Koh Kong and Kampot Coast

The western and southern coasts of Cambodia extend from the Thai border at Koh Kong in the northwest to the Cambodian-Vietnamese border near Ha Tien in the southeast — a coastline of approximately 440 kilometres along the Gulf of Thailand and its inner reaches. This stretch of coast is less developed than the Sihanoukville area to its northeast and remains one of Southeast Asia's more accessible undiscovered coastal regions. Koh Kong Province, bordering Thailand, is backed by the Cardamom Mountains — one of Southeast Asia's largest intact blocks of lowland rainforest, covering approximately 4.5 million hectares across Cambodia and Thailand. The mountains reach the coast in a series of forested ridges and river estuaries that drain into the Gulf. The Koh Kong Archipelago, offshore from Koh Kong town, has coral reef and dive sites that have developed a small but growing dive tourism infrastructure. The tidal regime along this coast is mixed semidiurnal with a spring range of approximately 2 to 3 metres, driven by the Gulf of Thailand's relatively enclosed tidal dynamics. Ream National Park, straddling the boundary of Preah Sihanouk and Koh Kong Provinces, protects a 210-square-kilometre zone of coast, mangrove, and marine habitat. The Prek Tuk Sap estuary within the park is a mangrove-lined tidal river that is navigated by small boat on guided tours. The mangrove flooding cycle is driven directly by the tidal signal: at high water, the mangrove root systems are submerged by 1 to 1.5 metres; at low water, the root architecture is fully exposed. Irrawaddy dolphins use the estuary; sightings are not guaranteed but the species is present in this section of coast. Kampot, 180 kilometres southeast of Koh Kong town along the coast, sits on the Praek Tuek Chhu river 25 kilometres from the Gulf. The river is tidal to Kampot — a spring tide of approximately 2.5 metres reaches the town and is visible as a noticeable rise and fall in the river alongside the riverside promenade. Kampot pepper, grown on the river valley slopes, is one of Cambodia's premium agricultural products. The riverside town has become a slow-travel destination for visitors spending time between Phnom Penh and the coast.