Mountains,
river and sea all converge near the sleepy town of Kampot in Southern
Cambodia, but it is the river, Prek Tuek Chhou, which really forms the
focal point here, and dictates the mellow pace of life. While Kampot is
undeniably the perfect place to relax and recoup, adventurous travelers
do not have to fear; swigging a beer from one of the many riverside bars
is not the only way to experience the river – perhaps a stand-up
paddleboarding trip with the folk at SUP Asia may be for you!
I
joined SUP Asia for their 2.5 hour river trip, by far their most
popular (run twice every day!), and ideal if you’ve never tried to
stand-up paddleboard before – this would only be my second time. It is
however, worth checking out the other Adventure trips SUP Asia offer,
some of which last a couple of days and look very exciting.
Editor’s Note: Traveling Cambodia? Check out our list of Best Places to Stay in Cambodia
Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) in Cambodia
At 8:15 on an April morning in Kampot, the air is cool, the tremendous heat yet to hit Cambodia,
the sunlight casts a gentle golden glow, and the town still seems
mostly asleep. But on this day, I was wide awake and eager to get onto
the river. Three boards were strapped to the roof of a tuk-tuk, and we
all piled in. Being the only one to book this morning, I was spoilt with
two guides, Fio, who had come all the way from Germany to work here,
and local Cambodian paddler, Sal. A short ride, through a tangled maze
of dirt roads and the tuk-tuk, pulled up by a grassy bank. This launch
spot had been selected based on the weather conditions and river
currents that morning.
Stand
Up Paddleboarding is wondrously simple; only a brief talk mentioning
safety instructions and proper technique was required before I was
clutching at my own board and paddle, and pushing into the center of the
river myself. I watched Fio and Sal gracefully shift their position
from crouching on their knees to standing up in one fluid movement and
without even a wobble of the board. Behind them, I put my hands on the
board, as I had been taught, and tried to hop up. The board shook
wildly. I swung out an arm for balance. For a moment I expected to fall
in, shocked by how unsteady the board felt, but somehow I held my
position, and cautiously began to paddle.
Related: Things to do in Kampot
SUP Asia Daily Tour
Within
a few minutes, I felt completely at ease. Stand Up Paddleboarding
really is a quick sport to grasp and can be enjoyed by everyone. As we
glided through the water, it was impossible not to appreciate the beauty
that surrounded us; even the guides who have paddled this river
countless times seemed to gaze dreamily off into the mountains, their
peaks shrouded in cloud, or peer into the mangroves. The world around us
was mostly silent, save the occasional ‘plop’ as a fish broke the
surface to snatch at some food. Sometimes, if you were lucky, you even
saw the fish leap out.
Away
from the main river, a confusing network of narrow backwaters passages
awaits for you to get lost in. Here the water was shallow, and you could
see down to the murky bottom. Palm groves which had bordered the river
now protruded all the way across the tiny inlets seeming to block any
further progress. What were they guarding? At one point, I saw the long,
green palm fronds engulf Fio where I had assumed it was a dead end. One
moment she was there, the next she wasn’t. I followed behind, brushing
the palm fronds aside with my hand as I passed, not prepared for the
sight that awaited on the other side. Once through the claustrophobic
passage, the water suddenly opened up like a chasm, and a Cambodian
monastery sat dead ahead.
As the heat had been
increasing, the water had gradually become more enticing until it was
nearly impossible to resist. I was just thinking about ‘falling in’ when
the guides stopped and offered the opportunity to go for a swim.
Splash! We spent 15 minutes swimming around, jumping and diving from our
boards, and even practicing head and hand stands on the board, with
inevitable but hilarious consequences. Our paddling skills and the
gentle pull of the current brought us all the way back to Kampot. We got
out, high-fived, and walked the last 50 meters to the shop, all the
time wearing enormous grins. No better way to start to the day!
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