Kep is a seaside
resort area in Cambodia and
includes the small town of the same name which is the capital of Kep Province.
This is Cambodia's
top seaside destination until eclipsed in the 1960s by Sihanoukville (and, soon after, decades of civil war),
today's Kep is slowly being rediscovered by travellers.
Kep Beach: A single, kilometer long crescent of sand near
the tip of the Kep peninsula. Dining platforms and seafood vendors line the
road behind the beach. Busy on weekends but often deserted during the week. The
road through Kep traces the coastline to the beach and then circles back on
itself. Cars and vans must pay admission to drive the loop (2500R-5000R).
Motorcycles and pedestrians are free. Be aware that the loop is an one way
street and the police do occasionally enforce the law, levying fines against
violators.
Kep Mountain: There is an easy trail going full circle
around the hill above Kep in the National Park. It's a wonderful piece of
jungle, in which it is quite probable to see some monkeys and other animals.
The trail is about 8km long (a 2-3 hour walk) and has a lot of direction signs
made by Christian from the Led Zep Cafe. If you don't want to walk, the path is
big enough to ride a bicycle or a motorbike. There are even some small benches
to enjoy the view and have a rest during the walk.
Kampot Pepper: An absolute must is to visit the Pepper
plantation at Phnom Voir mountain, about 20min drive from Kep. This pepper used
to be the number one pepper in the world and all the good french restaurants
had it. It is having a revival at the moment with some local NGO (Farmlink)
helping promote and plant it again.
Colonial Villas: There are around 100 or more old french
villas, mostly destroyed by the Khmer Rouge army and some of them overgrown
like Angkor Wat - quite a spooky feeling. Some of them have been restored, but
most of them are in possession of rich military officials who are waiting to
sell it at the highest price.
Caves: Around Kep there are 3 major caves, some with small shrines inside. The
most impressive and biggest one is the one near Kompong Trach with beautiful
limestone formations. You can also find a swimming cave nearby.
Crabs: No visit to Kep is complete without having a least one meal of the
fresh crabs, apparently the best one in Cambodia.
Rabbit Island: Rabbit island is only a 20 minute boat trip
(around 8-10USD return) away from Kep beach. Bungalows on Rabbit Island
are quaint and cheap (from 5USD a night), and is generally pretty quiet. One of
the nicest remote islands worth seeing in Cambodia. Now even with a massage
shack directly on the beach.
Angkaul Beach: The Angkaul beach located 45min to the east
near the Vietnamese border was once the swimming beach for the Cambodian Elite
in the 1960ties. The trip there might be long, but it is worth every minute.
The around 2km long beach
is clean with white sand and totally deserted except some fishermen. Now there
are 6 deck chairs and parasols and a small shop selling cold drinks for the few
tourists going there. The water is shallow but clean. Truly a paradise beach
and not worth to miss.
Photo is taken by Noble Sharing