How to get there? – The best way to explore Kep is by bicycle, if you want to avoid the heat, rent a motorbike and drive around.

What does it cost? – Hotels give bicycels for free or rent them for $1/day. Mountain bikes go normally for US$ 2.50/day. The daily rental of a small motorcycle is US$ 7.

Rabbit Island lies just 20 minutes off Kep City and offers one of the most beautiful beaches in Cambodia. White sand, plenty of coconut trees, fishermen and about 6 basic guest houses which also cater fresh seafood make this destination one of the most popular places in Kep.
It is also possible to make a three island tour, where you first visit the Mango Island, then stop for swimming and lunch at the Rabbit Island, before you continue to Koh Poh. Please contact one of the Travel Agencies for detailed prices.

Activities? – Swimming, snorkeling (equipment from Kep Lodge), enjoy fresh Crabs or other seafood, walk around the Rabbit Island (about 2 hours), relaxing.

How to go? – You either take a motorbike-taxi (Motodub) or a Tuk Tuk to the pier in Kep City, from there you hire a boat to the island.

What are the costs? – Boats are leaving at 9am and come back at 4pm at a cost of $7/person (incl transport to the pier and back). You can also hire an entire boat for $20, with a maximum of 6 persons.

Long white sandy beach

The Kep National Park is of medium size and is located around the Kep Mountain. The main entrance is just behind Veranda Natural Resort, where you will be expected to pay a dollar (or 4000 riels) entry fee (which goes towards maintaining the park) but there are other access points such as Kep Lodge on the west side and Jasmine Valley Eco-Resort on the east-side. There is an 8km trek which leads around the mountain with beautiful outlook points to Kampot, the islands and to Vietnam. Next to the three big antennas near the beach is a small Nuns-Pagoda, where you can buy tea made from wood, which is good against head ache or stomach pain!

The walk around the mountain takes between two and three hours. It is a nice place to escape the hot temperature on the coast. Around the trek you find plenty of signs, maps and look out points, all very well maintained by Christian, the owner of the Led Zep Cafe. He not only offers great pizzas, burritos or cappuccino, his new place is also a superb point to overlook Kep. He has maybe the best view of Kep. There are now many smaller treks which go directly into the jungle. All are very well signposted so you can't get lost!! Most of the trails are doable in flip-flops, but some of the more challenging ones require decent covered footware.

Alternatively you can hire a guide, leave the trek and explore the dense jungle. Good shoes and a portion of adventuress are recommended for the dense jungle.

Activities? – Explore the jungle; see some wild animals and beautiful plants, views.

How to go? – The main entrance is behind Veranda Natural Resort, but the Kep Lodge and Jasmine Valley Eco-Resort also have direct access.

What does it cost? – $1 or 4000R; a guide costs you per half a day $6.

Beautiful outlook from the trek towards Bokor Mountain

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The Secret Beach of Kep is a remote beach to the south-east from Kep (near Vietnam border). The white beach is quite long and many coconut trees provide shade the beach. There is a small fishing village and a small temple on the hill behind. The possibilities of food or drinks are very limited, so it’s best to bring a lunch pack. During the high season (November - April) there is normally a small stand which serves cold drinks and snacks and have some deck chairs and umbrellas.

Activities? – Swimming, sun bathing, relaxing, snorkeling (equipment from Kep Lodge).

How to go? – You can go by motodub, or can explore it by yourself. It is quite easy to find. On the road to Phnom Penh/Kompong Trach you turn right and follow the big road towards Vietnam. Before the salt fields you turn right (there is a entrance gate for the temple) and just follow this road. It takes about 30 – 40 minutes from Kep.

What are the costs? – A motodub for the whole day is $15, a Tuk Tuk $20, hiring your own motorbike costs $7 per day.

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Kompong Trach and its caves are about 35km to the northeast of Kep. The town itself is not really appealing, has a few basic guest houses and no decent restaurants (the one behind the temple is the best choice you get there - but not recommended).
There is a blue sign which says 'Kompong Trach Resort'.
From the turn it is another 20min drive, before you see the cave entrance to your right. The limestone caves are quite big and there are many children waiting to guide you. Inside of the cave you find a big reclining Buddha as well as some smaller statues. Very interesting is also the purple earth. There is also a small lake inside the cave (swimming cave - ask the kids where to go since it is quite difficult to find), located about 10min drive from the main cave, following the train tracks.

