Blogs from Kep, South, Cambodia, Asia - page 3

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 ... read more

Day 1 Our accommodation was a little rustic and set in the beautiful, lush hillside. We had a quick swim before lunch to cool down, which was bliss. Walking to the beach after lunch we noticed dark clouds moving quickly towards us and we sought shelter in a roadside cafe. The downpour didn't last long and I left the three amigos in search of a shop to purchase toothpaste and lo and behold, I spied a box of Snickers in the fridge. I haven't had a chocolate bar in a while so I gobbled one up faster than Dean could say, "Did you check the use by date?". I made my way back to the accommodation for a bit of hammock time. When the others returned with stories of crab statues, Dean flummoxing about in the ... read more

Cambodian Capital + Coastal Cambodia Apart from the opportunity to meet up with friends and contacts in Phnom Penh, the city wasn’t filled with all that much to do. Once the royal palace visit was out of the way- an activity that took us 45 generous minutes at best, we were hard pressed to find ways to keep the kids entertained and interested. After the impressive sights on offer in Siem Reap, a stroll along the river and across the one temple vaguely worth a visit in town (Wat Phnom) simply didn’t impress them much (nor us!) Luckily, there were some fun restaurants to check out that were very family-friendly, such as Le Jardin with a bamboo playhouse complete with a slide that ends in a giant sandpit- filled with beach toys (yes, we spent the ... read more

Kep is just a short trip from Kampot and used to be thebeach destination for Cambodians prior to the devleopment of Sihanoukville. It's now a shadow of its former self and is famous for its crab market and for it's easy acces to nearby Rabbit Island. I sampled the crab with green Kampot pepper which was pretty good. Although I've not really eaten crab much and forgot how much hard work it is to actually get a meal from whats on the plate. Some friends who's just come for the day from Kampot headed back in a tuk-tuk while I sat in a carpark, drinking cans of Angkor with the local drivers for an hour or so, before decided which was the least drunk to be able to take me back to my lodgings. I took ... read more

Kep is a coastal fishing village famed for its spectacular sunsets and fresh seafood (specifically crabs). It was founded as a colonial retreat for the French Elite in the early 1900's and Cambodian high-rollers have flocked here to continue the tradition ever since. The Khmer Rouge were known to harbour a particular hatred for this town and during their reign they destroyed the town. Today, Kep's luxurious pre-war villas are still just blackened shells with bullet holes riddled throughout the walls, poignant reminders of the Khmer Rouge. The remnants of the mansions left behind have a post-apocalyptic feel to them, showcasing the violent end each one met. Kep is now rising from the ruins and has become popular with the wealthy elite of Phnom Penh, expats and slowly but surely, Western tourists. Exploring the Countryside by ... read more