Kampot Salt Fields
វាលអំបិលកំពត
Traditional sun-drying salt pans on the coastal plain. In the dry season you can watch salt workers carrying their harvest, and the pans turn to mirrors at sunset.
The coastal plain between Kampot and Kep is Cambodia's main sea salt-producing area, and its traditional sun-drying salt pans have been in use for a century. From January to May, during the dry season, workers draw seawater into the pans, collect the crystals after the sun has evaporated the water, and carry them in bamboo baskets to wooden storage huts. The scene is full of everyday life and is a favorite subject for photographers. The pans lie about 5 km from Kampot town and are usually combined with a pepper farm visit or a trip to Kep. You can reach them by motorbike or tuk-tuk. Some pans have small exhibition rooms explaining the salt-making process, where you can buy Kampot sea salt and fleur de sel. Walk along the dikes and keep off the salt beds, and ask permission before photographing the workers.
Opening hours
Daytime (dry season operation)
Nearby sights
- Kampot Provincial Museum
- Kampot Riverside & Old Town
- Kampot Night Market
- Phnom Sorsia
- Phnom Chhngok Cave Temple
- Secret Lake (Tomnop Tek Krolar)
- Teuk Chhou Rapids
- Lok Yeay Mao Statue