By TOM GORDON THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERThe Orange County Register
updated 4/8/2012
Editor's note: Tom Gordon and his wife Cris Peterson are frequent visitors to Cambodia as part of their not-for-profit Pepper Project. They sell pepper from Kampot Province as well as other Cambodian products and donate the proceeds to the Daughters of Cambodia, a group that rescues young women and men from the sex trade in Phnom Penh.
For most tourists, a trip to Cambodia consists of a couple days at the temples, then it's on to Bangkok or Hanoi.
While the ancient ruins near Siem Reap are truly must-see, there's a lot more to this small Southeast Asian country with a tortured past. The coastal town of Kep offers a calm alternative to the traffic and general chaos of the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh and the throngs of tourists filing through Angkor Wat.
As Southeast Asian cities go, Phnom Penh -- with a population of about 2 million -- is only semi-chaotic. It's also where most trips to the provinces begin, in buses, private cars and shared vans.
Phnom Penh is a bargain. A decent meal can be had for a few dollars.
A trip across town in a tuk-tuk -- a small trailer with seats, towed by a motorbike -- will cost $3-$4. For the more adventurous, a helmetless ride on the back of a motorbike is a dollar or two. Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh's main tourist area, is lined with sophisticated restaurants and nightclubs.
Starting your journey
The bus station just behind the Central Market is intimidating at first. Buses pull in from every direction, and backpackers and locals alike scramble with their luggage and boxes.
The trick is to buy your ticket beforehand at any of the travel offices or kiosks around town. Then check in at the bus station window and figure out the number of your bus. You'll actually have an assigned seat and, surprisingly, people seem to honor the seating assignments. The buses run pretty much on time.
The bus trip from Phnom Penh to the coast takes between four and five hours and costs $5, one of the world's great bargains.
King of the road
The first thing to learn about getting around in Cambodia is that the right of way goes to the biggest vehicle. Pedestrians are at the bottom of the heap. Big trucks and buses at the top.
It seems to take forever to fight your way though Phnom Penh traffic and hit the open road, where the villages are teeming with activity and the rice fields stretch into the distance. As the bus speeds west along Highway 3, the driver leans on the horn with increasing frequency.
People walking or riding bikes are expected to get out of the way.
Tuk-tuks will pull off into the mud so the bus does not have to slow down.
It's a comfortable ride despite the bumpy highway. My wife and I have been traveling Highway 3 for four years and some of the road improvement projects still haven't been completed. Who knows if they ever will be?
As the bus pulls into Kep, a whole new Cambodia emerges.
The beach and old villas
When Cambodia was part of French Indochina, the French used to escape the heat of Phnom Penh at the Kep seashore. The sleepy little town is dotted with the ruins of old French estates, many designed in the art deco style. Squatters have moved into some, but many are vacant and invite exploring.
It's not hard to imagine the glory days of these villas that were built 80 to 90 years ago. The roofs are pretty much gone and the tiles have been picked clean. There is still political graffiti left from the days of the Khmer Rouge, and you don't have to look long to find bullet holes from the war.
Most of the villas benefit from the gentle breezes off the Gulf of Thailand. The beaches here are what put Kep on the map.
The narrow, rocky beaches will never be confused with Huntington or Newport, but the water is clear and warm. In the distance is Rabbit Island, where tourists and locals go for a day of swimming, sun and snacks.
The Crab Market
Kep's other claim to fame is the Crab Market. Mention Kep to anyone in Phnom Penh and the first thing they'll talk about is the fresh crab.
Small, soft-shell crabs coated with spicy pepper sauce and fresh green peppercorns from the Kampot province just north of Kep are the local specialty.
In the morning, merchants set up stands near the Crab Market, and fishermen haul in their squirming baskets of crabs and sort them by size.
At night, about 20 restaurants, built out over the water, serve a variety of seafood dishes. There's also a pizza place and most of the restaurants offer some Western dishes, but the Kep Crab Market is all about the seafood with spicy Kampot pepper.
A spicy stop
In the early 1900s, Cambodia was part of French Indochina and the Kampot pepper industry was booming. Most of the crop was being shipped to the best restaurants in Paris. Along came Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, and the farmers were relocated and forced to grow rice. The pepper farms withered.
Today, Kampot pepper is making a comeback.
The tuk-tuk driver will be happy to take you to a farm where you can see how the organic pepper grows, and buy a bag directly from the grower.
You can't help but be impressed by these hardworking farmers. All the work is done by hand. The pepper is certified organic and fertilized with cow dung and rice field crabs. And it's spicy.
The dried peppercorns can be carried back to the U.S. in your luggage, but you do have to declare them.
