Fishing boats at anchor near the crab restaurants.
Early in the 20th century - even before the hill station on Bokor was built - the coast around Kep became the favored seaside getaway destination for well-to-do French colonists. Like the Bokor hill station, the villas lining the coast at Kep were abandoned by the early 1970s, when the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia.
Kep lies about 25 kilometers to the east of Kampot. Today, the area has a very out-of-the-way feel to it. There are just a small handful of hotels and resorts, a few restaurants, and not much else. Among Cambodians, the area is best known for its crabs. People drive down from Phnom Penh just to sample the fresh crab and other seafood at one of the small shacks lining the beach in a couple of spots.
Kep Area Map
There isn't much of a beach at Kep. Most of the shore is rather rocky. There's a small sandy beach in the cove between the cape and the town itself. For good beaches, it's necessary to take a short boat trip to Rabbit island.
While it is somewhat out of the way, Kep is still rather well-connected to other parts of Cambodia. You can easily get there from Phnom Penh and Kampot.
From Phnom Penh, regular bus service to Kampot typically stops in Kep. The cost of the bus trip is usually around US$5 and takes around three hours. A quicker and more flexible option is to use a private car transfer, which will run you US$25 to US$35.
Kep is still relatively undeveloped. There are as yet only a handful of small resorts guest houses. I've selected a few suggestions below for your consideration, or use the search box to find the best rates from dozens of sites for all Kep hotels using Hotels Combined.
Kep Lodge In the hills away from the seaside, but makes up for it with good facilities for a three star hotel. Knai Bang Chatt Resort Surprisingly posh resort near the center of town.
A nearly deserted beach on Rabbit Island Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay in the Khmer) is just a short 15 to 30 minute boat ride from Kep. It's a popular day trip destination since the beaches around the island are better than on the mainland. There are some rather basic accommodations on the island, but on my last visit they still didn't have mains electricity. There are persistent rumors that a casino will someday be built on Rabbit Island, but still no signs of construction yet.
10 November 2007
This hotel seems to have changed hands and undergone a significant transformation. It is now know as the Le Flamboyant hotel and resort.
The pool and villas at the Champey Inn The Champey is about the best of Kep's meager offerings of accommodations. The Champey sits on the cape, just a stone's throw from the crab shack restaurants. While it is right on the ocean, there is no beach here.
