When Traveling Is Caring ❤️
កែបSouth Coast10.48° N · 104.32° E
A quiet seaside town famous for crab with Kampot pepper, sunsets over the sea and a gentle, old-fashioned pace. Here is what to do and how long to stay.
Kep was founded by the French in 1908 as a seaside retreat, and in the 1960s it was a fashionable escape for Phnom Penh's elite. Many of its modernist villas were abandoned during the Khmer Rouge years, and their shells still stand among the trees. Today it is a small, spread-out town with a leafy national park behind it and calm water in front.
Most people come for the crab market, where women pull baskets of crabs straight from the sea and cook them with fresh green Kampot pepper. Add a walk in the national park, a day on Rabbit Island and a long sunset, and you have Kep. It pairs perfectly with Kampot, just 30 minutes away.
Every journey below is private and tailor-made, so Kep can be a relaxed day trip from Kampot or a quiet night by the sea.
We tailor every trip. Want more time in Kep, a different pace or a mix of places? Design my trip →
The experiences our travellers enjoy most, in order of what we would not miss.
Watch crabs lifted from bamboo traps in the sea, then eat them stir-fried with green pepper at the simple restaurants alongside. Come late afternoon for sunset.
A short boat ride to a rustic island with a palm-lined beach and simple huts. Pleasant for a lazy day, with basic facilities.
A loop trail through forest around Kep's hill, with sea views, butterflies and monkeys. An easy, shady morning walk.
The coast faces west towards Vietnam's Phu Quoc island, so evenings bring long, colourful sunsets.
Combine Kep with a pepper farm and the salt fields on the road to Kampot.
Plan your private, tailor-made Cambodia trip for 2027 now and get $100 off. Tell us your travel dream and we will design it with you.
Customise My TripMost travellers visit Kep from Kampot or drive down from Phnom Penh. The Vietnam border near Ha Tien is under an hour away, making Kep a natural crossing point to Phu Quoc and the Mekong Delta.
Places that pair well with Kep, with approximate travel times.
November to April is dry, sunny and calm, ideal for Rabbit Island. The rainy season from May to October brings more cloud and rougher seas, and boats to the island may not run on stormy days.
A general guide. Weather varies from year to year, and we plan each route around the season.
Quick answers from our local team. Anything else, just ask your travel specialist.
Ask us on WhatsAppYes, for the crab market, the sunsets and a quiet day by the sea. Do not come expecting a big beach resort: the town beach is small. Most travellers enjoy it as a day trip from Kampot or for one relaxed night.
Yes. Boats leave from the pier and take around 20 to 30 minutes. The island has a simple beach with basic huts and restaurants. Boats may not run in rough weather during the rainy season.
Crab stir-fried with fresh green Kampot pepper is the signature dish. Grilled squid, prawns and fish from the market are also excellent, best eaten at sunset by the water.
Tell us what you have in mind and a local travel specialist will design a private itinerary around you. Free, with no obligation.
Three quick questions and we will match you with the right journeys.
