5 a day and bicycles for about US$1. For tuk-tuks, use the PassApp ride-hailing app; Wikivoyage reported in 2023 that Kampot's drivers don't use Grab, and you'll almost always pay cash. Carry small notes, because a US$100 bill is hard to break here. A tuk-tuk to Kep runs about US$10 one way or US$20 with the driver waiting.

What's Changed Since 2016

In September 2025, Techo International Airport (KTI) took over all of Phnom Penh's commercial flights, with the formal inauguration on October 20, 2025. For Kampot this is a small win: the airport sits south of the capital toward Takeo, so a taxi to the coast skips most of Phnom Penh's traffic. The old train shuttle to the former airport had already closed for good in 2020.

In July and again in December 2025, fighting along the Thai border closed the land crossings between Cambodia and Thailand. A ceasefire took hold on December 27, 2025, but the UK government's March 2026 update and Canada's May 2026 update both still list the crossings as closed. That kills the old coastal route from Kampot through Koh Kong to Trat. Kampot itself is nowhere near the fighting.

In May 2022, Shanghai Construction and China Road and Bridge began building a Kampot port complex and special economic zone under the Belt and Road Initiative, part of a provincial plan that also includes a 42-story twin tower and a passenger seaport. Then on August 5, 2024, ground was broken on the 180-kilometer Funan Techo canal from Phnom Penh's port to the coast at Kep, targeted for 2028. Expect construction traffic over the next few years.

In 2016, Kampot pepper won Protected Geographical Indication status in the European Union, six years after Cambodia registered it as the country's first geographical indication in 2010. Output, near zero after the war, had recovered to about 80 tonnes by 2020, and pepper farms are now the most organized tourist activity in the province, with free tastings in town and guided tours at the farms.

In 2025, Sihanouk International Airport handled 172,000 passengers, nearly double the 93,000 of 2024, with AirAsia flying from Kuala Lumpur and Air Cambodia from Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City. It's still small, but it's become a real option for flying in or out of the south coast without backtracking to Phnom Penh.

What the Usual Advice Gets Wrong

"Bokor is an eerie, abandoned French hill station." That was true until about 2012. The government gave the summit to Sokimex on a 99-year lease, the Thansur Bokor Highland Resort opened that year, and the 1925 Bokor Palace has been renovated and reopened as Le Bokor Palace Hotel. The road is paved and there's no entry fee. Go for the cool air at 1,048 meters, the ruined 1920s church, King Sihanouk's Black Palace and the 29-meter Lok Yeay Mao statue, but don't expect solitude.

"Kep is the beach town, so stay there for the beach." Kep's beach is one small brown-sand strip, with rocky shore on either side. Go to Kep for the crab market, where line-caught crabs come out of floating sea cages for about 10,000 to 20,000 riel a kilo, for the 8-kilometer loop trail in Kep National Park (US$1), and as a day trip 25 kilometers from Kampot.

"Any pepper sold in Kampot is Kampot pepper." Imitators are common enough that Wikivoyage warns about them. Real Kampot pepper carries the protected geographical indication, which ties it to pepper grown in seven defined districts of Kampot and Kep provinces. Buy from a farm or a named shop, such as La Plantation's colonial house facing the old market, which runs free tastings daily. Market prices for genuine black pepper run about US$12 to $18 a kilo.

"You can keep going overland to Thailand along the coast via Koh Kong." Not in 2026. All land crossings between Cambodia and Thailand have been suspended since the 2025 border fighting, and the UK still advises against all but essential travel within 20 kilometers of that border. To get to Thailand, fly, for example from Sihanoukville to Bangkok on Air Cambodia, or from Phnom Penh.

"Your Cambodian e-visa works at every border." It works at the airports, but Wikivoyage reported in 2024 that the Prek Chak crossing, the one you'd use from Ha Tien, didn't accept it, so travelers paid US$35 for a visa on arrival, with touts asking US$38 to speed it up. The touts don't make it faster. Pay the official fee, stand in line and keep US dollars in small notes.

Ideas to Consider for Your Visit

Have you thought about spending a day on the river itself? The standard sunset boat costs about US$5 and a guided kayak trip US$9, and SUP Asia runs a two-hour paddleboard lesson and tour for US$20, daily at 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Pick your boat with care: some sunset cruises are backpacker drinking parties and others are quiet. Further up, Teuk Chhou rapids, about 8 kilometers out, is a set of rapids with an island where people swim and float on tubes while vendors sell fruit, coffee and water.

