Sihanoukville, Kampot & Kep - Cambodia

Romantic setting on the beach

From Phnom Penh we headed south to Sihanoukville, which is a cute beach town with lots of potential, although the water and sand do not hold a torch to the beaches of Thailand.  Again, the problem of garbage resurfaces here (pardon the pun!), as you cannot get in the water or walk in the sand without tripping over bags of garbage.  From what I’ve read, it’s better than it used to be, although it still has a ways to go.  A ton of construction was going on while we were there – I would love to see the place in one or two years, as I imagine it will be quite nice (if they can get the garbage issue under control).

Construction in Sihanoukville

The other downside to the beach was again, all the sellers and beggars.  I must sound like a broken record as often as I’ve mentioned them during our time in Cambodia.  I really enjoy the Cambodians that we interact with, but the constant selling and begging is annoying.  We had a nice dinner on the beach – they set up comfy chairs and tables right on the sand, along with lit candles and the moonlight – it was very romantic.  What takes away from it all are the kids that come by, wanting you to give them food from your plate, or to buy a bracelet from them (they will sit on your chair right next to you).  After them it’s the women with babies, then the people missing limbs that scoot along in the sand, all wanting handouts.  We were sitting ducks at our nice romantic table on the beach, while half the town’s population paraded by us with their hands out! 

Old part of Kampot town

Our hotel had a pool so we spent lots of time swimming there, away from the constant peddling.  We explored the local market, as well as the various towns around us, and had lots of great meals at local restaurants.  We caught up with some friends that we had met in Laos who are on the same path we are, which was a lot of fun.  Most importantly, we obtained our visa for Vietnam at the consulate in town – 30 day visas are not available at the border like they were in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.

Ladies fetching crabs in Kep

From Sihanoukville, we took a minivan to the nearby town of Kampot.  There is no beach at Kampot as it sits on a river instead.   The town itself is quite small and sleepy, which was just right for us after all the attention we got in Sihanoukville.  We came across only one beggar in Kampot, although he was good at making the rounds as we saw him every evening without fail!  The town itself has seen better days – my first impression was that it looked like it had been bombed, which of course it had during the Khmer Rouge days.  Kampot is famous for its pepper farms (peppercorns, not chili peppers).   They were all but destroyed by the Khmer Rouge, who were focused on growing rice, not spice.  More recently, the pepper farms have been making a comeback – Kampot pepper is soon to be Cambodia’s first product to receive a “geographical indication,” just like French cheeses.  We’ve had quite a few dishes during our time in Cambodia with Kampot pepper and can vouch for its tastiness. 

Old building taken back by the jungle in Kep

From Kampot we traveled to Kep, which is a seaside town known for its crabs.  It was created in the early 1900’s as a seaside resort for the French elite, back when the French ruled Cambodia.  All that’s left of the French colonial mansions that dotted the landscape back then are bombed out remnants where squatters now live.  We were there on a weekend which is when all the locals head to the beach.  Lots of Cambodian families were swimming in the small waves (with all their clothes on) and picnicking on local crab.  We visited the crab market ourselves and saw the crab cages floating a little way out in the ocean.  As soon as someone orders crab from one of the restaurants a woman will wade out to one of the cages and bring it back to shore for their meal.  It doesn’t get fresher than that!  We tried the crab, but honestly we weren’t too impressed.  They are quite small, and served still in the shell so they are a lot of work for a small amount of meat. 

We enjoyed getting a bit off the tourist trail during our time in Cambodia.  It was nice to relax and kick back in some quieter areas before heading towards the busy-ness of Vietnam.