After leaving Phnom Penh for the second time we took a share minibus to a place called Kampot on the south coast. The minibus was a local one as there are no tourist buses as yet. It was crammed full so much so that you were virtually sitting on someones knee but only for 2 and a half hours. It was worth it as Kampot is truly beautiful. It is set on the banks of a river with the elephant mountains as a backdrop. There are lots of fine examples of French colonial architecture (most of which have fallen into a state of disrepair sadly). There were very few tourists and only a handful of restaurants on the river (though very nice they were). From there we hired a scrambler bike (250cc) after much pressure from Rob (i was happy with a moped). We drove out to the seaside town of Kep-sur-Mer. This place was where the French and rich cambodians holidayed many years ago and is full of crumbling villas. The countryside here is absolutely stunning and it was so nice to get out and about. The next day we took a tour to Bokor national park and visited the French hill station of Bokor. Built in 1922 the place was abandoned in 1940 and used briefly by the Khmer Rouge to house prisoners in the 70s. It is totally eerie. The casino/hotel is straight out of the shining!! You can actually go inside the buildings and the whistling wind made it feel quite creepy. The place would have been amazing in its heyday. From there we trekked for a couple of hours back to Kampot through the jungle and local villages. We arrived today in Sihanoukville after paying $12 for the backseat of a share taxi (absolute luxury i can tell you). We are staying on Serendipity beach in the most amazing bugalows. They are right at the end of the beach away from the crowd and the place is run by a local couple. Amazing chill out areas with hammocks and the food is fantastic. We are here for two nights before taking the boat to Thailand. I have loved Cambodia and truly regret not having spent more time here. Hope all is well at home. Until next time. Xx