Phnom Chhngok Cave — Attraction in Kampot

Two ways to get here from Kampot. You can turn off just after the big concrete bring on the way out of town towards Kep or you can take the Phnom Phen road which is what I did.

Really nice drive out and travel along a dirt track through many little rural settlements. Plenty of places to stop for a drink and photos.

Arrived at a junction with a sign saying "Caves, the easy way". Should be reworded as "Go this way, it's easy money for us!". I park up.and was told it would be 50cents. A tip, pay there and then. A 'guide' wanted $3 but I managed to get him for $2. Other reviews refer to them as boys but they are actually a group of lower 20 something guys.

Went to the caves BUT it will cost you another $1 for admission. If you drive across the bridge from the "Easy way" sign you can actually avoid these guys and park right by the caves for $1 which includes parking.

You now have to walk up 230 uneven, leaf covered steps. They were damp and very slippery even though there had been no rain for 24hrs.

Once in the cave the guide will point out the 2 elephants, the eagle, and the turtle. He will also tell you about the 1,350 year old shrine. If you have good shoes then you can opt to take the alternative way out through the rocks. I declined as caves as they are are always damp and slippery.

And that's it.... all done in 20 minutes. Walked back to my bike and handed over 5,000 for parking expecting 3,000 back as change. The checky sod gave me 2,500 back saying the 500 was a tip. If that's how they want to treat people then they are worth every bad review the place gets!!!!

Chose to take the other way back via the Kep road. Now, as I said it had not rain for 24hrs. The road or rather track was awful. Mud and puddles with hidden pot holes and some very deep. Should have gone back the way I came.

In all I would have been very happy to have just done the round trip without seeing the caves. It cost me a total of $5 to see something that was as interesting as 2 bricks.

So, my advice is, if you want a nice ride then do the round trip BUT miss out the caves. Just look for 2 brinks in Kampot and enjoy, saving $5 in the process.

The 2 stars are give are just for the...

The cave is OK but a lot of the (what would've been) natural beauty has been worn away by the impact of unrestrained human visitors (touching everything and anything). The track after the narrow wooden bridge leading to the cave can be a little bit flooded after a decent rainstorm, but is fairly easy to navigate on a bike and isn't too muddy (water can be about 6inches deep in parts). The entrance fee is a set price of 5,000 riel which gives you access to the cave. However, if you want a guide (who will arrive to offer his services immediately) you have to haggle as there is no official fee...in other words he'll try to get as much as possible so you have to haggle. My experience was not a pleasure; We agreed on 24,000 riel (including entry fee) and he assured me that bringing my small pet dog was ok ("no problem"!). So we walk up the +150 steps (half way there is a viewpoint of the farmlands below which is nice)...me carrying the dog - as I explained she's not able to climb stairs easily (short legs). We see the small shrines (which are moderately ok). Up until this point its all ok (nothing spectacular) then we have to descend through a narrow entry with a steep, slippery slope. Clearly if my dog cannot climb steps how on earth did he expect her to manoeuvre down a slope that was a bit difficult for me...so I had to carry her = dangerous (accident begging to occur). I then ask if this is the only "difficult" part....he says " no, it's much harder further on"...so why did he originally say it was no problem for my dog???? I suspect he just wanted a grab for cash (rather than saying it would be too difficult with the dog). We had to abandon the caving expedition and I was offered a measly discount of 3,000 riel. All in all, I paid the guide to escort me up the stairs....something I could've done for the basic entry fee. Long story short, the guide isn't regulated (just amateur) so he can act and charge as he saw fit without any proper responsibility or repercussions. Overall, it was only mildly interesting....would I return without my dog, maybe (but wouldn't...

I read mixed reviews on Google yet still decided to go to the cave and see how things unfold :D. After an hour or so on a bumpy road from Kampot, we reached the cave and were soon followed by some tour guides (adults 25-28 years old, not kids). Yes, there were a likely scammer who wore a 'police' shirt (that one can easily get in the market) and other guys who look a bit more 'official' (I don't know). They offered to take care of my scooter. The entrance fee is 5,000 riel per person and a guided tour around and into the bat cave costs 20,000 riel for a group. The tour was actually good, of which the guide told us about stories and walked us thru some tiny details which we could not notice if going alone. And without him, we may never enter a little trip down to the bat cave. Overall, I am so willing to pay the entrance and the tour fee (30,000 riel ~ $7.5 for 2 people) because I feel it's worthy, even though it may be a real SCAM like other previous visitors have said. Life in Kampot is not easy for locals and perhaps these people just want to earn money for their families and if you can afford it, go ahead. $7.5 for 2 for us is a steal, considering how expensive I spent for a simple coffee in Switzerland ^^. Have a good journey, fellas!

P.s.: The dirt route along the canal from this cave to the Secret Lake is beautiful. Just be careful of those white cows. We saw one chasing an unfortunate car which disturbed...