After our dismal pre-Christmas adventure at Koh Rong Samleon was cut short we were nomadic once again. Our primary focus was to get off the island, and it wasn’t until we were settled in a delightfully aromatic cafe in Sihanoukville sipping the strongest Nespresso available, that we paused to think about our next step.

It’s amazing how a decent cup of coffee can calm the nerves of being in a foreign land and homeless. Once my cup was empty—every sip savored, I logged onto the cafe’s wifi and started searching for our next destination. We’d heard nothing but enthusiastic reports about Kampot, but with Christmas only two days away, the online hotel booking companies didn’t have a lot of choice within our budget. So I was overjoyed at finding plus looking accommodation for two nights at Gecko Village.

It looked to be up-river from the main town, but on the map it didn’t look too far away, and at this point, beggars can’t be choosers. So we sorted out a bus ticket for the next available bus bound for Kampot, and then I ordered another Nespresso for the road.

Our Room

One things that has been a regular occurrence in our hotel rooms is lack of a wardrobe or set of drawers. There’s nowhere to store or hang our clothes. Most rooms just have one of these bamboo storage systems, so we don’t usually unpack for a short stay, we just use it as a temporary location for our travel bags, and try to remember which bag has what in!

Gecko Village

This is the first season for Gecko Village. Everywhere looked pristine and new, and the foliage was in it’s youth. Once the gardens mature, this is only going to add to an already fabulous location.

Although Gecko Village is a little way out of town, it does have an excellent view of the river, which you’d have to pay a premium for in the heart of Kampot. Each morning and each evening the fishing boats chug past on there way too and from the sea.

We ate at the restaurant the first night, and although it was quiet, I think we were only two of 6 guests, the food was delicious. It’s run by a French couple who have an eye for detail and a taste for the finer things in life, and that philosophy ebbs over to the way the meal was cooked and presented.

We got a taxi (remork) to take us the 3km to reach Gecko Village, but our hosts arranged a scooter for us during our stay so we could explore the neighboring countryside, and pay frequent visits to town.

It was great to have a taster of luxury for a couple of nights, but we had to travel back to reality with a bump, and booked a cheaper place in the centre of Kampot for another couple of days, but it was so hot and humid that we drove our scooter back out to Gecko Village and asked if we could use their pool.

And then spent the rest of the day watching the comings and goings in this quiet little corner of nirvana, and enjoying a long leisurely lunch before heading back into town.

[bctt tweet=”Venture out of the heart of #kampot to stay at #geckovillage to experience the quiet and tranquility of the #cambodia countryside. But still only 3km from town.” username=”rovingjay”]

Highly recommended, and would love to stay here again.

Here’s more information about this accommodation on Booking.com

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