The abandoned “ghost town” of Bokor Hill Station provides us with a glimpse into the life of French colonials who settled in Cambodia more than 70 years ago.
In an effort to escape from the heat, humidity and “general unhealthiness” of Phnom Penh, this resort was built near Kampot in southern Cambodia. The focal point of the resort was the elaborate Bokor Palace Hotel & Casino, but the development also contained shops, a post office (now demolished), a church and the Royal Apartments which were used by the Cambodian royal family.
During the First Indochina War, the French abandoned Bokor Hill because of local insurrections guided by the Khmer Issarak. The site was abandoned again in 1972 as the Khmer Rouge took over the area. As the Vietnamese invaded in 1979, the Khmer Rouge were able to entrench themselves at Bokor Hill and hold on tightly for months. Even into the early 1990s, Bokor Hill was still one of the last strongholds of the Khmer Rouge.
Today the location is still considered strategically important enough that the Cambodian authorities maintain a ranger station on the site.
You can visit Bokor Hill Station when you book your trip with ICS Travel Group.
Please visit our Tariff for full details.
