Bodhi Villa
Kampot's hang-out scene
What we say: 
The uber-chilled out, Australian-run Bodhi Villa sits on Teuk Chhou Road a couple of kilometres north of Kampot on the west side of the river. The only place in town with a speedboat (yes, speedboat), Boddhi caters to the most laid back of the laid back travellers. There's a low-key party atmosphere to the place, with Jack Johnson and his contemporaries in constant rotation, and most guests sporting dreads. This can be a major drawback if you're staying in one of the floating bungalows situated a few feet from the bar and you have your serene river swims punctuated by loud music or your sleep interrupted by hippies playing the bongos late into the night. The owners and staff are indisputably likable and helpful. The restaurant and common area tumbles down to a floating pier (home to the boat), with numerous spots to lay about and relax. Upstairs is home to a chill-out room (as if downstairs wasn't chilled enough) and there's apparently a pool table up there too. Rooms in the main building are basic, but clean and cheap, and we'd say a better option than the bungalows out back. There are also two floating rooms on the river, which are well worth the extra $2 per night for their novelty. With only three walls (the third with a few curtains opening to the river), you can dive from your bedroom directly into the river. Just open your eyes and look up to see spectacular morning sunrises. Free of charge comes a very welcoming, totally relaxed vibe, and a good mixed menu with food that was of a really high quality and well-priced (try the famous veggie-packed omelette or the pancakes for a seriously satisfying breakfast). This is a fine choice for budget travellers looking for a bit of down time to recharge. Water skiing ($2 per minute because of fuel costs) can be arranged along with other activities. Their Friday night parties, complete with live music, get good reports from travellers and Kampot expats alike. Plans for a catapult to vault guests into the river -- certainly a Kampot first -- came unstuck, with nothing more than a few sacks of rice breaking river. Reservations are strongly encouraged. To book a floating room during high season or a weekend, you'll need to book well in advance. There's no free transport from the bus and taxi stand, so you'll have to pay to get out there, and it's a bit of a walk into town, so prepare to pay for rides or rent bicycles there for $1.50 per day. We found their tours and transport prices to be more than fair.
Check rates around Kampot best price guarantee!Contact details:
Teuk Chhou Rd, Kampot. T: (012) 72 8884Visit website
What we were quoted
| Type of room | Low season | High season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorm Fan | 3 USD | 3 USD | |
| Dbl fan share b'room | 5 USD | 5 USD | |
| Bungalow fan share b'room | 8 USD | 8 USD | $10 for a floating room |
Added to Travelfish on: 2nd November, 2007
Last visited or updated on: 26th August, 2009
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Read Bodhi Villa reviews
Rated 4 out of 5
Based on 5 ratings and 5 reviews
great atmosphere but not a place to stay if you like sleep
Found this a really laid back place which was easy to meet other travellers. The location right on the river was fanastic. Didn't eat here - thought food was a bit overpriced personally. They have music pumping till all hours so if you had planned an early night then maybe this isn't for you.
Bodhi Villa reviewed by kirsten87 (Total reviews: 3) on
The best party spot in Kampot
One of my best time in all of Southeast Asia. A very friendly team with nice music and a very good friday live show. Good food and very good accommodations for the price. Probably the best spot on the river (2km from town) with floating bungalows, fluorescent swim at night with the plankton and a lot of fun at the bar and in the river ! many water activities available : kite surf, water skying, boat tours (kampotboat.com),...
Bodhi Villa reviewed by sergio (Total reviews: 2) on
Pretty but tries too hard
One of those places you either love or hate. I found it too much of a ''scene'' - you know, the type of place where people who (mistakenly) think they are oh so cool look you up and down and then look away and go back to playing their bongo drums. It was in a lovely location and I would have definitely liked it if the atmosphere had been different.
Bodhi Villa reviewed by Tennouji (Total reviews: 19) on
Mixed
Had mixed feelings about this place. On one hand it is a really nice spot to chill out, right on the river with pleanty of spaces to sit by yourself or to find people to chat. We stayed in the floating bungalow which was really cool, being able to sit in your bungalow and dip your feet in the river. However, we stayed during a pretty windy time and during the night it was very choppy making it hard to sleep. We also got a pile of debris from the roof falling down on us in the night. All the bungalows have 3 walls and one curtain. You can store valuables behind the bar but there are no lockers or anything like that. The staff were really lovely always concerned about us after a windy night and the food in the restaurant is very good. We found that the atmosphere changed greatly when the owner Hugh was there, music got louder, jokes dirtier and so on. Pleanty of people enjoyed this but we found it a bit off-putting.
Bodhi Villa reviewed by Sheenastar (Total reviews: 9) on
Excellent spot!
The review is bang on. Very nice place to stay. Food is great and varied, staff is very friendly and speak excellent english. Trips can be arranged through them, as well as just about anything else. Great place to learn about projects around town that one can get involved in, meet other travellers. Choice of rooms, dorm for $2.50, room for $4, bungalow in the garden for $5 and floating bungalow for $8. Excellent bar and place to have a few drinks even if not staying there over night. Highly recommended!!
Bodhi Villa reviewed by ruxandra (Total reviews: 2) on