From Kampot, Cambodia.
You can just pay $15-$25 for a day trip up the mountain. Usually includes a meal at the top. Leaves in the morning. Many trips will pick you up at your hotel. Coming back to town between 3 and 5pm. You’ll go up in a van with 5 to 12 other tourists. You can get the trip right from your hotel.
You can also hire a car or tuk tuk (a motorcycle with a cart, for 2 to 4 people). If it’s raining, these options have a roof over your head. The tuk tuk is the more popular, fun and cheaper option. This costs anywhere from $20 to $50 for the day. Good for 1 to 3 people in the tuk tuk, 4 in a car, and more in a van… You have a lot more flexibility using these modes of transportation, as you can stop wherever you like. You can hire your vehicle from all hotels in town.
Probably the most popular option is to rent a motorcycle. These are automatic bikes, so not much knowledge is required to drive them. You also can use the the motorcycle around town. About $5 for the day, and gas costs about $1 per hour of drive time ($2 – $3 for the round trip from Kampot town.) You don’t need a driver’s license, but you do need to wear a motorcycle helmet. The downside is that if you have a flat tire, or the bike breaks down, you’re in for more costs and time. Rare, but it does happen. Part of the adventure. If it breaks, the motorcycle rental company will pay the costs.
From downtown Kampot, ride across either of our two bridges about 15 – 20 minutes straight out of town. On the right side of the road is the entrance to Bokor Mountain. You can’t miss it. (There’s a really big mountain on your right, beyond the gate.)
From there, it’s 32 Km to the top. You’ll go around about 297 curves, big and small to get there. The road is really good. If it’s raining, or rained recently, you’ll see hundreds of waterfalls on the side of the road, both big and small. Stop to look at some if you can. The ride up takes 45 minutes or more if you go slow or stop along the way. Make sure you have some snacks, water, warm clothes, some money and a raincoat before you go to the top. Gas up the tank if you’re taking your own transportation. A big new gas station right at the top, with the same prices as at the bottom of the mountain.
Usually the road is very empty of traffic. But on holidays, it can be crowded.
Also, going around the curves, be aware of vehicles driving in the other direction, crossing the center line. It happens. Just stay to the right side.
You’ll want to leave in the mid to late morning, or before noon, to make the trip. Too early, and you might just be in cloud the whole time.
Also, look out for monkeys on the side of the road. The locals like to feed them, so they line the road for a several kilometers. They might look cute, but you don’t want to be bitten or scratched by one. (or more.)
From SihanoukVille:
Take the road to Kampot. About 20 minutes before Kampot, you’ll see the Bokor Mountain entrance on your left. Then….. see above.
From Phnom Penh or Kep:
You have to go through downtown Kampot to get here. Follow the directions above.
That’s It!
Enjoy.
Note: if your motorcycle runs out of gas going up the Mountain, just coast back down. It’s a 10 minute push at the bottom to the Sokimex gas station.
If you’re bike is broken, just push it from there 30 seconds towards town, and on the right side of the street is a repair shop. Stop here if you want poor service at ridiculously high prices, or just go another minute towards town for better and cheaper service.
A new Cafe is halfway to the top of the Mountain. Worth a rest stop.
A new Cafe at the Lake. Make that two cafes.
