The road from Kampot to Kep is paved, smooth and picturesque. It’s a 25km, 30-45 minute trip from Kampot though the scenic Cambodian countryside. Motodups from Kampot start at about $3-$4 one way and $8-$10 round trip. Tuk-tuks will cost you about $8-$15 for a round trip. That’s depending how long you spend in Kep and the number of passengers.
Kep is the coastal tourist town located southwest of Royal city of Phnom Penh of Kingdom of Cambodia. Located on a group of hills going down to the beach. Bungalows, guesthouses, and hotels are available on the hillside and the beaches.
From the early 1900s until the 1960s, Kep was a thriving resort town for the French and Cambodian elite.
During the Khmer Rouge years, much of Kep's French colonial era mansions and villas were destroyed. Many of Kep's villas are abandoned, but some of the town's former splendour is still apparent. The ocean is lined with wide sidewalks and large statues. King Sihanouk built a home overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, but it was never occupied and now its empty.
In the sixties Kep became Cambodia's ‘premier beach town.
The name of the city is derived from the French words 'le cap' or 'cape' in English.
Nowadays, you still can see the old villas in the ruin. Kep is known more for its oceanfront crab shacks than for its beaches, most short or stony. The road behind the beach is clogged with seafood vendors selling everything you can (and can’t) imagine. Crab is plentiful offshore, and is a local specialty. It is the paltry price of the exotic seafood that leaves many
travellers with mouths agape. Of course, the freshness of everything adds to the delightful gastronomic experience.
Mostly Kep is a place for relaxation, enjoying fresh seafood, going for walks, bicycling and mountain biking, sitting on the beach, and as a stopover on the way to or from Vietnam.
Kep is slowly rising from the ashes. The atmosphere that attracted the French in the first place is stronger than ever. Graceful green hills give way to the sparkling blue waters of the Gulf of Thailand, where brightly painted fishing skiffs sail between blue misted islands. The fishermen supply local restaurants with fresh shrimp, fish, squid and crab, all available at unbelievably low prices.
Several new hotels have opened on the hillside bordering Kep National Park. The most popular is Veranda Natural Resort, which boasts luxuries like hot-water and 24 hour electricity.
