Kepto Siem Reap Taxi by:
(SUV) 165$ | (Minivan) 255$

Kep to Battambang Taxi by:
(SUV) 175$ | (Minivan) 265$

Kep to Cham Yeam/Hat Lek border Taxi by:
(SUV) 115$ | (Minivan) 185$

About Kep

Like the rest of rural Cambodia, Kep suffers from neglect by the government. There is a nice highway around the tip of the peninsula, and not much else. The power goes out every day for indeterminate amounts of time. There is no product market, and fresh dairy is non-existent. The beaches are filthy; I wouldn’t go in the water for any reason. There are no sewage treatment facilities; waste is discharged directly into the sea. The Crab Market is literally the only thing to see besides visiting Kep National Park.

Kep was Cambodia’s top seaside destination until eclipsed in the 1960s by Sihanoukville (and, soon after, decades of civil war). The town is full of ruined shells of old villas, destroyed in the Khmer Rouge days, and during the subsequent Civil War and stripped down by the leaving Vietnamese army.

Today’s Kep has recently become established as a Khmer holiday spot and is slowly being rediscovered by travelers. The best beach is located at the idyllic Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island, 20min by long tail boat), just off the coast. The charm of this coastal resort lies in its peacefulness, its National Park, and its seafood.

In 2019 there are over 80 hotels, ranging from a $5 home-stay to a $500-plus double story wooden villa, with your own pool.

What to See in Kep

• Kep Beach: A small but pleasant 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 a one-way street and the police do occasionally enforce the law, levying fines against violators.
• Kep National Park: There is an easy trail going full circle around the hill above Kep in the National Park, and the smallest more slope tracks going through. This is a wonderful area of jungle, in which it is quite common to see some monkeys and other animals. The circle trail is about 8km long (a 2-3 hour walk) and has a lot of direction signs. If you don’t want to walk, the path is big enough to ride a bicycle or a motorbike, though be prepared for a somewhat bumpy ride. There are even some small benches to enjoy the view and have a rest during the walk. Going through the transversal trail can make a nice 5h walk. Entrance fee 2$.
• Kampot Pepper: An absolute must is to visit the pepper plantation at Phnom Voar 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 a local NGO (Farmlink) helping to promote and plant it again. If you want to know how pepper is grown and processed it’s mandatory to take one of the free tours in Sothy’s Pepper Farm available in several languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Khmer). Buy Original Kampot Pepper in the farms. The pepper sold in the local markets is Vietnamese or from other regions where chemical products are used.
• Colonial Villas: There are around 100 or more old French villas, mostly destroyed by the Kep locals returning after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime (and not by the Khmer Rouge itself as noted in some travel guides), 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 at the highest price.
• Anlung Pring Community Led Eco-Tourism: Visit Anlung Pring Protected Landscape 20km from Kep near Kampong Trach District town. See the tallest flying bird in the world, the Sarus Crane. Flocks of up to 300 Sarus Cranes can be seen from December to May. Go on the Sarus Crane Experience (locally guided tour) and discover this magnificent bird and the local communities that live alongside it. (Cost 10USD, children free, all income goes directly to conservation and the local community). After the tour visits the community run buffalo cafe, to try authentic local Khmer food. The dishes change each day dependent on what is fresh from the local farmers market.
• Caves. Around Kep: there are 3 major caves, some with small shrines inside. The biggest and most impressive is near Kompong Trach (30km from Kep). It boasts beautiful limestone formations and a nearby swimming cave.
• Crabs: No visit to Kep is complete without having a least one meal of the fresh crabs, reputedly the best in Cambodia.
• Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island): Koh Tonsay is a 20-minute boat trip from Kep beach (around US$8-10 return if part of a tour; alternatively, get to the boat pier before 09:00 and share a $25 boat ride with others). Bungalows on Rabbit Island are quaint and cheap (from US$6 a night). The island is generally pretty quiet and is a gem of coastal Cambodia. Development is slow, though there are now a few massage shacks directly on the beach. Each Guest House has also a restaurant, where you get very tasty seafood.
• Angkaul Beach: The Angkaul beach (also Angkoal (Khum Angkol district)) 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 beach, around 2km long, is clean with white sand and totally deserted except for 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. A new way is in construction, leaving from the Auberge du Wam close to the pier. At the moment (Feb 2013), it stops in the destroyed mangrove. There is a track further through the highly picturesque fishing family settlements, salt collecting fields, and another countryside, accessible by bicycle and with some difficulty (and noise) by moped. Update 2015: No clean anymore. The beach is full of water plants, plastics, and other waste. Although the views are anyway beautiful.
• Salt Fields: On the way to Angkaul Beach. If visited when it’s very hot, nobody will be working there.