Kampot’s Hidden Gem: How Ecotourism is Revitalizing a Cambodian Coastal Community
By: Rin Ousa Cambodianess July 1, 2025
The community offers more than 10 homestays, with full booking almost everyday. Photo by Rin Ousa.
Established in 2009 as a fishing community, Trapeang Sangke community-based ecotourism in Toek Chhou district has been an ecotourism community since 2019.
KAMPOT – Kampong Samaki Community Fishery in Kampot province is quickly gaining recognition as a peaceful getaway for both Cambodian and international tourists — offering new sources of income for local households beyond fishing.
Nestled in Kampong Tnaot village, the community is transforming itself into a sustainable ecotourism destination, welcoming a growing number of visitors compared to the previous year.
Sok Kao, head of the community, said tourists can enjoy a variety of experiences, including learning traditional fishing techniques, walking along a 400-meter bridge that winds through lush mangrove forests, planting mangrove seedlings, kayaking, and taking in panoramic views of the sea and surrounding mountains.
“We offer 11 homestays, but that’s not enough. We get a lot of bookings every day — especially on weekends,” Kao said.
Since 2019, the Kampong Samaki community — home to 403 families — has partnered with local authorities and received vital support from NGOs to develop its ecotourism potential, strengthen patrol operations, and provide hospitality training to residents.
One of the key partners is Aide et Action, which has contributed to infrastructure development, built bamboo bridges, supported waste management systems, and trained community members in tourism and hospitality services.
Through its Coalition for Sustainable Development and Community Voices project, Aide et Action has also funded and provided technical guidance in areas such as mangrove seedling cultivation, ecotourism marketing, installing roofs on tourist boats and tents, and organizing community savings groups.
Vorn Samphors, country director of Aide et Action Cambodia, encourages more Cambodians to explore and relax within the country, supporting local communities rather than traveling abroad.
As with its support for the Trapeang Sangke community-based ecotourism site, the organization is also assisting Kampong Samaki with technical training and resources for seabass farming. In the first phase, 30,000 juvenile seabass were introduced.
“Seabass farming could generate between $50,000 and $100,000 in community income over the next seven to eight months,” Samphors said. “We’ll continue offering training, help the community access markets, and monitor water quality.”
To fully utilize the area, Aide et Action is currently supporting the construction of a community library — a quiet space where tourists, especially children, can read books while watching the sunset.
Samphors added that stronger collaboration with ministries such as Tourism, Agriculture, and Land Management is helping the community thrive. As a result, some fishermen are now shifting to tourism-based work, moving away from fishing, which often comes with unstable income.
Aide et Action is a global non-profit organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, dedicated to promoting sustainable education. It has been active in Cambodia since 2003.
SOURCE: Cambodianess, Cambodia July 1, 2025
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