Kampong Trach: Kampot's Best Kept Secret
By Jason for Discover Kampot
Forty kilometres from Kampot, the small town of Kampong Trach sits among dramatic limestone hills, jungle caves, rice fields, and almost no other tourists.
Forty kilometres outside of Kampot, just past Kep, is the small town of Kampong Trach. This unassuming town suffered immensely in the past: it was both a target for American bombings and one of the major strongholds of the Khmer Rouge, who terrorised the region as late as 1994. Before that, it had been one of the main hubs between Vietnam and Phnom Penh, and rivalled Kampot for importance in the region. Today, nothing remains of the town’s original Chinese shophouses and French villas; everything was razed by the Khmer Rouge.
Foreign tourists rarely visit. The town itself offers little of interest, which is a shame, because it’s surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the area.
Nestled in the rice fields around the town are dramatic limestone hills, somewhat reminiscent of Vietnam’s Halong Bay. Within the hills are dozens of caves, used in the past first to shelter from the bombings and later as killing caves by the Khmer Rouge. Today they are local attractions, often containing shrines and temples memorialising their turbulent past.
The most famous of these caves has a collapsed roof that has created an enclosed jungle, monkeys and all, hiding a large temple and several shrines illuminated by sunlight pouring in from above.
Another nearby cave contains a cool pond that is a popular swimming spot with locals on hot days. There are also the Sun and Moon caves, named after the shape of their entrances, and The Cave of a Thousand Rice Fields, which contains limestone terraces resembling those where rice is grown.
For something a little different, there are also caves you can kayak through in the area.
Nearby, at the base of Phnom Dumrei (Elephant Mountain), lies a reservoir dug by the Khmer Rouge where locals can still be seen using traditional dugout canoes to gather plants.
Dirt roads meander through quiet rural villages from one hill to the next. Trails lead up to animistic shrines built in spots with dramatic, sweeping views.
The region sees few Western tourists, but it’s popular with Cambodians, so there are plenty of vendors and restaurants serving local food at local prices. Enterprising locals will often offer to show you around the larger caves for a small fee. The people here are, as always, warm and welcoming.
Cambodia is changing fast and Kampong Trach will one day become better known. For now, it remains one of those places still untouched by mass tourism.
Further reading
Things to Do in Kampot: The Alternatives Guide
Kampot has more going on than most visitors ever discover. Here's where to look.
Kidnapped by the Khmer Rouge: The 1994 Kampot Train Attack
In July 1994, three backpackers took a train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. It was a journey that would lead them into the heart of a Khmer Rouge stronghold in Kampot Province.