Weekend Trip: Feast on seafood and visit pepper farms in Cambodia’s coastal province of Kep

KEP, Cambodia – Some places dazzle you, others quietly stay with you. Kep is the latter, with its orange sunsets over still waters, the scent of grilled seafood in the air and people whose kindness lingers longer than any souvenir.

A sliver of coastline in the south of Cambodia, Kep was once the playground of French colonials and Cambodia’s wealthy elite. Its heyday faded under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, leaving behind skeletons of grand villas. 

But this tiny coastal province is coming to life again, driven by the refurbishment of colonial-era buildings into resorts and hotels, and a tourism push over the last five to 10 years.

While on a visit to Kep in June, I eat seafood fresh from the ocean, wander through pepper farms, explore a lively crab market and take a boat out to Cambodia’s only marine conservation centre. 

It is a stark and welcome change from the bustling Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, where most travellers enter the country.

In Kep, home to some 35,000 people, there are no beach bars, high-rise resorts or thumping parties. The town’s relaxed pace forces me to slow down and linger during my three-day trip.

My base for the trip is Knai Bang Chatt Resort (

kepwest.com/knaibangchatt

), which means rainbow encircling the sun in Khmer, the local language. Belgian-Khmer entrepreneur Jef Moons bought the land and buildings in 2003 and opened the property in 2005. The resort has five villas and 18 rooms, and rates start at $127 a night.

The property also houses a spa, wellness centre and two restaurants that are open to the public. Like much of Kep, it is unhurried and intimate.

Here are four things to do in Kep, markers of a town quietly finding its rhythm again.

1. Visit some of the world’s best pepper farms

Located mostly in Pepper Road in the Kampot province, about 40 minutes by tuk-tuk from Kep town, are a handful of farms featuring the world-renowned Kampot pepper.

La Plantation (

laplantation.com/en

) offers free guided tours that are available in English and French. Private tours start at US$10 (S$13), and a cooking class costs US$28.

I walk through the fields to see how different types of pepper are harvested and processed year-round. Each bunch is hand-picked and the peppercorns are sun-dried before undergoing a meticulous selection. Workers remove small seeds, broken peppercorns and any remaining stems, so only the best ones make the cut.

After the tour, I settle into a breezy wooden sala for a pepper-tasting session, included in the tour. I try 12 different varieties, and my favourites are the green pepper – which packs a bit of a kick – smoked pepper and classic black pepper. These can be bought at the gift shop, with prices starting at US$6 for a 50g pack.

2. Savour seafood at the source

I arrive at Kep Crab Market (

str.sg/KKyT

) just before noon, skirting the morning rush. The air is thick with the scent of fried garlic prawns and charcoal-grilled shellfish.

The market contains three sections. In the fresh seafood area, workers haul in the morning’s catch by the net or crate.

I walk on makeshift planks and old wooden pallets, weaving between vendors who lay out their bounty in white styrofoam boxes and black buckets. There are blue swimmer crabs, flower crabs, squid, prawns and a closed box that reveals stingrays tucked beneath ice.

A few steps away, cooking stalls are packed shoulder to shoulder. Chefs toss seafood into massive woks or slap them onto grills, stir-frying or charring them to order for a small fee of US$4 to US$6. The last section is quieter: rows of stalls selling dried seafood, stacked like souvenirs from the sea.

There is also an option to order off a menu from a no-frills seaside eatery like Magic Crab (

str.sg/ruR5

) or Kimly Seafood Restaurant (

str.sg/GTJu

), two of many along the shoreline that is a two-minute walk from the market. Meals average about US$10 a person.

For a more refined meal, The Wave at Knai Bang Chatt Resort serves casual local bites, and shares the same compound as the more upscale Crab & Co – the resort’s indoor fine-dining restaurant. They are so close to the coastline that waves crash dramatically against the windows while I dine.

My favourites from Crab & Co are the crab bisque (US$9) and steamed blue crab (US$57.95 a kilogram). The crab bisque is full of flavour, and the simple preparation of the steamed crab lets its juicy meat shine.

