Big Tree Farms Bamboo Chocolate Factory

At first glance, the Bamboo Chocolate Factory seems like a typical, beautiful bamboo house, but this amazing place has been hailed by CNN as a “bamboo cathedral.” The tour consists of seeing the machineries used in making chocolate products, and observing the process of making the chocolates, and tasting chocolate samples like Coco Mojo and Coconut Nectar. This is a perfect place to visit especially for kids and adults who love everything made of chocolates.

Location

Big Tree Farm’s Bamboo Chocolate Factory is located at Br. Piakan, Desa Sibakangja Kecamatan Abiansemal, Kuta, a 25-minute drive away from Ubud.

Opening Days and Hours

The chocolate factory is open from Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 12:00, and 13:00 to 16:00.

Entry Fee and Bookings

Entrance fee to the Bamboo Chocolate Factory is IDR 40,000 (USD 2.80).

How to Get There

From Denpasar Airport, take the bus to Ubud.
From Ubud Town Center, hire a taxi or a scooter (USD 5) that will bring you to the Big Tree Farms Bamboo Chocolate Factory.

Suggested For

Solo Travelers/ Backpackers
Couples
Families
Groups

Time to Spend

Touring the factory and browsing through their products can take up to 2 hours.

Popularity and Best Time to Go

In regular days, you can visit the factory any time. Avoid scheduling your trip during the rainy season, October to March, so you can fully see the entire process of making chocolates from cacao seeds.

Food

Restaurants near The Bamboo Chocolate Factory offer affordable and delicious Asian and Western dishes. Head over to Melting Work Warung, Restaurant Locavore, Petani Restaurant, and Laramona Ubud if you want to buy meals after your trip.

Nearby Attractions

Ubud Monkey Forest
Goa Gajah
Puri Lukisan Museum

Stay

Nearby hotels such as The Evitel Resort, Pertiwi Bisma 2, Sindu Homestay, Greenfield Hotel and Restaurant, and Champlung Sari Hotel offer accommodations at rates ranging from USD 15 to USD 120.

The seemingly endless rows of green plants resemble the famous Italian grape plantations but only with one difference — instead of green grapes, different varieties of Kampot peppers hang from the stems. Kampot Pepper Farm offers educations tours for tourists wherein guides explain the origin of the farm and shows guests the process of coming up with quality pepper produce. After the tour, different pepper treats — including the intriguing pepper ice cream — are served to the guests.

Location

The pepper farm is located at Bosjheng Village, 20 kilometres east of Kampot.

Opening Days and Hours

The farm is open daily from 9:00 to 18:00.

Entry Fee and Bookings

Entrance to the farm is completely free.

How to Get There

Fly to Phnom Penh via AirAsia or Thai Airlines.
From Phnom Penh proper, board a bus, taxi, or mini bus to Kampot.
From Kampot’s centre, hire a tuktuk to the pepper farms.

Suggested For

Solo Travelers/Backpackers
Couples
Families
Groups of friends

Time to Spend

You can tour the pepper farm in 2 hours.

Popularity and Best Time to Go

Since you will be walking around the pepper farms, it is ideal that you choose a tour either in early morning or late afternoon.

Food

Enjoy authentic Thai dishes that feature peppers in nearby restaurants like Green House Restaurant and Atelier Kampot.

Nearby Attractions

Kep and Kampot Salt Fields
Rabbit Island
Kep Crab Market

Stay

Kimy Lodge, Two Moons Hotel. Starling Ridge Plantation Resort that offer accommodation at rates ranging from USD 40 to USD 100.

One of the industries that were gravely affected by the Khmer Rouge times is the production of golden silk, which was used to dress the elite with prestigious and luxurious apparel known as the sampot chang kben. The silk farm of Artisans Angkor is a proof of how much the organization wants to bring back the sericulture. Tourists who avail of the guided tour around the farm get the chance to see the different orchards for mulberries, how worms breed, and the spinning and drying process involved in the creation of the golden silk.

