Salt, Struggle, and Hope: Salt Field Community Tour.

The Story Behind the Salt Fields

Salt, Struggle, and Hope:

Salt Field Community Tour.

Community-led 20% donated

Most visitors come only to take photos, but the salt field workers see little benefit from these visits. Our tour aims to change that.

Our Salt Field Community Tour, offered with the support of the Chumkriel Language School NGO, gives you a close-up look at salt production and the lives of local workers. Guided by members of the community, visit the salt fields, meet the community, and see the local projects that your visit helps support.

20% of every booking is donated to the Chumkriel Language School to help improve the lives of salt field families.

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Salt

Our half-day tour starts at 8:00am by picking you up at your hotel and taking you far into the salt fields where the workers have been working since before dawn.

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Here you’ll meet local salt workers, watch the harvest up close, and even try it for yourself. Your local guide will share stories, explain each step of the process, and help you connect with the workers through translation and conversation.

Explore Kampot’s famous salt fields and see why they’re a favorite for photographers.
Learn how seawater is moved, dried, and collected using traditional techniques.
Meet workers in the fields, hear their stories, and try gathering salt with your guide’s help.
Be accompanied by a local guide who shares insights and bridges conversations with the community.

Struggle

Next, we’ll have the chance to visit the local village where many salt workers live and learn about the challenges the community faces.

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Life here is tough. Many salt workers can no longer continue in the fields by the age of forty due to the demands of the job. During the Khmer Rouge era, these communities were forced into labor, and some of the buildings from that time are still in use today. Even now, children from salt field families often miss school—sometimes because their parents can no longer work, or because they need to help care for younger siblings.

Visit the village where many salt workers and their families live, and see daily life firsthand.
Learn how weather, poor harvests, and low wages affect the community.
Hear about how local organizations are supporting families with housing, sanitation, and access to education.

Hope

Finally, we’ll visit the Chumkriel Language School and meet the people who are working just as hard to create new opportunities for their community.

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The same determination seen in the salt fields is found in the efforts to build a better future here. Many involved at the Chumkriel Language School grew up in salt field families themselves, and now work to support the next generation. The school does much more than teach. Its team helps families overcome barriers to education, supports students with practical skills like hygiene and nutrition, and works directly with parents to make sure children can stay in school. During your visit, you’ll see these projects in action, meet teachers and students, and learn how your visit helps continue this cycle of hard work and hope.

Visit the Chumkriel Language School to see how it supports salt field families with education, nutrition, and practical life skills.
Learn how the school works with families to address challenges at home and helps children stay in school.
Meet people from the community who are helping to open new opportunities for the next generation.

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About the NGO

About the Chumkriel Language School

Community-led education and outreach for Kampot's salt-field families.

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In 2005 Mr Thy established CLS to give rural children that extra education, with an underlying philosophy of helping people to help themselves. Offering English lessons at night in a small and dilapidated room, he expected just a handful of enrolments. But on the first night 100 students arrived keen to learn!

From humble beginnings the school grew rapidly. Today it has its own school building, playing field and agriculture garden. It provides both Khmer and English lessons to over 100 primary-aged children during the day, and teaches English to over 500 students at night!

It also has a community outreach program which builds small homes and toilets for the most needy families, and tackles other basic needs of poor and disadvantaged families.

Mr Thy's dream is being realized today through the Chumkriel Language School he founded. It is affording children life-changing opportunities not otherwise available to them.

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Frequently Asked

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts about 4 hours, starting at 8:00am and finishing around 12:00pm.

Will the tour happen if it is raining?

Since the workers are unable to work after it rains, we sometimes have to cancel tour if the weather is poor.

Is photography allowed?

In the salt fields, photography is fine. Once we are in the village, please ask before taking photos of people. Once we get to the school, no photography, please.

What should I wear

Although there is no strict dress code, modest clothing is best. Please try to avoid skin-tight or revealing clothes. Comfortable shoes are recommended as we will be walking on uneven ground.

Where does the donation go?

20% of your fee goes directly to Chumkriel Language School to fund teachers, meals, and sanitation projects.

Contact & Booking

Send a message to reserve your date or ask anything about the experience.

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Please arrive curious and respectful-this is a working community, not a staged tour.