The charm of Champa Cambodia
It was around 10pm when the tuk tuk turned down the dirt driveway, signalling the end of an excruciatingly long travel day. What should have taken nine hours and been a pleasant journey took fifteen and was an ordeal. The mantra, “Travel is an adventure” was on replay in my head on my way to Champa Cambodia.
Arriving with waves of anxiety, a bursting bladder, and clothes that needed peeling off my sweat-soaked skin, I was warmly welcomed by the family owners. I felt I had arrived home rather than at a destination. I could see little of where I was, but sensed much. This was Champa Lodge: instantly heart-warming and soul-saving.
I had travelled to Kampot province in southern Cambodia before and knew its enchantment well. On a panoramic stage of beauty, rural Cambodia performs with life and landscape. The region also shines gastronomically, producing world-renowned peppercorns sought after by chefs and food lovers globally.
Having run out of the peppercorn stash from a previous visit, refilling it prompted my return. Once you’ve tasted Kampot pepper, there is no substitute. Peace was also a priority, and Champa Lodge seemed full of it.
For five days, I stayed in a traditional Khmer wooden house with open shutters and exposed beams. Sensual aromas from the essential oil burner drifted through the room, carried by the riverside breeze.
The balcony day bed became the perfect platform to observe life at Champa. Rice paddies, as green as frogs, stole my attention, as did the tall sugar palm trees and the local sugar collector who climbed them each afternoon to collect palm juice. Chants from a nearby Buddhist pagoda, clucking chickens, gobbling turkeys, barking dogs, and mooing cows became music to my ears.
Early evening brought the drone of local fishing boats heading out for the overnight catch. That sound signalled happy hour, an invigorating shower, and a short walk past the cow to wine and dine at Champa’s open-air bar and restaurant.
The food was rich with place and character. A changing blackboard menu offered regional Cambodian dishes alongside international favourites, with ingredients sourced from local organic gardens. From fragrant Khmer curries to slow, comforting stews, the meals were generous, grounded, and memorable.
Fierce storms descended around midnight, the sky suddenly opening and drenching the ground. With a glass of aged rum in hand, I watched the light show from the balcony. The thunder rolled through the night with the insect orchestra, and back in the king-size bed, wrapped inside a mosquito net, sleep came easily.
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Early morning brought the fishing boats back in procession. Opening the shutters revealed an extraordinary view. It was so intensely beautiful it appeared freshly painted each day.
Champa’s location offered the best of both worlds. The quiet town of Kampot was close by, reachable by tuk tuk or by bicycle through the countryside. Locals were friendly, the French architecture was full of character, and the riverside cafes and bars were perfect places to watch the sunset over the Elephant Mountains.
The lodge sat beside the river, and I spent hours paddling through the streams and inlets in a kayak. There was just the kayak, the river, the scenery, and me. For further therapy, I slipped overboard and submerged myself in the cool water. At one point I simply drifted, my world becoming still and quiet.
I departed southern Cambodia with a desire to return. I left Champa Lodge with a bag packed with peppercorns, a soul replenished with peace, and a heart beating with joy.
Archive note: This page is part of the early EATT Magazine travel archive, when EATT published magazine-style stories about food, travel, culture, landscapes, and creative journeys. Some older links or references may no longer be act
By Genine
