Cruising down the river at sunset in sleepy, laidback Kampot town

A three-hour drive from Phnom Penh down National Road 3 is Kampot, a sleepy province well-known for its beautiful countryside, salt fields, water sports, seafood, colonial buildings and Bokor mountain.

The province has retained a relatively large expat community of mostly older foreigners, many of whom run art galleries, cafes, restaurants and guest houses in Kampot town.

This means that unlike places like Siem Reap town, Kampot town is better known for its calm, local style living that winds down when the sun sets, putting off many younger tourists from visiting who become most active after dark.

For this reason, in 2014 some Kampot locals came up with an idea that would breathe a bit of life into the sleepy town in the evenings while still staying true to the province’s laidback charm.

Located some 30m from Kampot Fish Market are 10 colourful boats docked in a row on the river, waiting to take tourists to see the golden sunset above the mountains, touch the underside of an old bridge, spot the dancing lights of fireflies and have a drink as they relax cruising through the lights of the town.

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