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By
: Ann Creevey, Picture by : Jon Bugge.
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This tiny
seaside hamlet is famous throughout Cambodia for
its seafood. During Cambodia's golden years before
1970, this lush coastal region looking out over
a myriad of islands was where the wealthy and famous
came to relax.
King Sihanouk chose to take his seaside holidays
here, about four hour’s drive and 148 kilometers
south-west of the capital down National Route 3.
Kep is one of Cambodia's four municipalities, and
is under separate administration from Kampot. Although
the beaches are not in the same league
as Sihanoukville’s, the tranquil atmosphere
is what most travelers seek here. Khmer picnic makers
flock here on weekends, but on weekdays you and
the locals may have Kep almost to yourselves. In
the last census, Kep had just 28,660 residents (0.3
per cent of Cambodia's total population). It consists
of two districts, five communes and 16 villages.
There are no busy bars or clubs in Kep. |
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To find these,
you must return to Kampot, or better still, Phnom Penh
or Sihanoukville. There are a handful of laid-back guesthouses,
both Khmer and foreign run, and a seaside market as well
as a town further up the road and a second market. But
Kep (which means saddle) is Cambodia's forgotten resort.
Besides exploring nearby hidden caves, there is always
the chance of a swim on the main tree-fringed beach, or
to just sit eating freshly caught and cooked seafood by
the water and watch the world go by. |
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| Kep Beach is not an ideal
swimming beach. The shore is rocky and it is often
covered in silt. However, Khmer tourists travel
for hours to picnic here on a weekend and if you
would prefer to leave your swimming to Teuk Chheu
in Kampot or the beaches of Sihanoukville, you can
still always have a good time watching a resident
troupe of monkeys, chatting with the locals or laughing
at the antics of the children playing in the very
calm, warm water on rented inner tubes. There is
plenty of food on offer to sate any appetite over
the course of a lazy afternoon. Just sit on any
reed mat overlooking the beach and the hawkers will
come to you with fresh seafood, sweets and fruit
in abundance. At the end of the beach is a large
statue of a “mermaid” with legs. This
is a popular spot for tourists to have pictures
taken. |
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Most of the
residents in the beachside part of Kep are fisher
folk, and the specialty of the region is crab. These
delicious creatures can be yours for as little as
5000 riel a kilo, depending on seasonal availability
and how hard you bargain.
The Crab Market (Psar Kdam) is the first market
as you enter the beach area on the one-way loop
road and is right on the
beach. Fishermen bring in baskets of crabs by the
boatload. Visitors can sit and watch them work while
the market restaurants boil them fresh from the
sea before your eyes for a small additional fee. |
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| Fish, squid and
prawns are also on offer, often cooking slowly over coals
out the front of all the restaurants. Bargain hard and
always make clear what quantity you have decided to buy
and how much you are paying before you order. Several
of these stalls sell coral and seashells as souvenirs.
Buying these encourages further looting and destruction
of natural reefs. Please, be ecologically aware and stick
to the seafood! |
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Rabbit
Island (Koh Tonsay)
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| Rabbit Island
has become a popular daytrip for tourists. Within
sight of land, this lushly forested spot has swimming
and snorkeling opportunities and is a pleasant place
to while away some time. People do live on the island
but most visitors prefer to return by late afternoon,
although you could stay with a local family. Kep’s
guesthouses offer boat services to the island, and
local fishermen will also take you, but they are
likely to be more expensive. Prices for a return
trip range between about $10 and $20. There are
a feast of other islands dotting the area. A tour
of these could be arranged for around $50 or $60
for the whole day. |
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At the end
of the road nearing the main market and town area,
a huge villa with wrought iron gates stands, forlorn
and overgrown.
This was the villa King Sihanouk built so he could
enjoy the beauty of Kep at his leisure. Now inhabited
by squatters, it was gutted in heavy fighting before
1975 when the area was
attacked by Khmer Rouge troops. There are many other
ghostly and attractive ruins in Kep. These suffered
a similar fate when the Khmer Rouge focused on destroying
the signs of affluence Kep had accrued in its time
as Cambodia's premier seaside resort. |
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About 15
kilometers from Kampot Town down the Kep road is
a sign pointing down a dirt road to these holy caves.
Two kilometers from the turnoff is a school and
Phnom Sia Pagoda.
Walk up and through the pagoda and you will come
to the maze of limestone caves inside Phnom Sia
itself. The most famous is the Cave of the White
Elephant, named after a rock formation locals say
resembles an elephant. This cave is particularly
sacred and there is a shrine in front of the rock.
Ask at your guesthouse for directions or a tour.
Once there, one of the children from the school
will be glad to show you around the caves for a
small fee. This is a pretty trip and a pleasant
spot to rest and have a cold drink on a hot day.
Kampot and Kep have a few cave systems. Locals and
guesthouses will be able to give you information
on several more.
Kep is about 25 kilometers from Kampot Town. Any
motodop in town will take you for a couple of dollars
and a round trip should not be more than about $7.
To get there by yourself, take the road out of Kampot
heading east and go right at the large statue of
a white horse. Turn right again at the intersection
just before the school and Aspeca orphanage. Be
warned this is a one-way loop road, and local police
(of which there are many, especially on weekends)
will fine people who do not stick to the rules!
Taxis heading south towards Kampot leave Phnom Penh's
Psar Daem Kor near the Hotel Intercontinental. Some
may go to Kep on weekends. Apart from some guesthouses
(Seaside Guesthouse as you come in is the fanciest
at $6 for a room inside) there is little in the
way of facilities down here. Forget swimming pools,
spas and fancy restaurants, and the electricity
supply cuts off at about 10pm, but people who love
Kep say that is part of its unspoiled charm.
So if sun, fresh sea air and copious amounts of
seafood are your desire, you cannot go past tranquil
Kep, Cambodia’s forgotten beach resort. |
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Suite
B8, Regency Square, InterContinental Hotel, 294 Mao Tse Toung
Boulevard,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133 Fax: (855) 23 213 033
E-mail:
editor@leisurecambodia.com |
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