So after the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh I followed my friend Kim down south to Kampot. This town is on a large river and much of the accommodation can be found with river frontage and private decks to jump in for a swim. I stayed at Olly’s Place about 2km out of town in my own private bamboo bungalow with double bed, mosquito net and fan. It was run by a lovely french couple who were super relaxed and played cool french lounge tunes and seemed to be smoking joints all day. The food here was fantastic and bungalows cost $6USD a night. I hadn’t planned on coming here at all but stayed for three nights and spent two days reading a book in a hammock. I only broke this routine to have a swim and wander into town for food and a sunset cruise.

There were two amazing restaurants I ate at. One only served 4 different dishes of which I chose the dumplings – 12 for $2…DELICIOUS! The following night, after a two hour cruise to the see the sunset and fireflies….we ate Rusty’s keyhole. This place purported to have the best ribs in Cambodia…and they were not wrong. My mate Billy Clohessy makes the meanest pork ribs I’ve had the fortune to eat…but I’m afraid Rusty just pipped him.  Kim and I shared a kilo worth, dripping in some insane special sauce all for the princely sum of $4USD….yep….4 bux….needless to say I was super content after that.

Kampot is a perfect antidote to Phnom Penh. There is so much to see and do around Kampot, such as the salt lakes, kampot’s famous pepper farms, Bokor mountain and a short trip gets you to Kep for the crab markets. I didn’t partake in any of this, as nothing beats a gew days in a hammock before a 13 hr border crossing and bus trip to Ho Chi Minh City.