Bokor Hill Station

Bokor — The Ghost Town in the Clouds

The Bokor Hill Station (Preah Monivong National Park) at 1,080 m altitude is one of the most atmospheric places in Cambodia. The French built a mountain station here in 1922 as an escape from the heat of the plains. Hotels, a casino, and a Catholic church were built — all in an elegant Art Deco style.

Then came the Khmer Rouge, the Vietnam War, and decades of decay. Today, the ruins stand in the fog: The old Bokor Palace Hotel (1925), the church, the royal residence — abandoned, weathered, overgrown with moss and jungle. The atmosphere is eerie and at the same time melancholically beautiful.

What You See

• Bokor Palace Hotel (Ruins): The former luxury hotel from the 1920s — empty corridors, broken windows, open elevator shafts. Accessible, but be careful (rotten floors!).
• Catholic Church: A surreal sight in the fog. The stained glass windows are long broken, but the walls stand.
• Wat Sampov Pram: Five small stupas on the cliff edge with panoramic views over the coast and the Gulf of Thailand. In clear weather, you can see as far as Vietnam.
• Popokvil Waterfall: At the foot of the mountain, two-tiered (14 m + 18 m). Impressive in the rainy season, sometimes just a trickle in the dry season.
• Thansur Bokor Highland Resort: Right next to the ruins, a modern casino complex has opened — the surreal contrast between decay and new construction is an experience in itself.