The next morning we had to get up very early again, as we wanted to continue our journey to Kampot by train, which left at 7:00 a.m.

We took a taxi to the station, where the diesel railcar train was already waiting.

The four-hour train ride was a special experience. At barely 50 km/h, the train slowly crawled through the suburbs of Phnom Penh. Along the tracks, we saw shocking living conditions. There were ramshackle huts, piles of garbage in front of the doors, laundry drying right next to the railway line—everything looked shabby and dirty. Just a few streets behind, we saw beautiful, brand-new family homes as well as ultra-modern skyscrapers. The contrast between all of this was truly extreme.

The further the train rattled south, the more beautiful and varied the landscape became. For the first time since arriving in Cambodia, we also saw hills and mountains.

The scenery here was mainly shaped by agricultural land. Pretty farmhouses, with cows and goats grazing in front of them, looked almost like paintings.

The ride went by far too quickly, and we could hardly believe it when we arrived in Kampot.

At the station, plenty of tuk-tuks were waiting for passengers, and to our surprise, the three of us managed to squeeze in with all our luggage. Rarely had we had so much fun.

After just a few minutes’ drive, we reached our hotel in the heart of the city. Although it was still mid-morning, we were able to check into our rooms right away.

The hotel actually exceeded our expectations. The rooms were very spacious and clean, as were the bathrooms, and from the balcony we had a lovely view over the city’s narrow streets.

The hotel also had a restaurant where we treated ourselves to a delicious lunch.

Afterwards, we explored the town, which is known for its truly beautiful French colonial architecture.

Famous above all is the durian roundabout, located right in the city centre.

The town is beautifully situated on the Preaek Tuek Chhu River. Along the promenade, you can take a wonderful stroll or relax in one of the many cafés and enjoy the view.

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel very well that day, and as the day went on, it got worse. Yes, that can happen even on vacation. So we decided to return to the hotel, where I wanted to lie down for a bit. When we arrived, the thermometer already showed 38 degrees Celsius and I felt absolutely miserable. My partner and my son went to a pharmacy, where they described my symptoms. I got some medicine and spent the rest of the day in bed. We had actually planned to visit the night market that evening, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to get up.

Luckily, I felt a bit better the next morning. I managed to eat a little bread for breakfast—the only thing I could keep down.

Then began the final big stage of our journey. We took a tuk-tuk to Kep to spend the last few days of our holiday by the sea.