Set with picture perfection near the base of the Elephant Mountains on the Kampong Bay River, the provincial capital of Kampot City is of quite a different character than the much more heavily tourist beach town of Sihanoukville. Quiet lanes, classic French colonial and Chinese architecture and very few tourists all serve to lend Kampot a quaint, welcoming, small town ambiance. Visitors come to Kampot for a taste of provincial Cambodia, the relaxed atmosphere, and to use Kampot as a base or a stepping stone to the Bokor Hill Station, the beaches and islands of Kep and the rest of southeastern Cambodia. For those interested in volunteer work, Kampot offers several volunteer opportunities with NGOs and other charitable organizations both short and long term doing things such as teaching English, assistance with children and disabled people, reconstruction projects, etc. (See ‘Things to Do and See’ for more information.) Come the end of the day in Kampot the place to be is at one of the friendly little riverside cafes or pubs to relax curbside over a cold drink or a glass of wine and watch the sun slowly set over the river and into the Elephant Mountains

BoKor

The French hill station of Bokor is known for its cool climate secluded waterfalls and jungle vistas. Currently Bokor is deserted except for the ranger station but there are regular rumors of development plans, including the obligatory casino. The place has a genuine ghost town feel and the old Catholic church looks like it was locked up just yesterday.The Popokvil Falls, a few km from the old hill station, are worth the trip to cool off on a hot day. There’s a walking trail linking Popokvil to the old hill station and this is a great way to while away a few hours with a ranger for a guide.

Krong Koh Kong is Cambodia’s wild west a frontier town of smugglers, gamblers and prostitutes. But it’s not that wild for most travelers, more a functional stop on the southern overland trail between Thailand and Cambodia.