From Cambodian Ghost Town by Keren

If you’re hoping to travel somewhere off the beaten path, to a quiet, laid-back, not too crowded destination, RealTraveler Keren has just the place for you. This month she went on a group tour of a Cambodian ghost town in Bokor National Park. Known as one of the “eeriest places on earth,” visitors may bump into the ghosts of gamblers and wander through buildings that are now filled only with history.

Here are some phantastic excerpts from Keren’s journal, Cambodian Ghost Town:

“The next day we went on a tour to the Bokor national park, the reason why most people come here. The Bokor mountain is the dominant feature in the area, and has a large plateau where the French built a mountain retreat to escape the hot season. It was a little village, including a church, police station and fancy hotel. After the French left in the 1950’s it was used by the Cambodian elite who built a casino, and a palace for the King up there as well. Heavy fighting in the area with the Khymer Rouge in the 1970’s saw the area abandoned, which has left some pretty spooky relics to be explored.

The highlight was the old French Hotel - it must have been very beautiful in its day, 4 stories high with many balconies and terrace areas where you can imagine them swanning about. It is built on a cliff with amazing views out to the sea, and a spectacular drop off where you can hear the jungle below you literally buzzing. Some of the original tiles and stone art work are still there, but the hotel is now just a shell, but with nearly all staircases and rooms intact for exploring. We also explored the old church, casino and the Kings Palace. We were trying to get our guide to tell us some ghost stories of the area, he wasn’t specific but there is lots of potential as people who lost at the casino would throw themselves off the cliff in front of the hotel, and the fighting in the area cost many lives also.” (more…)

Hunting for ghosts isn’t the only fun to be found at Bokor National Park. Keren also enjoyed rumbling up Bokor Mountain atop an old bus. Her group ended the tour on a soft note — a leisurely cruise on a quiet river back to Kampot.

If you’d like to read more of Keren’s travels in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, check out her travel page, Crossing Borders and Pushing Boundaries.

More Useful Links:
Kampot Travel Blogs
Cambodia Travel Guide
Kampot, Cambodia — Travel Information