Kampot and Kep

Kampot is roughly 150 km from Phnom Penh and takes three to four hours by road. Large buses cost US$6-9, faster minivans US$8-12, and a private car US$50-70 for the whole vehicle. There is also a slow but scenic train service on the southern line that runs on selected days, taking longer than the bus but far more comfortable.

From Sihanoukville, Kampot is about two hours; from Kep, 25 km and roughly 40 minutes. Tuk-tuks between the two towns cost US$12-20 one way, and many visitors simply base in Kampot and day-trip to Kep.

Within Kampot, everything in the old town is walkable. Motorbike rental is US$5-8 a day, bicycles US$2-3, and tuk-tuks charge US$1-3 for short hops. A motorbike is the practical way to reach the pepper farms and salt fields.

The riverfront and the French-colonial shophouse grid are the town's core pleasure — Kampot is a place for slow mornings and long lunches rather than a checklist. Sunset boat trips on the Praek Tuek Chhu river cost US$5-10 and often include the firefly stretch after dark.

Bokor National Park rises behind the town, a sealed road climbing to a plateau with an abandoned hill station, waterfalls and long views over the coast. Half-day tours run US$15-25, or ride up yourself; take a jacket, because it is noticeably cooler and often fog-bound at the top.

Kampot pepper is a protected-origin product and the farms welcome visitors. Tours are usually free or a few dollars and end with a tasting of black, red and white peppercorns. Add the salt fields west of town, the Secret Lake, and the caves at Phnom Chhngok with their seventh-century brick shrine.

Kep is small enough to see in a day. The crab market on the shore is the reason most people come: crab is bought live from baskets held in the sea and cooked in Kampot pepper within minutes. A kilogram of crab costs roughly US$10-15 depending on season, and the surrounding restaurants will cook what you buy.

Kep National Park has an 8 km loop trail through forest above the town with viewpoints over the gulf; entry is about US$1. The abandoned mid-century modernist villas scattered through Kep are a curiosity worth an hour's wandering.

Boats to Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island) leave from Kep pier, take about 25 minutes and cost around US$10-12 return. The island has simple beaches, basic bungalows and limited electricity — pleasant for a night if you want the quiet, and easy as a half-day trip if you do not.

Accommodation is inexpensive: hostel dorms US$5-8, guesthouse rooms US$12-20, riverside bungalows and boutique hotels US$30-70, and a handful of higher-end resorts in Kep above that. Long-stay rentals are among the cheapest in Cambodia, with simple houses from US$150-300 a month, which is why both towns have a steady remote-working and retiree community.

Meals run US$2-4 at local restaurants and US$5-10 at Western-facing riverside places. Crab in Kep is the one splurge, and worth it. Budget US$25-40 a day for a comfortable independent trip.

November to March is the best window: dry, cooler and clear. April and May are hot, and June to October brings rain that turns Bokor foggy and some dirt roads soft — the countryside is at its greenest then and prices are lower, so the rainy season is a fair trade if you are flexible.