Kampot is a lazy river town on the southern coast of Cambodia, and it wears its faded French colonial architecture with a sort of gentle indifference. Old shophouses with peeling yellow paint and wooden shutters line the riverfront, and the wide Preaek Tuek Chhu river flows slowly past, with fishing boats heading out to sea in the evening. Across the river, the bulk of Bokor Mountain rises over the town, often wrapped in cloud. It is a place where people come for a few days and stay for weeks.
The town is famous for its pepper. Kampot pepper has been grown in the area for centuries and was prized by French chefs in colonial times; after decades of neglect during the Khmer Rouge years and their aftermath, the plantations were revived and the pepper now carries a protected geographical indication. You can visit farms in the countryside around town and taste green, black, red and white pepper, all from the same vine. The salt flats east of town, where seawater is evaporated in shallow pans, are another local industry worth a look.
Kampot is also a good base for exploring the coast. The small seaside town of Kep, about twenty kilometres away, is known for its crab market, where crabs are cooked with fresh green pepper, and its once-grand villas, many of them left ruined after the war. The countryside between Kampot and Kep is flat and green, with rice fields, palm trees and limestone hills with caves and temples hidden inside.
For riders, Kampot is the starting point for the climb up Bokor, and the town has everything you need: fuel, mechanics, guesthouses, cafes and restaurants serving everything from Khmer curries to pizza. The roads in town are often chaotic, with motorbikes, tuk-tuks and trucks all competing for space, and the traffic rules are flexible, to put it mildly. November to April is the dry season and the easy time to come, with dusty but dry roads. The rainy season brings heavy afternoon downpours and humidity, but also lush green landscapes and fewer tourists.