When you drive towards Kampot, turn right just before the Rhino (blue sign), you reach the Caves of Phnom Chnugk. The caves are not as big as the caves from Kompong Trach, but they have an old Buddhist Shrine inside, dating some 1300 years back.
We now offer guided tours with an expert either to Kompong Trach or to Phnom Chnugk.

Activities? – Cave exploring, swimming in the lake, see the beautiful countryside on the way there.

How to go? – You can hire a motodub or Tuk Tuk or can drive by yourself (easy to find). It is a beautiful drive through the countryside. You can also drive along Phnom Voir (Pepper) and visit a Pepper Plantation on the way.

What are the costs? – To go by motodub the costs are round trip $9, by Tuk Tuk
$20 round trip. Since a few months there is an entry fee of 1$/person.

The Caves are good in combination with the Pepper Plantation or Angkul Beach.

Swimming Cave @ Kompong Trach

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Sports Equipment Hire

Kayaks, Hobie Cats, Mountain Bikes and Trail Bikes are available for hire at the Sailing Club, located by the luxury hotel Knai Bang Chatt, and also from WAM, the travel agent by located in front of Kep Beach.

Hobbie Cats for rent

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Skateboarding at Jasmine Valley

The only purpose-built skate bowl in the region. Join the Jasmine Valley Eco-Resort staff, once the sun drops over the mountain, for a session of old-school grinding and getting air! See some highlights of the first year of Cambodian skating here. Some decent boards and protective gear are available if you're not traveling with your own wheels.

Guest mastering the skate-bowl 

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Country Side Tours

Rega Kep and Kep Lodge are offering guided motorbike (scooters) tours around the magnificient countryside of Kep, Kampot and Kompong Trach. No skills necessary. It is very easy to drive and you experience the friendliness of the local people and the untouched nature.

Boys harvesting rice

More info you find on the Rega Website and on the Kep Lodge Website.

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Kampot and Kep are the major salt producers of Cambodia. You see some salt fields near the White Horse Market (Psahr See Sor) or near Angkul Beach, so it is best to do this in combination with another activity.

The Kampot/Kep Pepper is considered to be the best on the planet and is exported to luxury restaurants across the globe. One of the major site of producing Pepper is near Phnom Voir, about 20min drive from Kep. It is possible to buy fresh and/or dried black pepper directly from the fields. The Kampot pepper received the GUI in 2011, that means only pepper from Kampot can be sold as pepper from Kampot (in the same way that Champagne must be from Champagne).

Activities? – Explore the salt fields, buy fresh pepper and see locals cultivating it.

How to go? – You can go by motodub or drive your own bike. The pepper plantations next to Phnom Voir are easy to find. The Vine Retreat is located in this area, has a comfortable restaurant with sofa and hammocks, great food and even a salt water pool.

Good in combination with Kompong Trach or Angkul Beach. The Salt Fields are good together with Kampot town or the Tekchhou Water Rapids.

Pepperfields in Phnom Voir

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The Kep-Plantation is a ranch on the road to the Jasmine Valley with about 10 horses. You can ride yourself either inside the ranch (1 ha big) or explore the surroundings outside of Kep. The also have a cart riding - perfect for the entire family. You find more information on here.

Horse at the Kep-Plantation
 

Just before your reach the Jasmine Valley Eco-Resort, you'll find an American-owned Butterfly farm, with thousands of butterflies in a nice garden. A nice expedition specially with your kids. The small restaurant serves cold drinks and food is available a hundred meters further up the trail at Jasmine Valley. 

One of the many varieties on the farm

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The Provincial capitol Kampot is 27km away from Krong Kep and is quite different to the much more touristy beach town Sihanoukville. Quiet streets, few tourists, beautiful French colonial buildings and an interesting market make this town a lovely day trip. The very good infrastructure with several internet cafés, banks (with ATM), western grocery shopping, book stores (Blissful Guesthouse also has a variety of books to sell or trade), and a variety of excellent Khmer and western restaurants serve all the travelers needs.

Activities? – Visit the market, excursion on the Kamong Bay River (River Cruise), ice cream shopping, fine dining.

