Kampot City sits along the east side of the Kampong Bay River near the base of the Elephant Mountains and is of quite a different character than the beach town of Sihanouk Ville. Kampot City is an old provincial capital of quiet lanes and colonial period architecture, a bit worn but radiating a quaint, welcoming, small town ambiance. A partially destroyed bridge, bombed in the war, sits city center over the river, it’s unique haphazard repair almost an iconic symbol of the town. Kampot is a place to get a taste of provincial Cambodia, both urban and rural. Use the city as a base to explore and tour the surrounding countryside and as a stepping stone to the nearby beaches and islands of Kep, the Bokor Hill Station and the rest of southeastern Cambodia. Come the end of the day back in Kampot City, a little riverside cafe or pub is the place to be – relaxing curbside over a glass of wine, watching the sun slowly set behind the Elephant Mountains..