Accommodation in Kep
Kep accommodation ranges from stunning converted villas to rustic guesthouses; the very best are sumptuous and stylish while the cheaper places are generally basic, but clean. Options are spread widely, with possibilities at Kep Thmei, on the road east of town, towards the national park and near the Rabbit Island pier.
Kep food and drink
There’s nothing to do in Kep after about 11pm, but there are some excellent restaurants; crab is the local speciality. Cheap eats are a little hard to find, but the market is a good place to pick up barbecued seafood, and there’s a supermarket by the Rabbit Island pier. The crab market is flanked to the south by dozens of overpriced seafood restaurants that form the bulk of Kep’s low-key nightlife.
Kep orientation
Kep is a sprawling place. The road for town branches away from NR33 at the prominent White Horse Monument, from where it’s 5 or 6km to the right turn to Psar K’Dam, the famous crab market. From here the road runs along the seafront for 1km or so to Kep Beach, where the narrow, dark-sand beach broadens out fractionally. Set back in a circular precinct is the transport stop, as well a couple of hotels, some local stores and several of the ubiquitous huts furnished with mats and hammocks that Cambodians love to rent out for a day’s relaxing (it gets busy here at weekends). Getting back from here to the crab market, the one-way system dictates that you head north away from the beach and take the first left at the roundabout. East of Kep, the paved road runs to the Vietnamese border, and the crossing at Prek Chak (for Ha Tien and Phu Quoc).
Kep’s offshore islands
The beaches in Kep aren’t up to much: slim stretches of dark sand that don’t lend themselves to lounging. Luckily, a number of trips to the offshore islands are on offer. Closest is Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island), with three nice beaches. Further out, Koh Poh (Coral Island) has clean white sands, turquoise water, coral reefs and great snorkelling. The huge island that dominates the horizon is Phu Quoc, in Vietnamese waters; locals still call it Koh Kut, dating back to when it belonged to Cambodia.