Popokvil Waterfall: Kep Travel Guide (4.0★)

Getting to Bokor National Park

Popokvil Waterfall isn’t in Kep proper. It’s up on the Bokor plateau, reached by a paved road that climbs from Kampot, about 40 minutes’ drive from Kep town.

The address (M352+GG2, Phumi Pôpôk Vil) sits deep inside Bokor National Park, alongside the park’s other big draws: the abandoned Bokor Hill Station, the old Catholic church, and Wat Sampov Pram. Most visitors combine all four in one loop, since they’re on the same access road.

There’s no public bus up the mountain. Renting a motorbike from Kampot or booking a tour tuk-tuk are the two realistic options.

What you’ll find at the falls

Popokvil is a two-tiered cascade: an upper falls and a lower falls, connected by a marked walking trail through forest. A wooden staircase and platforms let you get close to the pools without wading in.

A sizable restaurant sits near the entrance, useful given how far the site is from any town. Bring cash for the entry fee, which is collected at the park gate rather than at the falls themselves.

Water volume swings hard with the season:

• Wet season (roughly May–October): full, loud cascades, worth the trip
• Dry season (November–April): the flow thins to a trickle or stops entirely

If you’re planning around the waterfall specifically, check which season you’re landing in before committing the day to it.

Timing your visit

The park itself never closes, it’s listed as open 24 hours every day, but that’s a technicality: there’s no lighting or facilities overnight, and the road is a mountain route best driven in daylight.

Bokor’s elevation means weather turns fast. Mornings tend to be clearer; by early-to-mid afternoon, cloud and rain roll in and can cut visibility to almost nothing on the plateau.

Rated 4 stars across just over a thousand reviews, it’s well-regarded but still described as under-the-radar rather than a headline stop, most Kampot-area itineraries treat it as a bonus stop after the hill station rather than the main event.

Making the most of a Bokor day trip

Popokvil works best as one stop on a half-day loop, not a standalone trip. Pair it with Bokor Hill Station’s ruined casino and the hilltop church, both a short drive further along the same road.

Wear shoes with grip. The trail down to the lower falls involves wet rock and packed earth, slick even in dry weather from runoff and moss.

Fuel up in Kampot before heading up. Beyond the restaurant near the waterfall entrance, there’s little else along the route, and no fuel stations once you’re on the park road.

Because it isn’t a locals’ hangout so much as a scenic stop for day-trippers, don’t expect it to feel exclusive. Arrive earlier in the day, both for the clearer weather and to beat tour groups working the same Kampot-to-Bokor circuit.