If paddleboarding through nipa palm forests, bathing in Teuk Chhou rapids, waterfalls and zip lining aren’t enough excitement and nature for you when visiting Kampot town, then Daung Te resort may just provide you with that adrenaline fix you crave.

Daung Te resort sits among many other restaurants along Kampot river – about 7km upstream from Kampot bridge – and offers sports activities ranging from kayaking, fishing boat trips, slides, rope swinging and the exhilarating Russian swing that is only for the bravest visitors.

“We opened in December 2017. We have swing, a Russian swing, new floating inflatables and we are installing the second of three slides. This May, we will also add one more twisting slide bought from China,” says the resort’s owner Ly Ratana, standing by a bending coconut tree, after which the resort is named.

“It’s a compact space but I try to manage it well. We hired an architect to draft our plan so it is not messy with many materials and devices.”

Over 20 visitors per day

At only $3 a ticket for entry and use of the equipment, Daung Te regularly welcomes over 20 visitors per day, most of whom stay to have lunch at the resort’s riverside beach and hut-like bar.

“Mostly we receive visitors on holiday and weekend breaks. Sometimes as many as 200 people flock to Daung Te all around the campus, at our beach and bar,” Ratana says.

The resort serves seafood dishes from $10 per dish with the restaurant able to hold 100 people. A bar elevated above the ground holds 50 people, while the tables on the beach can sit 50 people.

“We are hiring more staff to serve our many customers so there are not long waiting times, we are paying attention to increase our speed of service with quality. We’ve even renovated the kitchen and materials, as well as use quality food ingredients and products,” Ratana says.

Expansion

Ratana says that he also plans to increase the number of huts, add more watersports equipment, change kitchen materials and upgrade equipment.

“We will complete new bungalows and guesthouses with 30 rooms this October. We plan to rent them from $25 per room,” he says.

Located next door is Arcadia Backpackers Kampot, who offer similar activities in the form of a rope swing, slides and a Russian swing.

According to Ratana, Arcadia tends to cater to backpackers, while Daung Te hosts more locals.

“There are also foreigners who come to visit Daung Te, but it’s according to season. Most expats prefer Arcadia because our concepts are very similar but the service is different to suit different tastes,” he says.

Daung Te resort is located in Makprang commune’s Snom Prampi village in Kampot province. For more information, you can contact the resort via telephone (012 248 468).