Paddling upriver to the Green Cathedral

An early-morning paddle up the Kampot river into a narrow side channel arched over with palms, where the only sounds are kingfishers and your own paddle.

Area

Kampot town

Start from

Kampot, riverside north of town

Distance

about 8–12 km on the water

Time needed

half a day

Best season

November – May for calm water; mornings all year

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

Kayak or stand-up paddleboard, tuk-tuk to the launch

Tickets & rules

Kayak or board rental fee

Why go

From a boat the Kampot river looks broad and lazy, but upstream of the town it splits into side channels where the water narrows and the palms close in overhead. The most famous of these, nicknamed the Green Cathedral by paddlers, is a tunnel of nipa palm fronds so dense in places that the light comes through green.

Paddling yourself changes the experience. You move at the speed of the river, you hear the birds before you see them, and you pass fishermen checking nets and kids swimming off wooden jetties who shout hello every time.

It is moderate exercise rather than an expedition. A fit beginner can manage it in the morning before the heat, especially if you time it so the tide helps you on at least one leg.

The story

Nipa palm is the plant that defines this river. It grows in brackish water, its trunk hidden in the mud, its fronds rising straight from the water like enormous feathers. For generations people along the river have used it for almost everything: roof thatch and walls for houses, sap for sugar and a mild palm wine, leaves woven into baskets and mats.

The side channels upstream of Kampot were once quiet working waterways, used by families moving between their fields and the river. Today a handful of riverside guesthouses rent kayaks and boards, and the channels have become one of the gentlest adventures in the province.

Kingfishers are the stars of the trip. You will probably see the small, electric-blue common kingfisher and perhaps the larger collared kingfisher with its white neck, perched on branches just above the water. Herons stand in the shallows, and in the early morning you may see monitor lizards sliding off the banks.

Because the river is tidal so far inland, locals plan their days by it. The fishermen know exactly when the water will turn; paddlers who ask them usually get a better trip.

Getting there

Several guesthouses and small outfits along the river a few kilometres north of the old bridge rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards by the hour or the half day. A tuk-tuk from the centre takes ten to fifteen minutes. Ask them to mark the Green Cathedral entrance on your phone map, since it is easy to miss from the main river.

A suggested plan

1. 6:30 amTuk-tuk to a riverside guesthouse that rents kayaks; check the tide.
2. 7:00 amPaddle upstream along the main river while the water is glassy.
3. 8:00 amTurn into the side channel and drift under the palms; stop talking for ten minutes.
4. 9:30 amPaddle back with the current; swim off a jetty if conditions allow.
5. 11:00 amBreakfast by the river before the midday heat.

Where to stay

The riverside guesthouses a few kilometres north of town are ideal for this route: you can roll out of bed and into a kayak. Otherwise, stay in the old town and take a tuk-tuk at dawn.

Good to know

• Start early; by 10 am the sun on the water is fierce.
• Wear a hat with a strap and bring at least two litres of water.
• Use a dry bag for your phone and money.
• Ask about the tide before you set off and plan to paddle against it while you are fresh.