It’s always a joy to take the train to Kampot. The experience is reminiscent of a bygone era. We always hope for the non aircon carriage just so we can open the windows and take photos but it doesn’t always work that way.
After exiting the city through humble dwellings perched precariously close to the tracks and seeing a perspective of inner city life we would otherwise not be privy to, the vistas expand into extensive lotus ponds and at this time of year after the monsoon rains they were full to bursting with lotus in full bloom, a proliferation of newly emerging buds and dense leaf coverage.
The visual then expands into back view the factories, old temples, dirt tracks and tiny villages and vast expanses of lush green rice paddies some of which are almost ready for harvesting now. There is one stretch of the track that we find spectacular. With a back drop of mountains and ponds and paddies bordered with coconut and sugar palms and plenty of birds skimming the water or wading in it or perching on overhead wires, it seems nothing has changed for a millennium or two.
Within four hours you have arrived in Kampot station and are surrounded by two to three times the number of willing tuk tuk drivers for the meagre number of passengers disembarking.
A quick spin downtown in your selected vehicle or in our case the tenacious individual who herded us away and seemed to talk non stop without drawing breath for the entire ride.
Time to hit the streets and revisit old favourite hang outs, make new discoveries and catch up with old mates while enjoying the company of those who have accompanied you on this little jaunt.
We indulged ourselves with a short stay in a hotel we have long loved for its friendly staff and sumptuous meals but never before stayed in. If you haven’t already let me encourage you to choose The Old Cinema Hotel. I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s affordable and yet luxurious with an old world charm oozing from the art deco decor.
The staff are friendly and attentive without being overbearing or pushy. The attention to detail in drink and food service is incredible and the menu extensive enough to satisfy even fussy eaters with dietary restrictions and preferences like our small gathering. We loved the Gin Club and other cocktails and the share platters of food, but there is a lot more on offer as well.
Kampot abounds in quirky little cafés, shopping outlets and fascinating architecture - old, dilapidated, restored, renovated, repurposed and new. Take a stroll through the backstreets and enjoy the juxtapositions and jumble of styles of it all. It’s quiet and calm while still having an upbeat ‘happening place’ vibe about it. Old Market street offers some of the best and worst of Cambodian and Barang style hospitality but there is a lot more to K/pot than that one street. It has pockets of true Khmer culture and a young bohemian counter culture and everything in between coexisting happily together.
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No it’s not paradise. There are issues and development and conflicts and challenges but if you can’t find something that truly fascinates or delights you then you simply can’t be trying. Without a doubt we will be back. Truth be told we already have another booking to return. We have never failed to make new discoveries and still relish revisiting old favourites. Somehow it also never seems possible to leave without making a purchase or two either but how could you call yourself a tourist or traveller if you didn’t support the local businesses?
And for one final plug if you are vain enough to need a
particular hairstyle you can’t beat Mony Saloon anywhere in the Kingdom of Wonder. So there it is in a nutshell if you haven’t yet visited The Pot do yourself a favour.
