Cambodia: South Coast . . .Kep and Kampot

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After not seeing the Ocean since India we finally arrived at Kep on the south coast of Cambodia. Kep is a quiet fishing village with beutiful ocean views, Islands and surrounded by jungle with the view of the Vietnemese border in sight.

Since being here we have been to Rabbit Island, a butterfly farm, salt fields and one of the pepper plantations Kep and Kampot are so famous for. Like the people we met in India, the people who work on the salt fields are paid low wages ($4 per day) for back breaking work.

We visited Kampot and went up into the mountains to see a casino that was built there in the 1920s. The casino is not inhabited and when you get to the top of the casino you have views that spread all over Cambodia and the coast line. Stories of people throwing themselves off the cliff after loosing all their money and of the Khmer Rouge fighting the Vietnemese add to the experience.

We were going to go to Shinoukville from Kampot but having no luck with accomodation we decided we had to go back to Kep. It was a fateful day as we went from having no where to live and not knowing what to do to being back where we started in a brand new complex with swimming pool for 8 quid a night. We also ran into a couple we had met along the way and spent sometime with them, they offered us to stay in their penthouse over looking Syndey Harbour while we are there in April!! HOW LUCKY IS THAT!!!!! :)

Kep really is a beautiful place. You can go down to the crab market and barter for crab or squid. You can sit on a beach front restaurant and eat fresh fish while watching the fisherman bring in the crab from the sea. Or you can come to Q Bungalows and chill out in the pool with ocean views surrounded by jungle. We have been extremely lucky to experience this place before the inevitable tourism boom arrives here :)

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