Unlike the bustling capital Phnom Penh or the mysterious Siem Reap, Kampot (Cambodia) has an ancient and peaceful beauty, a weekend destination for Vietnamese tourists.
Kampot is a southern province of Cambodia, about 150 km from the capital Phnom Penh, and about 60 km from Xa Xia border gate of Kien Giang city. This place is famous for its ancient French architecture, Kep beach, mountains and the slow-paced old town of Bokor.
In addition to historical destinations, Kampot is also famous as the land of durian in Cambodia. The durian symbol is located in the city center.
Kampot has many ancient French architectural works. In the 19th century, this place was chosen by French colonialists as the administrative center in the border area.
The durian roundabout, the seahorse fountain, the giant clock (pictured), and the Entanou Bridge are iconic architectural works of the city, located close together, making them convenient for tourists to visit.
According to Khmer Times, The giant clock is built in the traditional style with a tubular structure and numbers in Khmer script. The clock is 35 m high and the diameter of the clock face is 9.7 m.
Entanou Bridge is also one of the famous ancient French architectural works in Kampot. According to Cambodia travel website, Cambodiabeginsat40 , Entanou Bridge was built during the French period, partially damaged during the war. Entanou was later rebuilt, the two spans closest to the town (left corner) were kept as original. Currently, to preserve the bridge, only pedestrians, bicycles, motorbikes and tuktuks are allowed to cross.
In April, Kampot got a new symbol, the 8-meter-high seahorse fountain overlooking the large Prek Kampong Kandal River. Seahorses are considered a symbol of prosperity, luck, and success in Cambodian culture. This place is also expected to become one of the symbols that tourists often check in when coming to Kampot.
The old French-style buildings add to the peaceful atmosphere of the neighborhood. Today, these buildings are requisitioned and renovated to house government offices, restaurants and cafes.
Tuktuk is one of the popular means of transportation in Cambodia, especially for tourists. Tourists download Pass app - an application to book a car with reasonable prices and no need to bargain. To use this application, tourists need a Cambodian phone number. Some network operators that can be referred to include Smart Axiata, Cellcard and Metfone.
Kampot has a rather hot climate, visitors should prepare sunscreen, hats, umbrellas. The best time to visit is from December to May of the following year. At this time, Cambodia is in the dry season, so visitors can easily arrange their schedule and enjoy their vacation.
The streets in Kampot in general and the central area where many shops are located are quite deserted.
Visitors can enjoy many typical dishes and street food of Cambodia with prices starting from 2 USD (about 50,000 VND). Papaya and shrimp salad is made from papaya, carrots, corn, eggs, fresh shrimp, vermicelli, and many herbs for 3 USD (about 78,000 VND).
Kampot Old Town is brilliant at night.
From Ho Chi Minh City, tourists book bus tickets to Phnom Penh for about 500,000 VND to 900,000 VND, passports valid for at least 6 months. Then, travel from Phnom Penh to Kampot by bus for about 300,000 VND.
In addition, visitors can take a bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Ha Tien (Kien Giang) for 200,000 to 500,000 VND, then from Ha Tien to Kampot by bus for 300,000 VND.
Kampot does not have an airport yet, so visitors from Hanoi can buy a plane ticket to Phnom Penh and then take a bus to Kampot. Or to save money, visitors can choose to fly to Ho Chi Minh City and then travel as above.
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