Best places to visit when in Cambodia

5 best places or destinations to visit when in Cambodia

Cambodia is a country rich in culture and history, and it offers a wide variety of interesting places to visit. Cambodia offers many other destinations that are also worth visiting like Kep, Kampot, Koh Ker, etc. So, these five options are just a small sample of what this country has to offer to travelers.

Five destinations that are considered must-sees when in Cambodia

Angkor Wat

This ancient temple complex, located in Siem Reap, is the most famous tourist attraction in Cambodia and one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for its intricate carvings and beautiful architecture.

Phnom Penh

The capital and largest city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh is a vibrant and bustling city with a rich history. Visitors can see the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum, as well as the Tuol Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields, which are sobering reminders of the country’s recent past.

Battambang

This charming riverside town is located in northwest Cambodia and is known for its well-preserved colonial architecture, beautiful countryside, and lively cultural scene. Visitors can explore local markets, take a scenic boat ride, or see the famous bamboo railway.

Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville is a beach town located in the south of Cambodia, and it is known for its beautiful beaches and crystal-clear waters. It’s an ideal place for swimming, sunbathing, diving, and snorkeling.

The Cardamom Mountains

This remote and largely-unexplored area of southwest Cambodia is home to dense jungles, rushing rivers, and a wealth of wildlife. It’s an ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts who want to get away from the more touristy areas and experience some of Cambodia’s lesser-known landscapes and cultures.

Top of the list is that Cambodia has Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. Not Angkor What, but the earth’s largest religious monument.

The best beaches in Southeast Asia, the Lazy Beach and Koh Rong Saloem. These destinations and places must be on your itinerary when you travel to Cambodia.

Kampot

Kampot is one of Cambodia’s most peaceful places to live a good life. One of its main attractions is its relaxing riverside setting. It’s also one of the best places to visit whenever you feel like escaping Phnom Penh.

Kampot is a province in the south of Cambodia. It’s about 148 km from Phnom Penh.

How to get around Cambodia by Bus

Recommended Hotels to Stay when in Kampot

During one of our most recent visits, we stayed at Pippali Boutique Hotel. It is located along the riverside and a short walk from Kampot city centre. If you’ve got family with kids and need to stay overnight, we highly recommend this hotel. Not crowded. Quiet. Clean. One only downsize is the average breakfast serving.

We booked 3 rooms nearly a week in advance. We paid for one room to commit our booking.

In Kep, we recommend that you check out Le Flamboyant Boutique Resort & Spa (https://www.facebook.com/leflamboyantresort/).

Places to visit when in Kampot

This sleepy town has many historical buildings, such as houses, shopping malls, theaters, hospitals, and so on. That’s probably one of the reasons that it got the interest of the French. There are also Bokor Mountain, which is also attracted to the attention of all national and international tourists.

Monivong Bokor National Park

42km away from Kampot town to the west. At the top of the mountain there is a casino built during the French colonial period for them to play in all seasons. In addition, there is a pagoda called Wat Sampov 5, with a pattern of rocks in the shape of a ship. Five.

Here you can also explore the natural scenery that can not be easily reached: the lush valley of the Blue Forest The secret has a little cloud cover. They can also view the view of Kampot town from the top of the 1,375 meter high. In addition to historical buildings, tourists can visit nature once again, three cold waterfalls and cloudy regions. A cool, dry, and rainy season.

Tek Chhou Resort

It is a natural resort located 8 kilometers from the provincial town of Kampot. Up to the provincial town of Kampot, a major source of fresh water to support the consumption of people around the provincial town.

The beautiful waterfalls see the bottom flowing, sometimes flowing through the large rocky rocks that can be crossed. Crossing the water through a pivotal bridge hanging over waiting for tourists. In addition to bathing, vistors can also admire the landscape of the fruit trees and the people at the side of the falls, notably the famous poultry farms.

Kampot province is not far from the zoo and the Teuk Chhou garden are letting the viewers go out of their way after being back. From the falls at the falls. They often go for a variety of different kinds of animals, including fresh fruits and vegetables, such as tuna, rambutan, and so on.