What else is there?
Using Kep as a launching point, you can:
Take a tuk-tuk to the nearby border with Vietnam and visit the city of Ha Tien. Vietnam has created a tourist zone there and a Vietnamese visa is not required.
Hire a car and visit Bokor Hill Station, an old French resort an hour and a half north. The road up the mountain is newly improved and at the top is a French ghost town that features a crumbling casino and a Catholic church. Construction was started there in the 1920s, and hundreds of lives were lost building in the remote location.
Stop for lunch in Kampot, a town of 40,000 people. The market in the middle of town is interesting and there are restaurants overlooking the Kampot River.
Explore the caves at Kampong Trach. As you drive toward the caves you are joined by your future guides -- children on bikes. Each kid adopts a tourist and will provide a flashlight and a tour of the caves with information in near-perfect English. The children expect a dollar or two for their services. You might find yourself giving more.
Get way off the beaten path with a trip to the sea-salt harvesting village of An Gol, about 5 miles to the south of Kep. Water is pumped in from the Gulf of Thailand and the villagers collect and dry the salt. Pick up a bag of salt for a few dollars.
Checklist
GETTING THERE: Fly to Bangkok or Singapore, then take a budget carrier -- Air Asia, Silk Air, Dragon Air, Jet Star, to name a few -- to Phnom Penh. Bus service between Phnom Penh and Kep is cheap (around $7;ppsoryatransport.com), but getting tickets and finding the right departure point can be difficult. Renting a taxi to make the three-hour drive is also possible. Cost varies depending on whether you use a private car (lyna-carrental.com) or a shared taxi or car.
Bring a couple 2-by-2 photos of yourself. You'll need one to get your entry visa at the airport. The visa costs $25 and the process takes about 15 minutes. It's good to be among the first off the plane. There's a $30 exit fee at the airport, but some airfares have that included.
Advertise | AdChoices
E-Visas have been made available by visitingmfaic.gov.kh/evisato secure your visa before you leave.
MONEY: There are no ATMs in Kep or other outlying towns.
WHERE TO STAY: There are numerous guesthouses in Kep that are clean and safe and run less than $20 a night. One of the most popular places to stay is the Veranda Natural Resort. Rooms start at around $60 and that includes a lavish breakfast buffet overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.
KAMPOT PEPPER: Kampot pepper can be purchased at the farms or at local markets all over Cambodia. Beware, however, that there's a lot of fake stuff for sale.
To get certified Kampot pepper in the U.S., go topepperproject.org.
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For most tourists, a trip to Cambodia consists of a couple days at the temples, then it's on to Bangkok or Hanoi.
While the ancient ruins near Siem Reap are truly must-see, there's a lot more to this small Southeast Asian country with a tortured past. The coastal town of Kep offers a calm alternative to the traffic and general chaos of the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh and the throngs of tourists filing through Angkor Wat.
As Southeast Asian cities go, Phnom Penh -- with a population of about 2 million -- is only semi-chaotic. It's also where most trips to the provinces begin, in buses, private cars and shared vans.
Phnom Penh is a bargain. A decent meal can be had for a few dollars.
A trip across town in a tuk-tuk -- a small trailer with seats, towed by a motorbike -- will cost $3-$4. For the more adventurous, a helmetless ride on the back of a motorbike is a dollar or two. Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh's main tourist area, is lined with sophisticated restaurants and nightclubs.
Starting your journey
The bus station just behind the Central Market is intimidating at first. Buses pull in from every direction, and backpackers and locals alike scramble with their luggage and boxes.
The trick is to buy your ticket beforehand at any of the travel offices or kiosks around town. Then check in at the bus station window and figure out the number of your bus. You'll actually have an assigned seat and, surprisingly, people seem to honor the seating assignments. The buses run pretty much on time.
The bus trip from Phnom Penh to the coast takes between four and five hours and costs $5, one of the world's great bargains.
King of the road
The first thing to learn about getting around in Cambodia is that the right of way goes to the biggest vehicle. Pedestrians are at the bottom of the heap. Big trucks and buses at the top.
It seems to take forever to fight your way though Phnom Penh traffic and hit the open road, where the villages are teeming with activity and the rice fields stretch into the distance. As the bus speeds west along Highway 3, the driver leans on the horn with increasing frequency.
People walking or riding bikes are expected to get out of the way.
Tuk-tuks will pull off into the mud so the bus does not have to slow down.
It's a comfortable ride despite the bumpy highway. My wife and I have been traveling Highway 3 for four years and some of the road improvement projects still haven't been completed. Who knows if they ever will be?
As the bus pulls into Kep, a whole new Cambodia emerges.
