Kampot is located in the southern part of Cambodia and is mostly known for its salt fields and pepper farming. Kampot is a very relaxed beach town. While most travellers go to Sihanoukville for the nightlife and parties, Kampot offers a more laid-back, easy-going atmosphere. I liked Kampot as it was not so full of tourists and there are little bungalow style accommodations along the river where you can enjoy peace and quiet. Below I have listed the best things to do in Kampot, Cambodia.

How to Get to Kampot By Bus

There are many buses going to Kampot from major towns in Cambodia, including Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. I was on a very tight schedule, so I took the night bus with Giant Ibis to save time. The bus was pretty comfortable for a night bus, everyone had their own sleeping space. If you have a sleeping bag or sleeping bag liner, it might come in handy to make your bed for the night.

The Best Things to Do in Kampot

Visit the La Plantation Pepper Farm

Before coming to Kampot (or Cambodia in general), I did not know that pepper was such an important spice in Cambodian dishes. Due to that, pepper farming has a long history and tradition in Cambodia. 

The La Plantation Pepper Farm is a short tuk-tuk or scooter ride away from the Kampot town centre. I did not know what to expect from a pepper farm but I found it was very impressive. Once you arrive at the farm, they join you up with a couple of other people and then there is a volunteer guide who takes you on a tour of the pepper farm. During the tour, you learn about pepper farming, the growing of pepper plants, harvesting and preparing pepper. The tour is free and you will also get to taste some of the different types of pepper grown here.

The whole area is quite big. Apart from the pepper farm, there is a restaurant where you can eat some delicious meals and a shop where you can buy various types of pepper. It can get hot and sunny during the day so take some sunhat/shawl and sunscreen with you.

Swim in the Secret Lake

The Secret Lake is near the La Plantation Pepper Farm so it is a great stop on the way to or from the pepper farm. People can also swim in the lake, although I did not go inside. There are some restaurants around the lake where you can stop by for lunch or just to have a drink and relax. It is a very relaxed place, I liked it as the road towards the pepper farm was very dusty, so stopping here was nice to recover from all the dust.

Explore the Caves in Kampot

Phnom Chinook Cave

It is a beautiful cave near the Secret Lake. You can hire a guide for about USD 3-5 to take you on a tour of the cave. The tour can be between 30 mins to 2 hours long. Inside the cave there is a shrine, and you will see some cave formations and also might encounter some bats. 

Sorsia Cave

The Sorsia Cave is located between Kampot and Kep. If you are going to Kep on a scooter, it can be worth stopping by here to check out the cave. It can be dark inside, so it is good if you have a flashlight with you. 

Watch the Sunset over the Salt Fields on Fish Island/Traeuy Kaoh

In Kampot, you can do the whole tour of salt and pepper. There is a salt field on Fish Island/Traeuy Kaoh where you can see the cultivation of salt between late December to mid-May. I was lucky to have ended up at the salt fields just around sunset, it was really a special view. 

To get to Fish Island, you can hire a bicycle or take a tuk-tuk. I got a tuk-tuk driver to drop me there and then after spending some time at the salt fields, I booked another tuk-tuk driver through the PassApp taxi app. The salt fields are a bit far out and it can be difficult to get a taxi to take you back – so if you like cycling, it may be a better option to be able to come and go on your own.

Explore the Bokor National Park

The Bokor National Park is located in Kampot and was established in 1993. It’s highest peak, the Bokor Mountain is 1,081 metres high. It is a really peaceful place to spend time in the nature and you get great views from the top. Make sure to visit when the weather is sunny, as if it is cloudy, you will not get any views. It is easy to spend a day in the national park. There are lakes, waterfalls and temples to discover. It is best to rent a scooter for the day to go up Bokor Mountain and to get around the national park. 

Go on a Boat Trip to See Fireflies and the Sunset

There are a number of sunset boat trips organized in Kampot to see the sunset and fireflies. The boats usually leave around 5 pm and the trip takes about 2 hours. Usually, you get a drink included in the price of your ticket. In addition, they also serve food on the cruise so it is a nice place to have dinner and drinks. 

I went on a sunset boat trip near Siem Reap just before visiting Kampot, so I did not end up going for another sunset boat trip. Although, looking back I think that also seeing the fireflies in the evening would be a really unique experience and now a little bit sad I did not go on a boat trip in Kampot.

Go on a Day Trip to Kep

Kep is very close to Kampot and you can even easily get there on a rented scooter. For a more scenic experience, I decided to take a boat, the Crab Shuttle, from Kampot to Kep. The Crab Shuttle is a fishing boat converted into a “tourist” boat. The shuttle departs every morning at 9 am and arrive in Kep in about 1 hour 15 minutes. The price of your ticket includes a bottle of water and in addition, they also sell beer on board. Then, the crab shuttle goes back from Kep to Kampot at 3 pm.