Kdard La Tente and Kdat Sanaka of Kampot

Kdard La Tente is hidden place in Kampot, where you can really enjoy a wonderful view and good, fresh seafood. Most of the visitors who have been there could easily recognize Koh Tral from Kdard La Tente, which is run by young Cambodians.

It’s just a matter of time that Kampot’s Kdard La Tente would be on top of tourist destination among local, backpackers, expats, and foreign travelers.

These are some best places to see, eat, and stay when you’re in Kep:

Kep National Park
Koh Tonsay
Wat Kiri Sela
Kep Beach
Sothy’s Pepper Farm

Kep Butterfly Garden
Coconut Beach
Wat Samathi

Places to eat:

Crab Market
Kimly

Cambodia’s Kampot Peppers

Farmers in Kampot have many generations of experience in the cultivation of pepper and produce pepper of the highest quality using a mixture of traditional and modern methods. Kampot pepper is one of Cambodia’s product granted official geographical indication (GI) statuses.

In February 2016, Kampot pepper became the first Cambodian product to be recognized by the European Union as a Geographical Indication. It is a certified appellation of original product since 2010.

Cambodia exported about 8000 tons of Kampot pepper at the start of the 20th century. About one million pepper poles still existed in Kampot in the 1960s, generating around 1000 tons. Just 4 tons was collected by the end of the 90s after the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime.

Everything you need to know about Kampot peppers of Cambodia

Brief history

In Kampot, it can trace back to the 1870s the modern era of intense pepper production. His pepper plantations were burned down in 1873 by the Sultan of Aceh, who did not want to leave his riches to his Dutch enemies. Some of the production then shifted to the Kampot region of Cambodia.

Since at least the 13th century, knowledge of pepper cultivation and processing has been passed on from generation to generation in the Province of Kampot.

Taste and aroma

What does Kampot pepper taste like? The taste and strong aroma of Kampot pepper made it one of the world’s most highly regarded peppers-the unchallenged spice champion in the kitchens of the most famous French chefs, and commonly referred to as “The King of Pepper!”

Kampot pepper provides aromas that are strong but delicate. The flavor, ranging from strongly spicy to mildly sweet, often shows hints of floral and citrus.

The pepper plant grows on traditional wooden poles that are carefully separated by a given distance to ensure adequate food for all crops.

All Kampot pepper cuttings must come from the terroir of Kampot for a new plantation. Every year, natural fertilizer and fresh soil must be applied to each pole of the pepper plant.

Geographical location

Located between the mountains and the sea, this pepper is exceptional due to the special climate and soil type found in the province of Kampot, coupled with the experience of several generations of farming expertise.

The distinctive aroma–heavy yet delicate, aromatic and unmistakable–makes Kampot Pepper worldwide highly appreciated by gourmets.

Kampot pepper is grown on family farms dotting Phnom Voar and nearby valleys northwest of Kompong Trach, where especially pungent peppercorns are developed by the unique climate and farmers ‘ adherence to labor intensive growing techniques.

Price

Kampot pepper is sold for about $15, $25 and $28 per kilogram in three varieties – black, red and white. The season of harvest extends from March to the end of June.

Kampot Pepper Producers Association (KPPA) and the independent certification body Eco-Cert are responsible for inspecting the plantations.

Check out these Kampot’s pepper farms:

Sothy’s Pepper Farm

Buy Kampot pepper on Amazon.com

More about Kampot

Kampot is bordered on the north of Borseth district in Kampong Speu province, east of Tram Kok district and Kirivong district, South of Takeo province, adjoining the Gulf of West of Kampong Seila, Koh Kong and Preah Sihanouk provinces, as well as long coastline in the Gulf of Thailand.

Cambodia’s Kep

Getting to Kep (Krong Kep) from Phnom Penh by bus is an enjoyable experience than by a taxi (or private car), especially if you’re traveling with small children. If you don’t want to drive by yourself, you can also take a bus (for under $10).

There are times when you want to escape Phnom Penh during the weekend to spend a good time a sleepy town like Kep. How to get to Kep from Phnom Penh by bus?