Rent a scooter and do the loop east of town. The salt fields start about a kilometer out on the Kep road, with access roads running off to the right as you leave town, and Kampot honors the work with a Salt Workers Monument in the center. Keep going for Phnom Chhnork, about 8 kilometers east on Highway 33, where a ride through paddy fields ends at caves with pre-Angkorian shrines from the Funan era inside, for US$1. Durian farms line the road toward Teuk Chhou, and in April and May you can ask to look around and buy fruit at the gate.

Go to a pepper farm. La Plantation is the best organized: its farm is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the last tour leaves at 4 p.m., you can turn up without booking from April to September but need to reserve from October to March, and its restaurant serves a Khmer breakfast and lunch until 3 p.m. It also runs paid sunset visits and Khmer cooking classes. Guided visits to smaller farms are easy to arrange in town and give you a different, scrappier picture of the trade.

Eat crab in Kep. At the crab market the line-caught crabs come straight out of floating cages in the sea, and the dish to order is crab cooked with Kampot pepper. Back in Kampot, eat at Epic Arts Cafe on Old Market Street, run by a charity that works on disability inclusion, for breakfast until 6 p.m. Then try Bampong on Street 726 for Khmer fusion dinners at US$4 to $6, and buy a fruit shake from the evening stalls on the main avenues.

Give Bokor a half day, not a full one. The summit is 37 kilometers from Kampot, with the turnoff 8 kilometers out on Highway 3 and then 32 kilometers of paved switchbacks. Tours with a simple lunch ran US$13 to $15 when Wikivoyage last checked in 2020 and take about six hours. A local driver can do the climb in an hour and a half. Bring a layer: the air at the top is cool by day and can get cold at night.

The Part Most Guides Miss

The town itself. Most visitors use Kampot as a base and spend their days on the river or out at farms, but the grid behind the old market is one of the better-kept colonial and Chinese shophouse districts in Cambodia, faded rather than restored. Look for the two Art Deco cinemas, the old Tourist Information building 400 meters up from the Salt Workers Monument, and the old bridge with its lights on at dusk, now closed to heavy traffic because its structure is in doubt. Then take the road along the east bank and ride about 2 kilometers past the Governor's Residence to look across at the Cham fishing village on Traeuy Koh, the Muslim community whose boats you've been watching all week. None of this costs anything.

Where to Base Yourself

Old Market and the riverfront. The right base for a first visit or a short stay. You can walk to the bus offices, the promenade, La Plantation's shop, Epic Arts Cafe and most restaurants, and Kampot's hostel dorms start around US$4 to $5. The catch is noise from bars and boats in the evening, and you'll still need a scooter or tuk-tuk for anything out of town.

Upriver bungalows on the Teuk Chhou road. Cross the new bridge and the guesthouses spread out along both banks: garden bungalows, orchards, jetties and kayaks, like Greenhouse 6 kilometers out or Les Manguiers 2 kilometers north of the new bridge. This is where people end up staying for two weeks. The catch is distance; some are on rough dirt roads, and without a scooter you're paying for a tuk-tuk every time you want dinner in town.

Guesthouse Street, by the bus station. East of the Salt Workers roundabout and about 150 meters from the central bus station, this is the cheapest, most practical block if you're arriving late or leaving early. It's less pretty than the river, but Wikivoyage puts most guesthouse rooms in town at US$5 and up.

Realities to Be Aware Of

Kampot is cheap even by Cambodian standards. A budget traveler can do it on about US$20 to $30 a day, with a US$4 to $10 dorm from Hostelworld's 23 listings, US$3 to $6 meals and a US$5 scooter. Mid-range, US$40 to $60 a day covers a US$20 to $25 room at a place like Mea Culpa, better dinners and a US$10 to $15 Bokor tour. Comfortable starts with a small hotel like Rikitikitavi, which Wikivoyage last listed (in 2016) at about US$53 with breakfast, and adds a US$35 to $50 car whenever you want one.

Safety is mostly about the road and your bag. The UK government says most thefts in Cambodia are bag snatchings by thieves on passing motorbikes, and Canada says they happen frequently, so carry bags on the side away from traffic and don't leave a phone in a bicycle basket. Cambodia has one of the highest road-accident rates in Southeast Asia, and riding at night is when it gets worse. To rent a motorcycle over 125cc, the UK says you may need the 1949 International Driving Permit with your home license, and the police can fine you on the spot for riding without a helmet. Kampot had a run of serious crimes against foreigners in the 2010s, and local police were criticized for their response, so use ordinary caution late at night.

