My Morning Run to the Salt Fields of Kampot, Cambodia

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Just after 6am I stumble bleary eyed out of my guesthouse and slowly jog along the river. Dawn feels early to me but Kampot is already fully awake.

I cross the old bridge, avoiding the rusty holes that drop down to the river, and continue on the other side. At first the road is paved, if full of potholes. Little shops, not much more than shacks, sell bright yellow petrol in old pepsi bottles, whole green coconuts, and strings of single use shampoo packets. One shop owner is sawing huge blocks of ice to use in cool boxes, more common than fridges in the Cambodian countryside. Outside another dozens of fish are drying on a rack. In simple restaurants workers on their way to the fields slurp their breakfast noodle soup.

I cross another bridge, where a few fishermen are trying their luck, and pass stilted wooden houses at the water’s edge, and green and red fishing boats heading out to sea—the river leads to the coast just 5km away.

Fishing village, Kampot, Cambodia
Fishing boats in Kampot, Cambodia

The bridge seems to mark the divide between town and country. On the other side the tarmac stops and the road becomes a dusty orange dirt track that will coat my shoes and stain my white socks. It’s the morning commute, mostly done by bicycles and motorbikes. Six year old boys wearing colourful backpacks and pristine white uniforms ride bikes much too big for them; teenage girls cycle three or four abreast, some wearing face masks to protect from the dusty road, or ride three to a bike; a lady cycles past with a bamboo basket of vegetables, stripy red socks under her flip flops; a mobile baguette stand sells loaves to field workers, a legacy of Cambodia’s time as a French protectorate.

Girls cycling in countryside outside Kampot

The smaller kids shout hello to me as I run past, the straggly dogs bark, and the adults give me the bewildered look of manual labourers who can’t comprehend why I’d be running in the Cambodian heat (25 C even this early) for fun.

I’m deep in the countryside now. Thatched shacks and wooden stilted bungalows stand in the shade of palm trees amongst the rice paddies, dry and golden brown after the harvest. Water buffalo and a few humped white cows graze in the fields.

Rice paddies outside Kampot at sunrise
Rice paddies outside Kampot

I reach the salt fields. At first they just look like fields full of water, the burning globe of the rising sun reflected in the pools. A closer look down the narrow mud banks between the clay fields shows that this is salt water that has been let in from the nearby sea and left to evaporate. Around the edges the white salt crystals are beginning to form under the hot sun.

Salt fields of Kampot at sunrise
Salt in salt fields, Kampot

Further down I find a barn full of vast heaps of salt. Workers in the fields are raking the salt from beneath the few inches of water into neat triangular piles. They carry it in two wicker baskets balanced with a pole on their shoulders to the warehouse, walking barefoot through the water. In the early morning light the sun, the salt piles and the workers are reflected in the pools. I feel uncomfortable getting closer to take photos of these hardworking people toiling but it’s too beautiful a sight to resist. What is a breathtaking and fascinating sight for us is a life of hardship for them.

Salt Fields, Kampot, Cambodia
Salt Fields, Kampot, Cambodia

On the way back on the edge of town I pass a cluster of motorbikes that has gathered around a simple market—women sitting on the ground selling piles of bananas, green mango, or durian, the stinky fruit that this town worships. A woman wearing bright pink pyjamas walks through the crowd carrying two ducks hanging by their feet, still with all their feathers. She hasn’t forgotten to get dressed; colourful pyjamas are popular day wear in Cambodia.

Old Bridge, Cambodia

The final stretch after crossing back over the old bridge is along the riverfront under frangipani trees and past the French style governor’s mansion, with a detour to the lily pond blooming with pink flowers that only come out in the morning.

Lily pond, Kampot, Cambodia

I finish my run drenched with sweat and covered with red dust but with a wonderful runner’s high. Running in Cambodia with the heat and humidity hasn’t been easy but this run has reminded me why I do it.

For tips on running around the world see my guide to running while travelling and for why Kampot was our favourite town in Cambodia see our Kampot guide.

21 Comments

  1. We’re in Kampot now. How do I get to the “ red dirt path” across the old bridge?
    What direction did you run? I would appreciate more specific directions for you beautiful run ( we plan on biking).
    Thank you

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    • It was a long time ago but I think the second bridge I crossed must have been on Fish Island Road. The road might be paved now though. The salt fields are marked on google maps. Good luck!

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  2. We did the same trip on bicycles in November 2013. Back then the salt fields were bare and were about to start letting the salt water in. It was lovely to see how they looked with water and salt in them.

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  3. amazing photos I wish I could run, well done Cambodia looks amazing and one day hope to visit you make it look and sound great

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  4. My early morning runs in Central and South America are some of my best memories. These photos are beautiful… makes it easy to get up at dawn and slip on the running shoes.

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  5. Morning runs, aaah what rewarding way to start the day – especially in such a beautiful place as this! Inspiring doesn’t even begin to describe. Thanks for taking the time to stop on your run and snap these awesome shots!

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    • It really does set you up for a good day. I think taking photo breaks helped in this heat and the scenes were too beautiful to resist.

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  6. There is so much beauty in the early morning, especially in Cambodia … I need to start getting up earlier … and to visit Kampot!

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  7. I’m not a runner, but I really loved the countryside around Kampot. Your photos take me right back and make me wish I were more of a morning person!

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    • I’ve struggled to become a morning person as it makes sense for running in the tropics. Morning runs like these really help motivate me though!

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  8. Amazing, just beautiful to read. You write very well. I enjoyed your story. And many things sounded very familiar for me… There’s not too much difference between Asia & Africa. Thanks for sharing this story.

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