Kep

During the French colonial era, Kep was a favourite getaway for the many expats living in Cambodia. A four-hour drive from Phnom Penh, Kep is a quiet beachside town that is garnering popularity with today’s travellers. To get to Kep you can take a bus from Phnom Penh, Kampot or one of the private mini vans from Sihanoukville. It’s also very close to the Vietnamese border and the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc, so for many visitors it’s their first point of entry into Cambodia from Vietnam. Whichever way you get to Kep, you will not be disappointed. Known for its peaceful vibe and lazy days by the pool, Kep has much more to offer these days. There is a National Park that spreads through the hill to the coast and provides for a great day trek or morning walks up to the hills. Entry into the park will cost you $1 and it’s a great way to enjoy some great views from the top. On a good day you can see all the way to Phu Quoc in Vietnam to the east and down to Kampot in the west. Kep now also has horseback riding, pepper farm tours and its very own beach (made from sand borrowed from Otres!) One of the must-dos in Kep is to visit the crab market and savour some of the world’s freshest crab dishes at one of the many crab shacks along the seaside. At the bustling morning market you can see the fishermen bringing in their haul of the day and selling directly to the locals. We recommend you visit Kim Ly crab shack for some Kampot green pepper crap—you won’t be disappointed!