Quick run down

The sun is setting off the coast of Kep - a view I never tire of

So where and what have I been doing? Left Phnom Penh on Friday afternoon in Dan's car and we made it to the town of Tani as it was getting dark, so we stopped for a quick look at the ruined laterite prasat that sits in front of the main pagoda there. It's 11th century but looks older, there was no carvings to speak of and a tree has made its home in the middle of the parasat. And the old wat which contained some wonderful wall paintings I'm told, has been demolished. We carried onto Kampot and I took a room at Dan's new comfortable guesthouse, The Magic Sponge, near the salt workers' roundabout. I had time for a meal at the Rusty Keyhole and then early to bed. Up at 7am I was out to the Nataya Roundhouse Resort, 17kms west of Kampot, just off the road to Sihanoukville, at Prek Ampil, next morning. This is a brand new resort, with some nicely finished bungalows, and best of all, a 1km long beach. A swimming pool is being constructed, another eight bungalows are also being built and it looks like a nice option for Kampot lovers. I stopped at a trio of pagodas on the way back, a couple of railway stations and then visited a few hotels to say hello.
After lunch, I directed my motodop towards Kep, stopping at a couple of genocide memorials en route, at Wat Chum Kriel and Wat Kompong Tralach. Once I hit Kep I made house-calls at Knai Bang Chatt, the Sailing Club, the new FCC-owned house called Eskepe, which is just being finished off, Veranda (who are building a pool), and the new pizza restaurant at the crab market, La Bakara, where I bumped into Jean-Michel Filippi, who invited me to a lecture he was giving that evening. We then headed off into the mountains at Phnom Voar to visit a new eco-friendly guesthouse called The Vine Retreat but didn't stay long as they were in the middle of their opening party. Before dinner at the Riel Bar, I went to Champey Inn for Jean-Michel's lecture on the pre-Angkorian era in Kampot region, where he mentioned the region's first museum he is hoping to build by the White Horse monument in the near future. What he doesn't know about Kampot and Kep you could write on a postage stamp. Another early night, at Kep Seaside GH, there's not much to do in Kep to be honest, and then it was back to town on the bus this morning. As I said, all work and no time for fun.

The beach at Nataya Roundhouse Coral Bay Resort, 17kms from Kampot

The old cinema in Kampot, now closed but a hive of activity during the golden years of Cambodian film in the 1960s

Two Khmer Rouge victims at the small memorial at Wat Chum Kriel, 5kms outside Kampot

Kep: Not yet open but already looking resplendent, Eskepe, related to the FCC chain

Another sunset picture taken from my guesthouse in Kep

There's more to Kampot and Kep

A billboard in Kep extolling the virtues of King Father Norodom Sihanouk

Kampot and Kep could have their very own unique museum by the end of the year if lingustics expert Jean-Michel Filippi has his way. The Kampot Regional Museum Project is his particular baby and so far it's been at least one year in the gestation and planning stage, but with a fair wind, the arrival of sponsors and other influential parties such as UNESCO, Jean-Michel is looking to open his museum in Kep before the year is out. And he hopes that it will be a prototype for other regional museums in Cambodia in the future. Perhaps rather suprisingly, the area surrounding Kampot and Kep on the south coast has a varied and interesting history, beginning in pre-Angkorian times and includes at least six distinctive ethnic groups, each with their own brand of religious and economic impact on the area. It was also the hot-bed for revolution culminating in the 1885 rebellion as well as the French colonial authorities exercising their control prior to Prince Sihanouk's Sangkum Reastr Niyum period in the 1950s and beyond. And let us not forget the exceptional natural environment that the area also enjoys. All in all, there is lot to discover about Kampot and Kep, and Jean-Michel's museum will help you do exactly that in a modern interactive and informative way. He is also intending to offer a series of monthly lectures at the site, involve local schools, local crafts and regularly changing temporary exhibitions. Sounds pretty exciting to me. I'll provide more information as it takes shape.