Fish market
Kampot's up-and-coming dining scene finally has its signature eatery in the form of this restored art-deco masterpiece on the banks of the Kompong Bay River. Plop down in the breezy open-air dining area and dig into Australian lamb cutlets, fish, and chips, or local favorites such as peppercorn crab and fish amok.
Rusty Keyhole
This popular riverfront bar-restaurant turns out a global menu of comfort food and Khmer home cooking. Most people are here for their famous ribs; order in advance, but beware of the enormous, extra-large portions.
Ecran
Ecran (French for a screen) is a little movie-cafe offering big-screen films and a private room for movie watching. Cambodian-related movies such as The Killing Fields, The Missing Picture, and Enemies of the People screen most days at 4 pm, with various cult classics and other movies screened at 7.30pm daily. Drinks and popcorn are available.
Old Market
Kampot Old Market building actually isn't that old, with the art-deco–style concrete facade constructed during the 1930s. Various shops, travel agencies, and cafes rim both sides of the building.
Epic Arts Café
A great place for breakfast, home-made cakes, infused tea and light lunches, this mellow eatery is staffed by young people who are deaf or have a disability. Profits fund arts workshops for Cambodians with a disability and it's possible to learn some sign language at 3 pm every Friday.
Phnom Chhnork
Phnom Chhnork is a short walk through a quilt of rice paddies from Wat Ang Sdok, where a monk collects the entry fee and a gaggle of friendly local kids offers their services as guides. From the bottom, a 203-step staircase leads up the hillside and down into a cavern as graceful as a Gothic cathedral.
Inside the cave, you’ll be greeted by a stalactite elephant, with a second elephant outlined on the flat cliff face to the right. Tiny chirping bats live up near two natural chimneys that soar towards the blue sky, partly blocked by the foliage of an impossibly green hue.
Within the main chamber stands a remarkable 7th-century (Funan-era) brick temple, dedicated to Shiva. The temple’s brickwork is in superb condition thanks to the protection afforded by the cave. Poke your head inside and check out the ancient stalactite that serves as a linga. A slippery passage, flooded in the rainy season, leads through the hill.
Phnom Sorsia
Phnom Sorsia is home to several natural caves. From the parking area, a stairway leads up the hillside to a gaudy modern temple. From there, steps lead left up to Rung Damrey Saa (White Elephant Cave). A slippery, sloping staircase (where one false step will send you into the abyss) leads down and then up and then out through a hole in the other side. Exit the cave and follow the right-hand path which leads back to the temple.