Kep

Kep (កែប) also romanized as Kaeb (Khmer: កែប, literally: "Saddle of the Horse") formally known as Kep Province (ខេត្តកែប) is the smallest province (khaet) of Cambodia covering 336 km² (130 sq mi), with a population of 40,280. It is one of the newest Cambodian provinces, together with Pailin and Sihanoukville, created by Royal Decree on 22 December 2008, which separated Kep municipality from the province of Kampot, as well as adjusting several provincial borders. The provincial capital is Kep District and the province contains the Kep National Park.

Geography

The territory of Kep is entirely surrounded by Kampot Province except for the 16 km of sea coast on the southern side fronting the Gulf of Thailand and the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc. The western limit is 20 km from the town of Kampot. The eastern limit is some 20 km from the Vietnamese border.

History

Under French rule Kep belonged to the Circonscription Résidentielle de Kampot, developing into Cambodia's most prestigious beach town. Established as such in 1908 and named Kep-Sur-Mer it was a thriving resort town for the French and Cambodian elite until the early 1970s.

Constructed between 1953 and 1970 - after French occupation, Kep's modernist villas are unique. Architects Vann Molyvann and Lu Ban Hap who embodied Cambodia's golden age of architectural modernism, blended elements of the modern movement (Bauhaus, Richard Neutra and Le Corbusier) with traditional Khmer architecture, promoted by King Sihanouk - known as New Khmer Architecture.

A major misconception about Kep is that during the Khmer Rouge years, much of Kep's French colonial era mansions and villas were destroyed. During this time, local residents, being in need of money and food, stripped down the villas so that they could exchange all these valuable parts in Vietnam for rice and cash. Many of Kep's villas are abandoned, but some of the town's former splendor is still apparent.

The ocean is lined with wide sidewalks and large statues. Prince Norodom Sihanouk not only kept his own villa, but his own island as well. Ile des Ambassadeurs was a favorite spot for Sihanouk to entertain a regular stream of guests.

A paved road connects the town with Kampot. Kep's coastline consists mostly of mangrove marshes and black rock rather than the white sands of Sihanoukville, although beach nourishment with the white sand of Sihanoukville has made the beach wider and cleaner.

There are now more than 60 guesthouses, resorts and hotels in Kep. It is currently one of the fastest developing touristic areas in Cambodia with a focus on mid-range to high-end businesses.

Economy

The economy of Kep Province is rather confined to agriculture, fishery, tourism and salt production. 92% of the province's population was dedicated to agriculture in 2008 (75% rice farming). In that same year there were 10 registered guest houses. In 2013 there were 16 main hotels enlisted by the Department of Tourism and 65 by the local Tourist Association according to www.visitkep.com. Kep Expo is an official initiative to promote Kep Province as a tourist and development spot, its artists, production and environment protection.

See

• Kep Beach. A single, kilometer long 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, with fines against violators.
• Kep National Park. There is an easy trail going full circle around the hill above Kep in the National Park, and smaller more sloping 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.
• 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, and 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.

• 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 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. There is a track further through the highly picturesque fishing family settlements, salt collecting fields and other 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.

Do

• Lida Massage, National Road, Tel 012 953 427. Great Massages (Thai, Oil or Steam) for only USD 7. Located at the main road next to Visal Sak Guest house or at the Crab Market.

• Sailing Club, next to the crab market. The Sailing club is the place to be, where you can rent catamarans, kayaks and even a speedboat. They also have a bar-restaurant, popular among groups from Phnom Penh during the week-ends.
• Swim in the sea. With the new snow white sand from Otres beach, the Kep beach is now as nice as any other beach in Cambodia and it is enjoyable to go for a swim in the calm, cool water. There are wooden lounge chairs spread along the beach, occasionally with a Cambodian woman requesting $1 to use them. Lots of cold drink vendors nearby and a decent place to watch the sunset too. Don't believe the gloom and doom that some guide books write about the beaches in Kep as they're quite nice. The government put a lot of new sand on the beach in Kep and now the beach is roughly 40m wide and 500m long; great for sunbathing and swimming. 

• Swim with the phosphorecent algae!, (Rabbit Island's beach, maybe Kep's). Going for a swim at night in the sea off Rabbit Island results in bioluminescent) algae glowing all around you, which is an absolutely magical experience.
• Kep-Plantation, Tel 0 89 33 88 74. A ranch with about 10 horses and ponies on which you can explore the area. There are also khmer carts which are great for families.
• Country side tours. The best way to explore this beautiful, sleepy town is by bicycle or scooter. Most Guest Houses rent them for respectively $1 or 2 and $7-8/day and since Kep is quite small, it is easy to find your way. There are also guided Country Side tours organized by the Kep Autrement Tour (email: kepautrement@gmail.com ).

Get there

• From Kampot: A new road (august 2014) smooth and safe connects these two cities, which are 25km apart. Takes 20-40 minute. Bus $2. For a motorcycle taxi ($4 - $6) or tuk-tuk (around $8) be prepared to bargain like a local or pay a bit more. Package day tours between the two towns often include a visit to nearby destinations such as Koh Tonsay, the caves between Kampot and Kep, and a pepper plantation.

• From Phnom Penh: The road is paved, smooth and well sign posted. Around 4-5 hours by bus. Several bus companies serve Kep ($5 - $8, December 2014) and offer various departure times from 7am through to 1pm. 168 Phnom Penh Sorya bus company runs from the bus station near Phnom Penh's central market. Hua Lian is based near Olympic Stadium (Street 182, Oknha Tep Phan). Vibol Tours near the Orusey Market has the newest buses (temporary moved near Olympic Stadium).

Hiring your own taxi should cost around $40-50 (2.5 to 3 hours).

• From Sihanoukville: Minibuses take around 2 hours and cost around US$8 (shop around, prices vary). Departures are in the morning.

• From Ha Tien, Vietnam: Motorbike taxis take 45 min and should cost 100,000+ dong (~US$5). Bargain hard and in dollars, it'll work out cheaper than in dong. It is a 45min journey.

Get around

Tuk-tuks are plentiful in the centre. Short trips around town should cost $1-$2; the price for a full day is between $12 to $25. Some roads can be a little bumpy, but there is no major dust irritation like in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh.

Self-drive motorcycles can be rented for around US$7 per day for a small 125 cc or around US$14 for a 250 cc. Bicycles are also available for rent from several different places and guesthouses for the cheap front basket type. For touring the enchanting countryside on dirt roads, following the railway track to Kampot (there is a small track beside it) or other trips, get a good mountain bike. WAM travel agent has excellent ones at Bat 11, Kep beach; also available in large and children's sizes.

Apart from the beach front, most businesses are some distance apart. If you don't rent any transport, be prepared to walk or alternatively stick to the area around your guesthouse and relax there.

Vietnam Border Crossing

To go to Vietnam directly from Kep via the recently opened Hat Yen border crossing, the transportation costs are by motodub $15 or by Tuk Tuk $20. If you want to go by air con car, the costs are around $25.

Source http://wikitravel.org/en/Kep