Related
Bokor Hill town was built as a resort by the colonial French settlers to offer an escape from the humidity and general insanity of Phnom Penh. The centerpiece of the resort was the grand Bokor Palace Hotel & Casino, complemented by shops, a post office, a church and the Royal Apartments. For those who wish to see something other than the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh and the breathtaking Angkor Wat, Bokor is an excellent third option for a sightseeing adventure in Cambodia. It is also an important cultural site, showing how the colonial settlers spent their free time.
Photo SpotLight »
What's On »
Food Reviews »
Forums »
"I watched her climb aboard his crappy rented XR250 with an equipment bag that would break the back of most donkies"
Now abandoned, most of the buildings are still standing and the hotel in particular can still be explored. The strategic importance of the location is underlined by the fact that the Cambodian authorities maintain a Ranger Station on the site, and this doubles as a youth hostel with basic dorms and cooking facilities for those intrepid souls who make their way up here. The only other "inhabited" building on the site is a small temple. There is also a waterfall which tends to be dry in high season and in full flow during rainy season - hence few tourists ever see it in full flow, as traveling up the hill to Bokor is highly inadvisable in rainy season.
Today the site is beginning to attract significant numbers of tourists. Reaching the top of Bokor Hill requires a 32km grind from sea-level to the top of the 3000ft peak up a broken road that is barely passable under optimum conditions and takes 3 hours to complete in either direction. Most travelers hire a local driver-guide and travel on the back of a motorbike or in a 4x4. It is possible for the more intrepid travelers to hire their own vehicle in Kampot and tackle the road themselves.
During my first trip to Cambodia in 2006, I befriended a fellow Australian who loaned me his Honda AX-1 motorbike to go touring on. My partner and I left for Kampot and Kep and, being a keen dirt biker, of course Bokor Hill beckoned. I looked forward to the challenge and it was a bright sunny, dry-season day when I rode out from Kampot with my partner and two fellow travelers, James and Camille. James was a Channel Islands Lawyer who had been molested by Camille down in Sihanoukville and was now firmly in her grips. An old friend of mine from Australia, Camille is a documentary maker and I felt sorry for James as I watched her climb aboard his crappy rented XR250 with an equipment bag that would break the back of most donkies. Adding to his dilemma, James admitted he had been on scooters but had never ridden a large bike before. Uh Oh.
"....with bums that were screaming bloody murder, we fell off the bikes in a heap."
The ride up was a mixed affair. In the lower parts of the "road" the old bitumen road was still evident but it only offered tiny moments of relief and we very soon find ourselves navigating a track that really is for advanced riders. Wash-outs, creeks, ruts, encroaching jungle, boulders, stone fields and all assortment of random natural obstacles did their best to separate rider and bike. In James' case this happened at least 3 times. Thankfully we incurred no injuries ( despite the fact I rode up in Birkenstocks and swimming shorts....ahem) but I could tell James was having a tough time. Two hours later we arrived at the top and with bums that were screaming bloody murder, we fell off the bikes in a heap.
Once we had recovered from our ascent, the day was spent exploring the derelict casino and outer structures such as the church and summer villas. With blue skies and sunshine overhead and a very pleasant temperature due to the altitude, it was a stunning day to be up there. We ate 2 minute noodles and took photos that showcased the insane views and visited the waterfall where we swam and washed away all the grime. All in all - a great visit and after a safe trip down the Hill we soon found ourselves at The Rusty Keyhole bar in Kampot with cold beer in hand. We felt like conquering heroes and even though every bone ached, we were proud of our achievement.
Fast forward to September 2007, it is now wet season and again we visit Kampot with the intention of taking a friend up Bokor Hill. This time we are on Suzuki DRZ Dual Sport bikes, we are wearing boots, wet weather gear, helmets, gloves and are thoroughly kitted out. On arrival in Kampot, the skies open up with full force and after a night of heavy rain we awake to more of the same. All of a sudden the ride has taken on new dimensions. Bokor Hill is hard enough in the dry let alone after a solid night's rain and as we sip coffee at The Rusty Keyhole pre-ride, I am less than enthusiastic. Still, it is what we came to do so off we head bravely into the drizzle and we are wet before we even get through the boom gate at the base of the hill. Bugger.
"Bokor is truly a two headed Hill. The dry season is a Czech supermodel, whilst the wet season is a head that got smacked with a bat at birth".
The trip up this time is bloody awful. Rivers run downwards towards us and disguise all the holes and ruts that one year later are even bigger and nastier than before. All the bitumen has just about disappeared and no-one has "done the garden" so the jungle growth is now well and truly out of control. The bikes have incredibly hard enduro style seats so our bums are raw early. I am damned if I put my goggles on because they mist up and damned if I don't because the rain is coming down like fine needle points. As we hit the upper reaches of the road, the wind starts howling and the temperature plummets to what seems like sub-zero. The hands are frozen to the handlebar grips and there is water sloshing around in my boots. Are you getting the picture? All I can think about is a hot shower and a coffee and I am wishing that Bokor Hill had hot springs at the top but I know despite packing the swimmers, there will be no frolicking today.
Once on top we have trouble even finding the Casino the mist is that bad. A few wrong turns later and we arrive to a scene out of the Shining (which was in fact actually filmed on Bokor!). The mist is blowing through the Casino and the sound it is making would give a young child nightmares. Is this even the same place I visited last year? Where are the noodle stalls? Where is the view? Why isn't everyone smiling? After a quick tour of the Casino - and I do mean quick - we find a bunch of soaked travelers eating in the basement and we join them. No-one speaks as they sip coffee and we are shot dirty looks as we enter with our all weather gear on and start unpacking boiled eggs, cold roast pork and fresh baguettes. They are all wearing 2000r rain ponchos, shorts, flip flops and have come up in the back of an open truck. SUCKERS! After a slightly rejuvenating picnic, we head over to the waterfall which is raging and swollen and after a 30 second visit, we have had enough and head for the bottom. There is no visit to The Rusty keyhole this time. We head straight for the showers and whilst the girls have a massage, I pass out in sheer exhaustion.
The two rides could not have been more different. One rewarded us with Bokor Hill in all its sunny glory. The view alone is something that stays with you forever and is well worth the effort it takes to get up there. Being able to swim in the waterfall was a bonus and the photo I have of my soon to be wife and I up on the top is one of my favorites as it was our first ride together. We came down sunburned and victorious and I would highly recommend a dry season assault on Bokor Hill to anyone. The latest ride was a bloody nightmare. Cold, wet, windy, miserable, ugly, painful ...where is my thesaurus damn it! I cannot pick one redeeming feature of this wet season ride other than that we made it down safely. Bokor is truly a two headed Hill. The dry season is a Czech supermodel, whilst the wet season is a head that got smacked with a bat at birth. Still, Bokor Hill is one of Cambodia's jewels and at the end of the day, it you must do it in the rain......don't! Buy a bloody postcard........
| 0 Comment(s) |
sponsors
