Though still relatively dry, March to May sees the temperature soar in Cambodia where it often rises above 40 °C, and venturing out in the middle of the day is best avoided. Visitors often head to the small southern town of Kampot to take in the crumbling French colonial architecture or to laze among the boutique bungalows that rest on the riverbanks just outside the city. They are an ideal place to take a cooling swim when it gets too hot. Gourmands visiting the region take the opportunity to sample the local river crabs invariably spiced with the famed Kampot pepper. Nearby Bokor Hill Station sits at an elevation of 1,000 meters, offering a little respite from the heat and humidity, and was once a summer retreat of the Cambodian royal family. The southwestern coastal city of Sihanoukville is cooled by the ocean, providing relief from the summer heat, as well as a spot from which to visit the hundreds of deserted island in the surrounding sea.