How to go? – You can go by motodub, by Tuk Tuk or drive your own motorbike.

What are the costs? – A motodub charges one way $7, return $14, a Tuk Tuk is one way $8, return $20. A visit of Kampot is good in combination with the Tekchhou water rapids and with the interesting Caves of Phnom Chnugk.

Colorful colonial Kampot houses 

With over 1000m in height, the Bokor Hill Station, which was built in the 1920s by the French, provides a refreshing break from the heat on the coast. The views over the dense rainforest towards the sea are some of the most impressive in Cambodia. The things to see are the Bokor Palace and Casino, the old church (now occupied by the construction workers :-(), the black Palace, the Five Boat Pagoda and the Popokvil Waterfalls, that only has water during the rainy season.

Activities? – Visit and wander around the ruins, enjoying the breathtaking views across the Gulf towards Phu Quoc Island, jungle trekking, gambling, watching the wildlife (it is said that elephants, tigers and leopards live in the jungle).

How to go? – There are tours going to Bokor with a minibus (ask your reception or the listed travel agencies). You can also go with your own motorbike or by private taxi. A helicopter flight sets you back about $2'000!

The Pokvil Waterfall on Bokor

Max Discovery Cambodia (MDC)

The MDC is a Team Building Group for companies, students and children. They are organizing customized programs and teambuilding activities in and around Kep, but according to the clients wishes, they are also present all around Cambodia. 

Activities?

- Tree Top Adventure - Zip Line, Ladder Rope, Spider Thread Descent, Tree Tunnel, Climbing Wall, etc.

- Cohesion Workshops - Run Together, Human Ladder, The Blind, Bamboo Raft, etc.

- Games Workshop - The Rings, Croquet, Darts, Tug of War, etc.

Other activities are: Abseiling, Trekking, Sailing, Biking, Cultural Activities, Artistic Activities, Orienteering Race, Creation of Shows, etc.

What are the costs? - From $8 up to $15, depending on the number of participants.

 You will find a lot of information on the website - www.maxdiscoverycambodia.wordpress.com or by calling Max 099 89 68 59

 

Inside-Climing the Magic Tree (Kep National Park)

Old Kep Villas - and Graffitis by ROA

In Kep there are several hundreds old Villas built before 1960 which are now totally destroyed by the weather, by the Vietnamese retracting to Vietnam and by the local Khmer community looking for wires, door/windo frames etc.

Most of the Villas are located North-West of Kep City and some can be found at Kep Beach. Two villas have been completely renovated and are now upmarket hotels (the Villa Romonea and the Knai Bang Chatt). 

The internationally famous graffiti artist ROA from Belgium, has painted 3 Villas with super sized animals. 

These Villas are located:

1 - North-East of the Kep Independence Monument -  road leading to Samot Rangsey Pagoda - Centipede

2 - Way to Jasmine Valley, before Kep Plantation - Elephant skeleton

A279;3 - North of the Beach House, behind the Kep Tourism Office - Praying MantasA279;

   
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These Villas are pretty easy to find. Otherwise you can also ask a Tuk Tuk driver who will be happy to show them to you.

Of course there are many other villas which don't have any graffiti on it and are worth exploring. Some of them are really interesting for architects, since they have been designed by students of the famous french architect Le Corbusier.

Other Activities

There are quite a few more activities in Kep, which we only describe shortly:

- Gon Sat Lake - big, beautiful dam-lake with huts along the shore

- Snorkeling at Brandon Rock - Small rocky island between Kep and Phu Quoc with intact underwater world, not too deep (around 5-7m) with lots of stone corals and plenty of small fishes (careful currents). More infos via this website (www.kepislands.com).

- Motorbike Tours - the hinterland of Phnom Voir and towards Kampot and Koh Slah has some fascinating countryside and some nice tracks to ride on your 250ccm bike! Some good orientation is required if you want to do that alone!

- Fishing Trips - fishing trips can be arranged by several local Travel Agencies - normally a whole day trip

- Crab Feast -  enjoy Cambodia's best seafood at the local Crab Market 

- Relax at the Pool - after so many activities, please don't forget to rest and take a day just to hang loose and enjoy the pool, a good bock and the comfortable deck chair!

We are sure there are more activites in Kep and that you will find the one which suits you perfectly for a perfect stay in Kep.

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