Destination Investigation: Kep, Cambodia

Kep Cambodia is a page-turner, what I mean is if there is a book you have been meaning to read, you’ll have time for it here. Kep was too slow of a town for me. It worked out for us because we were both getting over being sick, and it felt good not to do much. That being said, I would give up my time in Kep to spend more time elsewhere in Cambodia. The only way I would recommend a friend go here is if they were over-landing to or from Vietnam, if not there are way better places in Cambodia and surrounding countries.

How to get to Kep, Cambodia:

Cheap bus transport is very easy to arrange, every hotel and guesthouse will be able to arrange a bus to most popular cities within the country and even outside. From Phnom Penh, buses cost between $6-8 depending on the quality of the bus. All the buses we took in Cambodia were nice enough, some have wifi onboard but it was very slow only email and Facebook would work.  Please note Kep has no ATM’s, so bring Cambodian Riel or American USD with you.  The USD is accepted everywhere, most menus are in USD. The nearest ATM is in Kampot 30 minutes away.

Highs:

Rabbit Island: if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Kep, first there would have to a hustle or a bustle, the island 20 minutes by boat takes it down another notch. Our day trip to Rabbit Island was my favorite thing we did in Kep. The beaches are slightly prettier, and somehow the food and drinks were cheaper (still don’t understand that).

Nice sunset spot: The town faces the sea at what seems to be directly west giving nice sunsets whenever the clouds cooperate.

Great place to finish a book or three: There is not much at all going on in Kep, that was fine for us at the time we were looking for somewhere to just relax for a few days after a long stretch of moving quite a bit. If you don’t have a book, and that’s not your thing, then Kep will likely be way to slow for you.

The food market around the crab market: I found a bunch of snacks to try including the crab they are famous for, but I don’t know why.

Lows:

Sleepy and a little stinky.

Kep beach is tiny and not overly pretty. On the positive, even though it’s small I never saw it even close to being full.

Tips:

Unless heading to/from Vietnam I would give it a miss: Your time will be better spent elsewhere in the beautiful country of Cambodia, like Siem Reap.

Order your crabs with a lot of seasoning, or just don’t get them. When eaten fresh they a very off flavor and taste to them probably from living in the water near the town.