The Best of Cambodia & Laos

can take a motorcycle or car into the Cardamom Mountains. In addition, Koh Kong now
has serious PADI-licensed dive shops, and diving has become a central attraction of the
region. Most of the guesthouses and hotels can offer advice and organize tours to the
nearby destinations.
Beaches & Islands
There are a few beaches only a short journey from town. Koh Yor Beach near Ba Blong
Village on the ocean is a long, narrow, secluded, white-sand beach. There are a number
of small shacks serving seafood. These include the Barracuda Beach Bar, run by Koh
Kong Divers. To get to Koh Yor Beach, cross the bridge and turn left at the first junction,
and head south on the dirt road for about 10 minutes.
Koh Kong Island is in the Gulf of Thailand, about an hour boat ride from town. It
has several unspoiled and completely deserted beaches with good white sand. All guesthouses
can organize a boat and snorkeling gear.
Koh Kong Safari World
This animal theme park puts on shows featuring dolphins, crocodile feeding, and orangutan
boxing (something we find highly disturbing). Safari World is open every day and
is situated 500m (1,640 ft.) from the Thai border.
Scuba Diving
Impian Divers Activity Center (& 035-313-912; www.impiandivers.com) is a dive
operator offering snorkeling, fun dives, scuba diving, introduction dives, reef cleaning,
and environmental projects. They include free accommodations at Champa Koh Kong
Guesthouse for those doing dive courses. They also organize mangrove forest and waterfall
tours and organized motorcycle trips.
Koh Kong Divers (& 017/502-784; www.kohkongdivers.com) is the first PADI
scuba diving operation in Koh Kong. They have a range of courses to suit all levels of
skill and organize dive trips to local islands and reefs as well as multiday excursions. They
also offer snorkeling and island tours, waterfall trips, and jungle adventures. Their office
is located on the riverfront road next to the Koh Kong Guesthouse. They can also be
contacted through the Barracuda Beach Bar on Koh Yor Beach.
Waterfalls
There are many waterfalls and rapids surrounding Koh Kong, as rivers flow from the Cardamom
Mountains. Some are close to town and some are farther upstream; you can reach
them by motorcycle taxi or your own rented motorcycle. Many of the falls are only a trickle
in the dry season and not worth a visit. In the wet season, many of them roar. The Ta Tai
Waterfalls are the nearest to town and are the most visited. They are situated close to the
main road about 20km (12 miles) to the east. The Tai Tai falls are wide and on two levels
dropping by about 6m (20 ft.). There are others farther away such as Koh Por Falls, Tuo
Kokir Rapids, and the rugged jungle gorge Kbal Chhay Falls, located farther upriver.
3 KAMPOT
Kampot is a great place to spend a couple of days winding down. A neat grid of French
colonial villas and houses line the Kampong Bay River, on the opposite bank of which
are low mountains making for beautiful lingering sunsets. A strip of small cafes, restaurants,
167
SOUTHERN CAMBODIA 8
KAMPOT