The beach and old villas
When Cambodia was part of French Indochina, the French used to escape the heat of Phnom Penh at the Kep seashore. The sleepy little town is dotted with the ruins of old French estates, many designed in the art deco style. Squatters have moved into some, but many are vacant and invite exploring.
It's not hard to imagine the glory days of these villas that were built 80 to 90 years ago. The roofs are pretty much gone and the tiles have been picked clean. There is still political graffiti left from the days of the Khmer Rouge, and you don't have to look long to find bullet holes from the war.
Most of the villas benefit from the gentle breezes off the Gulf of Thailand. The beaches here are what put Kep on the map.
The narrow, rocky beaches will never be confused with Huntington or Newport, but the water is clear and warm. In the distance is Rabbit Island, where tourists and locals go for a day of swimming, sun and snacks.
The Crab Market
Kep's other claim to fame is the Crab Market. Mention Kep to anyone in Phnom Penh and the first thing they'll talk about is the fresh crab.
Small, soft-shell crabs coated with spicy pepper sauce and fresh green peppercorns from the Kampot province just north of Kep are the local specialty.
In the morning, merchants set up stands near the Crab Market, and fishermen haul in their squirming baskets of crabs and sort them by size.
At night, about 20 restaurants, built out over the water, serve a variety of seafood dishes. There's also a pizza place and most of the restaurants offer some Western dishes, but the Kep Crab Market is all about the seafood with spicy Kampot pepper.
A spicy stop
In the early 1900s, Cambodia was part of French Indochina and the Kampot pepper industry was booming. Most of the crop was being shipped to the best restaurants in Paris. Along came Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, and the farmers were relocated and forced to grow rice. The pepper farms withered.
Today, Kampot pepper is making a comeback.
The tuk-tuk driver will be happy to take you to a farm where you can see how the organic pepper grows, and buy a bag directly from the grower.
You can't help but be impressed by these hardworking farmers. All the work is done by hand. The pepper is certified organic and fertilized with cow dung and rice field crabs. And it's spicy.
The dried peppercorns can be carried back to the U.S. in your luggage, but you do have to declare them.
What else is there?
Using Kep as a launching point, you can:
Take a tuk-tuk to the nearby border with Vietnam and visit the city of Ha Tien. Vietnam has created a tourist zone there and a Vietnamese visa is not required.
Hire a car and visit Bokor Hill Station, an old French resort an hour and a half north. The road up the mountain is newly improved and at the top is a French ghost town that features a crumbling casino and a Catholic church. Construction was started there in the 1920s, and hundreds of lives were lost building in the remote location.
Stop for lunch in Kampot, a town of 40,000 people. The market in the middle of town is interesting and there are restaurants overlooking the Kampot River.
Explore the caves at Kampong Trach. As you drive toward the caves you are joined by your future guides -- children on bikes. Each kid adopts a tourist and will provide a flashlight and a tour of the caves with information in near-perfect English. The children expect a dollar or two for their services. You might find yourself giving more.
Get way off the beaten path with a trip to the sea-salt harvesting village of An Gol, about 5 miles to the south of Kep. Water is pumped in from the Gulf of Thailand and the villagers collect and dry the salt. Pick up a bag of salt for a few dollars.
Checklist
GETTING THERE: Fly to Bangkok or Singapore, then take a budget carrier -- Air Asia, Silk Air, Dragon Air, Jet Star, to name a few -- to Phnom Penh. Bus service between Phnom Penh and Kep is cheap (around $7;ppsoryatransport.com), but getting tickets and finding the right departure point can be difficult. Renting a taxi to make the three-hour drive is also possible. Cost varies depending on whether you use a private car (lyna-carrental.com) or a shared taxi or car.
Bring a couple 2-by-2 photos of yourself. You'll need one to get your entry visa at the airport. The visa costs $25 and the process takes about 15 minutes. It's good to be among the first off the plane. There's a $30 exit fee at the airport, but some airfares have that included.
Advertise | AdChoices
E-Visas have been made available by visitingmfaic.gov.kh/evisato secure your visa before you leave.
MONEY: There are no ATMs in Kep or other outlying towns.
WHERE TO STAY: There are numerous guesthouses in Kep that are clean and safe and run less than $20 a night. One of the most popular places to stay is the Veranda Natural Resort. Rooms start at around $60 and that includes a lavish breakfast buffet overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.
KAMPOT PEPPER: Kampot pepper can be purchased at the farms or at local markets all over Cambodia. Beware, however, that there's a lot of fake stuff for sale.
To get certified Kampot pepper in the U.S., go topepperproject.org.
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Reaching the homeless, one ticket at a time
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