Health care outside Phnom Penh and Siem Reap is limited, according to the Canadian government, so for anything serious you'll be driven four hours to the capital. Canada lists dengue, Zika and chikungunya as mosquito risks, so bring repellent for the evening boats. Same-sex relationships are legal in Cambodia, and the UK notes that the LGBT+ community is becoming more visible. Drug penalties are severe, up to life sentences.

If Kampot Is Part of a Longer Trip

Kampot is the hinge of Cambodia's south coast. Kep is 25 kilometers and 30 to 45 minutes east, close enough for a day trip, and the train covers it in half an hour for about US$4, though Kep's station is 10 kilometers north of town. Sihanoukville, the jumping-off point for the islands, is about two and a half hours west by minivan for around US$10, or two hours on the same daily train. Going north, Giant Ibis runs a night bus to Siem Reap, leaving Kampot at 7:00 p.m., with the return leaving Siem Reap at 10:30 p.m., which saves you a night and a change in Phnom Penh.

Vietnam is the easy border. Minibuses run between Kampot and Ha Tien through the Prek Chak crossing for about US$19, and Wikivoyage put a minivan through to Phu Quoc island at US$18 in 2020. UK passports and many EU ones, including French, German, Italian and Spanish, get 45 days in Vietnam visa-free; US, Canadian and Australian travelers need Vietnam's e-visa, valid up to 90 days at US$25 single entry, which is accepted at the Ha Tien land border. From Ha Tien you can head up the Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City.

Thailand is harder in 2026, because the land crossings stay suspended after the 2025 fighting. Fly instead: Air Cambodia goes from Sihanoukville to Bangkok, AirAsia from Sihanoukville to Kuala Lumpur, and Phnom Penh has far more choice. A sensible loop runs Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Kampot and Kep, then out through Ha Tien into Vietnam. If you're building a longer multi-stop trip, AirTreks can route you into Phnom Penh and out of Ho Chi Minh City so you never backtrack.

Yearly Things to Consider

Two seasons run the year. The dry months, December to March, get under 1.2 inches of rain a month in December, January and February, with highs around 86 to 89°F (30 to 32°C); this is high season and the best time to visit, though you'll rarely see real crowds. April and May are the hottest, peaking at 92°F (34°C), and Khmer New Year, April 14 to 16 in 2026 and 2027, fills the guesthouses with Phnom Penh families. From May the rains build to 9.7 inches in July and 15 inches in August, three times April's total.

The counterintuitive part is that the wet season isn't a write-off here. Bokor's waterfall only flows in the wet months, and if you're mostly staying put on the river, a few washed-out afternoons cost you little. Avoid August if you can. The crowds that do matter are local: Kep is empty midweek and busier at weekends, and Pchum Ben, the 15-day ancestors' festival that ends on the 15th day of the tenth Khmer month, usually in September or October, is a major holiday when Cambodians travel home.

Ideas for Itineraries

3 Days in Kampot

Arrive on the morning bus or train from Phnom Penh and spend the afternoon on the promenade, then take a sunset boat. On day two, rent a scooter and ride out past the salt fields to Phnom Chhnork's cave shrine, then on to Kep for a crab-and-green-pepper lunch at the crab market, and back by La Plantation's farm for the last 4 p.m. tour. Spend day three going up Bokor in the morning, and give the afternoon to the shophouse streets and a swim at Teuk Chhou.

5 Days in Kampot

Do the three-day version, then move upriver to a bungalow on the Teuk Chhou road for the last two nights. Kayak or paddleboard in the morning, when the river is flat and cool. Give one day to Kep properly: take the US$1 loop trail through Kep National Park, and if you start early, share a boat to Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island). On the last evening, ride the east-bank road past the Governor's Residence for the view of the Cham fishing village at dusk.

1 Week in Kampot

A week lets you stop planning. Split it between the old market and the river, add a Khmer cooking class, a second pepper farm (a small family one this time) and the durian farms if it's April or May. Then either take the morning train on to Sihanoukville for the islands, or ride the minibus through Prek Chak to Ha Tien and Phu Quoc, with your Vietnam e-visa already in hand if your passport needs one.

2 Weeks or More in Kampot

Two weeks is where Kampot works best, and plenty of travelers stretch it further. Settle into an upriver bungalow and keep a scooter for the whole stay. For laptop days, Cafe Espresso Kampot roasts its own coffee and has free Wi-Fi, as do OM House and Sisters II. Use weekends for Kep, a night on Bokor at the US$5 ranger station dorm, and the train to Sihanoukville. Avoid planning work deadlines around August.

Sources

What this guide is built on. Every page below was read for this guide; prices and rules were checked in October 2026.

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