- Kampot is a small town on the Tuk Chhou River, 5km inland from the sea. Fishing and farming are the main activities; durians and melons grow in abundance. To the south end of town is a large dusty traffic circle with three hotels arrayed around it – Phnom Kieu, Phnom Kamchay, and Tuk Chhou. Each has its own restaurants; Tuk Chhou offers a seedy nightclub. Also on the circle is Prachummith Restaurant, close by is Amar Restaurant. To the south near the river is the GPO and telecommunications building. At the north end of town, about 1.5 km away, is the Central Market, with foodstalls.

- All Kampot transportation is concentrated within range of the market-cycle, motors, taxis, trucks, and buses. The railway station lies farther north. There’s zero of interest in Kampot except to walk  around town and look at crumbling French-built blue-shuttered shop fronts. Previously Kampot was a stepping-stone to Bokor and Kep.

- You can reach Kampot by irregular plane service from Phnom Penh. It’s not advisable to get there by car. It takes about 5 hours to cover the 150 km from Phnom Penh to Kampot. From Sihanoukville it’s 105 km to Kampot by a jumping and dirt road. The train from Phnom Penh to Kampot takes seven hours. It used to be a frequent target of the Khmer Rouge - in a 1994 ambush, three foreigners were captured by them. 

KEP CITY

- Kep, 25 km southeast of Kampot, is easily reached by motor on a day-trip. The resort was founded in 1908; in colonial days, Kep-sur-Mer was a favorite vacation spot for French administrators and Cambodian aristocrats. Sihanouk maintained a private offshore island to entertain guests. The French constructed villas, residences, hotels, and a handful of public buildings. In the 1970s the Khmer Rouge methodically dynamited every single one This is an eerie place to visit-Cambodian fishermen huddle in the shells of palatial  French villas, cooking over open fires. The beaches at Kep are hardly suited to swimming-most are pebbly or hard-sand strips with coconut palms. The tiny main beach is deserted during the week, but since Kep is closer to Phnom Penh than Sihanoukville it’s deluged on weekends. A restaurants and foodstalls near the beach sell fresh crab. Facilities are limited, with only a few guesthouses in operation. You could stay with locals.