Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
some of the huge road investment and it shows. But if you want to stay in Bokor, be their
guest. We recommend Kampot or Kep.
Getting There & Away
To visit the park you can take private transport up the new road, or you can join an organ-
ised tour. Trekking trips used to be very popular, but treks were recently banned due to all
the development underway, a rather surreal scenario, as we have not heard of banning
trekking in national parks before. Standard day trips still operate for around US$10 to
US$15 per person depending on numbers. Many travellers prefer to rent a motorbike and
travel under their own steam.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Kep
036 / POP 35,000
The seaside resort of Kep-sur-Mer (Krong Kep, also spelled Kaeb) is a province-level mu-
nicipality that consists of little more than a small peninsula facing Bokor National Park
and Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island. Famed for its spectacular sunsets and splendid seafood, it
was founded as a colonial retreat for the French elite in 1908.
In the 1960s, Cambodian high rollers continued the tradition, but Khmer Rouge rule
brought evacuation, which was followed, in the 1980s, by systematic looting. Today,
scores of Kep's luxurious prewar villas remain blackened shells, relics of a once-success-
ful (or at least rich and flashy) civilisation that met a sudden and violent end.
Some find Kep a bit soulless because it lacks a centre and accommodation options are
spread out all over the place. Others revel in its sleepy vibe, content to relax at their resort,
nibble on crab at the famed Crab Market and poke around the mildewed shells of modern-
ist villas, which still give the town a sort of post-apocalyptic feel.
