A weekend in Kampot..........
There is an art to being blissfully bone idle. It takes perseverance, adequate supplies, some pithy company. If you can engineer it to include some amazing food, a stunning view enhanced by a nightly blazing sunset and an excessive amount of wine - some would declare that perfection. Which is why if you want to escape the craziness of Phnom Penh for a few days, Kampot should definitely be on your wishlist.
This sleepy town in the South West of Cambodia is the gateway to the coast, but you should definitely not just race on through to sandier choices. You might not be clubbing all night (you will be hard pressed to get a drink after 11pm) but you will be enjoying a welcoming, laid back vibe in a small, colonial town retaining its old school architectural charm and enjoying some savvy development. There are good restaurants, nice bars, the ubiquitous pepper shops and some great NGO businesses for you to support all on the banks of the impressive Kampong Bay river.
My friends and I taxied down to lovely lazy river town of Kampot on Thursday - 3 hours door to door. The highly reliable Ibis bus service does not take much longer - minus the tuktuk transfers. There are plenty of accommodation options though the majority are budget and/or basic - ever reliable Mad Monkey has a great guest house here, with pool. There are plenty of spots in town but if you are looking for some real lazy time, head out to one of the many guesthouses and mini resorts on the river itself.
Our guest of honour had selected ex-pat favorite, the legendary Greenhouse for our weekend break. Why so famous and popular? Greenhouse has a special place in many long term Cambodian residents hearts because its history is the story of a special man. The main building’s former life was as PP institution Snow Bar or ‘Snowy’s’ on the far side of the Tonle Sap till development in the Chrouy Changvar forced it to close. Actually called Maxines, Ian ‘Snowy’ Woodford’s large teak house jutted out over the river, a perfect sundowner spot and chilled out bar. And this is what it has become again, deconstructed and rebuilt overlooking Kampot river by ‘Donkey’ Dave in 2011.
There are private bungalows spread across the property, with various bed and bath options starting at $12pn, with a premium for a riverside spot. The river will be your main source of entertainment - swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding. Otherwise its cards, board games, cocktails and some outstanding food.
The kitchen at the Greenhouse is its ‘piece de la resistance’. Mixing khmer, mediterranean and french cuisine, it is hard to restrain yourself to 3 meals a day. 11’ses and afternoon tea beg for chocolate and pepper cookies (oh yes). The galettes are divine, duck margret scrummy and amok a great example of local food. To compliment there is a decent wine list (our first night 14 bottle attack stands as testament…..).
So if you have the energy to drag yourself away from your riverside Nirvana, what can you do in Kampot? I can thoroughly recommend Banteay Srey Spa, another little riverside oasis. Ladies only, apart from the really enjoyable 9:30am yoga class, this NGO project offers opportunities to young women from difficult circumstances training them in treatments and massage. All trainers are volunteers and earn no wages. It is a lovely setting, with a cafe and a juice bar, you can jump from the veranda into the river to cool down before getting scrubbed, steamed and massaged into utter relaxation. Take a few hours and spoil yourself…….
If you actually want to be active, why not take a boat ride, slowly sipping beer on an adapted longtail. Or go over to Villa Vedici and get blasted up the river on their speedboat. One option is slightly more of a photo op than the other. Jump on a moto or a bike and head to Bokor National Park - though it will take some serious fortitude to cycle to the top of the mountain. The old hill station at the top offers some great photo opportunities, especially if the weather is obscuring the view. You can also climb up it with local climbing outfit Climbodia - grab a leaflet anywhere in town for more details.
There is a movie theater in town as well as some cute shops to browse, such as NGO www.dorsu.org making lovely t shirts in great fabrics with quirky prints. If you get peckish, Epic Arts Cafe offers jobs for the deaf and trains them as fantastic chefs and bakers. Have a cinnamon roll, coconut or carrot cake and buy some muesli to take home - scrumptious.
My final Kampot recommendation is so good, there are 2 of them. Unfortunately you need to ensure that you are very, very, VERY hungry to fully appreciate the mighty ribs of The Rusty Keyhole. With 1 restaurant riverside and 1 at the 2000 roundabout, make sure your belly is empty and choose river view or watching sports. Then proceed to stuff yourself with the tastiest half or full rack of BBQ-ed ribs, served with mash and coleslaw and lots of sauce, you will be satisfied and then some. Apparently there are other things on the menu, I have no idea as I never bothered to read it… Ribs, mash, beer, done.
And that pretty much sums up Kampot - eat, drink, relax, repeat……...