Want to escape from Phnom Penh? To where? Think of Kep, a small, quiet town where Cambodians consider as a place for super good seafood.

What’s in a name, Kep? It literally means Saddle. But it’s more than, tropical islands.

Which is the best hotel in Kep? We stayed for two nights at Le Flamboyant Boutique Resort & Spa. It’s nice place for family as it’s very spacious with grass for kids to run around. And there are two good swimming pool (one big for children and a smaller one for adults).

And you can really relax there as it’s surrounded by the most beautiful view of Kep national park. What’s more you need in life to feel good?

Kdat Sanaka

If you’re looking for a camping site in Kampot, I’d recommend you check out Kdat Sanaka, a Cambodian-run eco-tourism resort. It’s the best place to escape from the crowd of Phnom Penh and busy life. Kdat Sanaka is about 3 hour drive from Phnom Penh. From Phnom Penh to Kampot, it’s about 150 km. From Kampot to Kdat Sanaka, it’s about 20 km.

More about Kep

Kep province is one of the four provinces located on the southwest coast of Cambodia. Kep is located a few kilometers away from the Cambodian-Vietnamese border. Kep was once the most popular coastal city of Cambodia. The beautiful beach in Kep is a shady, mangrove forest and black sand. Kep is rich in seafood, but delicious.

Kep province also has many local products such as pepper, salt, fruit, mango, rambutan and many tourist destinations such as beaches, mountains, canyons and resorts. In particular, there are a host of international and domestic tourist destinations.

Koh Tonsay is located about 4.5 kilometers southwest of Kep Province. Tourists are attracted by two white sand beaches and shallow seawas suitable for swimming. The seabed has diverse coral reefs, marine animals and plants, attracting researchers and ecologists to study.

The name Koh Tonsay comes from the word disintegration. On one occasion, to avoid the commander’s command, Prince Sakor Ran was very disappointed because his troops were exhausted. He led the remaining troops across the sea to an island in front of Kep, where the army was separated. As a result, the island is also known as Koh Russey, Koh Samet, Koh Ouay, and Koh Tonsay which we have known today.

Visiting Hillside Hungalows of the Picnic Resort

Located along national road 4 about 135km from Phnom Penh, Picnic resort is well-known for its organic vegetable farms, delicious quality Khmer food and tranquil environment.

The resort comprises of vegetable farms, restaurant, meeting room, children playgrounds, and hillside bungalows. If you’re planning to take a bus trip from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville or Koh Kong, you may also consider including this overnight stay at a beautiful resort just along the way to your destination.

Picnic Resort: Best for Overnight Stay When Traveling to Sihanoukville or Koh Kong from Phnom Penh)

If you go in group or organize a business trip or staff retreat, there is also a meeting room available at your need. There is also accessible open space for you to organize outdoor activities and games. For family with small children, there are indoor and outdoor playgrounds with several kinds of toys and books.

In addition to the hillside bungalows, camping is another option for you to stay closer to the nature. When you wake up, a very good morning exercise is to go up to the maintain top to enjoy the glorious sunrise. You will see the stunning morning daylight with the beauty of the surrounding nature.

The Picnic Resort has so far received positive reviews (on TripAdvisor) from visitors and travellers for its beautiful and peaceful bungalows. As the resort is on the way from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville or Koh Kong, it is also a favorite lunch stop.

Picnic farms were the first to get EU organic standard in the kingdom in 2017 for vegetable. While staying there, you can enjoy the nature and free to learn about organic farming. Vegetable served and sold at the hillside restaurant is from the farms.

Getting to Picnic Resort from Phnom Penh

You can drive your own car or get on a bus from Phnom Penh to Preah Shanouk province and get off at 135 kilometer marker in Kompong Seila District.

The bus trip duration is about 2 h 43 min.
Location: National Road 4, PK135, Boeung Trach Village, Chamcaluong, Kampong Seila District (about 90 km north of Sihanoukville), Cambodia
Picnic Resort & Organic Farm website: https://www.picnicresort.com/