Location

Angkor Silk Farm is located at Puok District, 34 kilometres from Siem Reap city proper.

Opening Days and Hours

Farm is open daily from 8:00 to 17:00.

Entry Fee and Bookings

Entrance to the farm is completely free.

How to Get There

Fly to Siem Reap via AirAsia, Cathay Pacific, Asiana Airlines, or Thai Airlines.
From Siem Reap, you can hire a tuktuk to bring you to the silk farm.
Angkor Artisan’s Siem Ream workshop offers free shuttle trips to the farm at 9:30 and another one at 13:30.

Suggested For

Solo Travelers/Backpackers
Couples
Families
Groups

Time to Spend

Allot at least an hour if you want to see more of the silk farm

Popularity and Best Time to Go

The weather in Cambodia can be hot and humid, therefore, it can be a bit uncomfortable. The best time to visit is in the early morning or late afternoon.

Food

Tourists who want to fill up after a trip to the silk farm can grab quick bites from nearby restaurants like Grill Wine Cafe, Little Casablanca Cafe and Restaurant, Try Me, and Bugs Cafe.

Nearby Attractions

Angkor Wat
Banteay Srei
Angkor National Museum

Stay

Hotels in Siem Reap like Angkor Elysium Suites, Phum Baitang, Silver Palms Residence, and Royal Angkor Resort and Spa offer accommodations at rates ranging from USD 40 to USD 250.

Visiting the Kampot salt fields will let you take closer look at how the ocean water is let into the fields and left to evaporate naturally into salt crystals under the hot sun. The salt is then collected and delivered to the salt factory for processing. Kampot salt fields produce an average of 13,000 to 14,000 tonnes of yield annually. It is an interesting experience for everyone, not to mention the picturesque sceneries of rural Cambodia that is going to take your breath away en route to the salt fields.

Location

Kampot salt fields are close to the ocean on the main road in the direction to Kep town. It is about 2 kilometres out of the town of Kampot. The salt fields are also approximately 80 kilometres east of Sihanoukville International Airport.

Opening Days and Hours

The salt fields are open to visitors daily, not limited to hours. However, the best time to visit is just before sunset because the access road gets mainly muddy and rutted.

How to Get There

Hiring a bicycle at about USD 1 a day in Kampot town is a great and affordable way to get to the salt fields. However, cycling on the dirt path can be physically challenging for some. Visitors can also hire tuk-tuks or motorcycles and negotiate a day rate with the guides. The salt fields are about a 10-minute ride from Kampot, slightly longer if you are cycling. From Sihanoukville International Airport, visitors should first travel to Kampot town by bus or taxi and gain access to the salt fields from there. The journey is estimated to be about 2 hours.

Suggested For

The salt fields are a suitable place to visit for families with kids, solo travelers, young couples and backpackers, senior travelers and those who are interested in checking out the sea salt production in Kampot.

Time to Spend

2 to 3 hours are sufficient to explore the salt fields and discover how the Cambodians work to produce one of the country’s largest sea salt supplies.

Popularity and Best Time to Go

Kampot salt production highly relies on weather conditions. Heavy rains and overcast days will result in a decline in production. Hence, the best time to visit salt fields is during the dry season from November to May every year.

Food

The nearest town, Kampot, is just a short ride away. Visitors can find various choices of food there, from local Khmer food to western cuisines, from local food stalls to restaurants with proper dining seats.

Nearby Attractions

Sothy’s Pepper Farm: About 28 kilometres away and a 40-minute drive from the salt fields.
Kampot town: The town offers many attractions such as the famous firefly river cruise. It is only 2 kilometres away and about a 10-minute ride from the salt fields.
Kep & Ko Tonsay Island: About 30 kilometres away and a 45-minute drive from the salt fields.

Stay

The town of Kampot offers many budget to mid-range accommodations. Guesthouses with dorm rooms cost around USD 2.50 to 15 per day. However, visitors need to look elsewhere if they want to book their stay in luxury resorts and hotels, which are available in Kep town.