Visit the local market and watch a beautiful sunset

The bustling local Kampot Central Market should be on your must visit list if you want to see some local life in action. Find delicious fruit, fresh vegetables, mountains of freshly baked baguettes and vegan friendly street food. There are also clothes, household goods, hair salons and a number of other intriguing things to discover. Take an hour out of your day (preferably at the beginning to avoid the rising temperatures) and immerse yourself in local life. The sunsets over the river in Kampot are heartbreakingly beautiful. You can take a river cruise or just sit on a bench by the water’s edge and watch the sky light up with colour.

Buy Kampot pepper

Kampot pepper has been grown in Cambodia since the Khmer Empire had it’s hey day (that’s over a thousand years ago). Many pepper farms were destroyed during the time of the Khmer Rouge and replaced with rice fields. It wasn’t until relatively recently that the farms were restored and people began to regain the lost knowledge of farming which had previously been passed down through generations. There are several farms where you can go and see pepper being grown and produced as well as shops in town selling pepper (of varying quality and price). Kampot has long been famed for its high quality pepper which before the Khmer Rouge seized power was gaining critical acclaim with chefs around the world. It’s now been awarded ‘Protected Geographical Indication’ by the EU (this basically stops fake Kampot pepper being sold in EU Member Countries) and people are once again getting to spice up their food with this wonderful ingredient.

Stock up on coffee

Cafe Espresso (closed on Mondays) is not only the best place for coffee in town but it’s also where you should go to stock up on supplies of Rumble Fish coffee, you can get a really good brew there and buy some to take home with you too.

Take a day trip to Kep

We spent a few days in Kep at a wonderful private luxury villa and explored a bit outside too. The eerie run down derelict buildings are interesting but there isn’t much else about the town that is vegan friendly so we suggest visiting Kep as a day trip add-on to your time in Kampot. We almost forgot to tell you about the chance to take a selfie with a giant durian when you’re in Kampot!

Ecran Noodle and Dumpling House

Open 11am-9pm Wednesday to Monday

Who doesn’t love noodles? Or dumplings? Or noodles and dumplings? Go here for a fix of cheap, tasty, freshly made vegan noodles and dumplings, Ecran Noodle and Dumpling House also do takeout meaning you can take your delicious vegan dumplings with you as a perfect travel snack.

Ciao

Open daily 6pm-12 midnight

Ciao is a street-side Italian restaurant selling freshly made pastas, pizza and gnocchi and is hugely popular. The only vegan option if you want to join in on the fun and soak up the atmosphere is pizza-no-cheese. Get there early though as the restaurant (and kitchen are tiny) and space fills up quick.

Simple Things

Open daily 8am-10pm

Simple Things is a vegetarian / vegan restaurant and yoga studio which is reported to have amazing vegan food. Our travelling vegan friends report that the tempeh scramble is awesome, go and tell us if it’s true please?

Pilgrim

Open daily 8am-4pm (closed Wednesday)

Pilgrim is a vegan/vegetarian restaurant in the heart of Kampot. Fine, elegant & generous dishes including this orzo Salad with cashew cheese combined with unique interior design will make the experience tasty & memorable.

Epic Arts Cafe

Open daily 7am-4pm

Epic Arts Cafe is social enterprise that exists to increase the number of jobs for people with disabilities in Kampot, they have a giant vegan flapjack so it makes for a good afternoon tea choice.

Rikitikitavi

Rikitikitavi is a great boutique hotel right in the centre of Kampot. The service is excellent and they went out of their way to make sure we got a giant, delicious vegan breakfast every day; they also have vegan options on their menu and it’s a great spot for a cocktail at sunset. It is not only one of the best places to stay in Kampot but they also serve excellent vegan food (labelled on the menu). Try their ‘Kuree Krahom’ vegan curry for a taste of Cambodia or go Mexican with the ‘Vegetarian Burritos’.

Deva Cafe

Open daily 8.30am-6.30pm (closed Tuesday)

Located at the front of the all female run spa and yoga centre Bantaey Srey Spa, Deva Cafe has great vegan food. The vegan tapas are really tasty, with some delicious hearty dishes to fill you up; it all tastes home cooked and healthy too.

Divino Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria

Open daily 11am-10pm

Our favourite place in town for a pizza-no-cheese and a spaghetti with tomato sauce was Divino Italian, expect fresh, authentic and reasonably priced alongside being really tasty and a good place to sit and people watch.

Vegetarian Food Stall in Kampot Market

Open daily 6am-1pm

We didn’t see any non-vegan food during our 3 or 4 visits here so this may well even be a vegan food stall in the local market! It’s highly recommended for those seeking an authentic, local experience as well as those looking for a budget option (meals costing a little over $1). It’s difficult to find but don’t give up. Enter the market via the entrance at this dropped pin and walk straight down the middle to the edge of the food stalls. Look for a stall with white tiles (one of the tiles has Vegetarian scribbled on it) on your left hand side.

Getting to and from Kampot

For all transport options the ‘Move to Cambodia’ website has plenty of helpful information (e.g. check out getting to Kampot from Sihanoukville). The passenger train route between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville has re-opened and you can now take a train to and from Kampot. The schedule is limited (it currently only runs Friday to Sunday) but it’s well worth doing. The scenery is pleasing and you don’t have to drive on the crazy Cambodian roads.