Jaunted

All About Kampot:
Many expats say Kampot is their favorite place in Cambodia. The peaceful riverside town four hours south of Phnom Penh has a chill vibe, and the proximity of mountainous Bokor National Park means Kampot is a great base for outdoor adventure.

Back in the colonial era, the French oversaw the construction of a luxury resort on the summit of Bokor Mountain, where they could escape the dry season heat. The hotel and neighboring chapel were the scene of raging battles during the war, and now the summit of Bokor, with its ruined buildings and perpetual fog, is one of eeriest places on earth.

The mountaintop resort is now being rebuilt, and the road to the summit is closed, but brave travelers can still trek to the top of the mountain and stay overnight at a ranger station--something I highly recommend.

Bodhi Villa:
Bodhi Villa is a few kilometers upstream from Kampot town, on the far side of the river. The main guesthouse building is a former Buddhist temple, overgrown with flowers, but most guests stay in bungalows on the riverbank. Some of the bungalows actually float on the river while tethered to shore. In dry season the river water is full of phosphorescence, and swimming off the porch of your bungalow at night is like diving into a whirling galaxy of light.

Hugh's catapult was never fully functional, but the eccentric Australian has managed to complete a plethora of other projects, like a network of tree-houses where guests can eat, throw nuts at people swimming in the river and smoke more weed than I've ever seen in one place.

Maybe that's why Bodhi is the sort of place travelers never quite manage to leave. It's just too easy to chill out, order something delicious off the Munchies Menu, take a swim and watch Hugh embark on another one of his pipe dream catapult schemes.

If you're tired of rugged travel and looking to relax for a few days--or a few weeks--Bodhi is the place to go. Just don't forget about the rest of Cambodia while blissfully floating in the river.

Related Stories:
· Cambodia coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Bodhi Village]