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172<br />
SOUTHERN CAMBODIA<br />
8<br />
KAMPOT<br />
main courses $5; daily 10am–10pm) is a stylish riverfront cafe with a mildly Italian slant.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y serve a mixture <strong>of</strong> Khmer and Western dishes and there is also a good selection <strong>of</strong><br />
interesting photo books to glance through. <strong>The</strong> Rusty Keyhole (River Rd.; & 012/679-<br />
607; main courses $2.50–$4.50; daily 4pm–midnight) is a popular Western-run cafe and<br />
restaurant serving good-value Western and Asian food at a very reasonable price. <strong>The</strong><br />
daily seafood specials come recommended. For tasty crab done a dozen different ways,<br />
we highly recommend the open-air Ta Eou (& 012/820-832), an affordable local joint<br />
jutting out on the river, right next to the New Bridge.<br />
After dinner and a brief walk around town, you’ll find that there are a number <strong>of</strong> little<br />
bars. <strong>The</strong>y are easy to find, since they are the only things with lights ablaze on the otherwise<br />
dark streets. <strong>The</strong> Honey Bar (just back from the river on the left side <strong>of</strong> the road<br />
that goes to the central roundabout) stays open late, as does Bonkors (a pun on the slang<br />
word for crazy and the nearby mountain) on the riverfront. <strong>The</strong> bar at Blissful Guesthouse<br />
is popular with backpackers and gets busy in high season. In general, Kampot is<br />
an early-to-bed kind <strong>of</strong> place.<br />
WHAT TO SEE & DO<br />
Bokor Mountain<br />
This is the main attraction in and around Kampot. Unfortunately at the time <strong>of</strong> writing<br />
it is largely closed to visitors as the road is being repaired. Bokor hill station was built<br />
by the French as a high-altitude complement to the fashionable seaside resort <strong>of</strong> Kep<br />
across the bay. Both are now faded and crumbling in a very atmospheric fashion. Bokor<br />
was also the scene <strong>of</strong> fierce fighting in the ’80s, with Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese<br />
troops battling it out across the mountaintop for control <strong>of</strong> the buildings and the rest <strong>of</strong><br />
this strategic area <strong>of</strong> high ground. After you’ve spent some time in <strong>Cambodia</strong> navigating<br />
overcrowded Phnom Penh and the tourist rush at Angkor, you might see why the French<br />
sought out quiet, cooler climes, building this sanctuary to privilege on a mountaintop far<br />
from the madding crowds. Bokor Mountain is part <strong>of</strong> the larger Bokor National Park, a<br />
thick jungle sprawl <strong>of</strong> giant ferns and thick vegetation. Tigers may exist and if so are rare<br />
(and very shy), as well as leopards, Asiatic black bears, and slow lorises and other monkeys,<br />
as well as a unique grouping <strong>of</strong> jungle birds, snakes, crawlies, and even a small<br />
population <strong>of</strong> Asian elephants. To get down-and-dirty with the local flora and fauna and<br />
do some trekking, contact Mr. Sok Lim at his tour <strong>of</strong>fice Sok Lim Tours on the north<br />
end <strong>of</strong> Kampot (at riverside north <strong>of</strong> the central bridge; & 012/719-872).<br />
Note: At the time <strong>of</strong> writing Bokor Mountain is closed to visitors, with the occasional<br />
exemption for an organized tour. If that can be negotiated, although the rules change<br />
frequently, be prepared for a 3-hour hike up the hill and then a 3-hour hike down again.<br />
By the time you read this, the situation may have changed and the road may be open and<br />
brand-new. It is not clear at present what renovations are planned for the hill station<br />
itself, although it looks like the words “luxury” and “resort” may figure prominently. It is<br />
a prime and unique location. Ask at your guesthouse or contact Sok Lim Tours (see<br />
above) to get the latest updates before heading out for this trek.<br />
If you manage to get up this mountain, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views; be<br />
sure to stop along the way at the few landslide areas where the trees have been cleared.<br />
<strong>The</strong> top <strong>of</strong> the mountain is a large plateau and, after tracing its length, you’ll reach the<br />
crumbling hulks <strong>of</strong> the Bokor Palace Casino and Resort, now stripped bare and covered<br />
in moss and graffiti. On the approach, you’ll first pass a few villas worth a look, as much<br />
for their vantage point over the flatland as the sea below. Next, you’ll pass a small temple