3. Slow down with nature

I board a boat from the jetty about 10 minutes by tuk-tuk from my resort, and travel 1½ hours to Koh Ach Seh, home to non-profit Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC,

marineconservationcambodia.org

). The waters are slightly choppy because it is the rainy season, but my guide tells me there is a chance of spotting dolphins along the way on calmer days.  

The island is at the heart of MCC’s work, with efforts including the restoration of seagrass meadows; protection of local species such as dugongs, seahorses and Irrawaddy dolphins; and promotion of sustainable fishing. 

Volunteer coordinator Rebecca Schroder, 19, introduces the centre’s research labs, artificial reef structures that deter trawlers and attract fish, as well as seagrass-monitoring projects. While the centre is not open to the public, Knai Bang Chatt Resort can arrange a tour for guests at US$150 a person.

Kep is home to many mangrove forests, and I visit one at Phum Kep Community Fishery. I walk across wooden planks that stretch through tangled mangroves and spot blue crabs scuttling beneath the water’s surface. Looking out, I see local fishermen on the mudflats searching for the day’s catch. 

Notable mangrove forests tourists can visit include Trapeang Sangkae Mangrove forest (

str.sg/bTqh

) and one in Thmey Village (

str.sg/7LCp

). Knai Bang Chatt Resort also runs tours at US$125 a person or you can book a half-day kayak tour (from $64) into the mangrove forests on GetYourGuide.

A short distance away from the main town is Kep National Park, with mountain trails, viewpoints and a small cafe. Entry costs US$1. It is best explored by scooter, and you might catch glimpses of monkeys, squirrels and birds darting through the trees.

4. View Cambodia’s past through a different lens

Visitors to Cambodia often learn about the country’s grim history at Phnom Penh’s Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum or Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, but Kep has its own tale about the Khmer Rouge regime.

Its forgotten villas are silent witnesses to Cambodia’s past, which I visit on a guided tour by the resort (US$55). My guide Lek Sokunthea, 42, who goes by Kim, relates tales of these holiday homes, built by the country’s elite and French colonials in the 1950s.

Today, many lie abandoned – roofless, stripped bare and with overgrown weeds.

“This was once a kitchen,” she says, gesturing at a tile-covered wall and rusting pipe, while her husband breaks overgrown branches to create a path for us.

During the Khmer Rouge regime, locals scavenged these buildings for wood, steel and tiles to sell or use for survival. Many of these are too expensive to restore, says Ms Kim, who also share her account of the genocide and its succeeding years. Her mother lost her family during the period.

Ms Kim grew up in Kep and has seen it transform from a once-bustling beach town to one left behind by history. She now hopes that as Kep draws more visitors, a developer or entrepreneur might one day breathe new life into the area. 

Tourism has transformed her husband’s life too. Mr Tov Rithy, 44, also known as Thouch, has been a fisherman since he was 12. For 20 years, he spent long nights at sea, sometimes returning after four hours, other times staying out for days on end. He says the hardest part was when he caught nothing because that meant he would not be able to buy food. 

Being a fisherman is a typical path for many in Kep, but most, worn out by the long hours and physical toll, dream of leaving it behind. Mr Thouch became a tuk-tuk driver, tour guide and boatman in 2016 and says it is better for his health.

Another day, I meet a local fisherman who welcomes me into his house. I wave to his neighbours as they call out to me in Khmer, asking where I am from. Though we speak different languages, we seem to understand one another just fine. 

Kep is slow, quiet and often overlooked, even as it edges towards revival. But its people – resilient, generous and full of stories – are what make it unforgettable.

Travel tips

Airlines such as Singapore Airlines and Emirates fly non-stop to Phnom Penh. Fares start at around $230 for a round-trip flight in November, based on checks by The Straits Times. From Phnom Penh, a private car can take you to Kep for around US$40. The journey takes 2½ hours. Go to

MangoTaxi.asia

or

CambodiaTaxiDriver.com

to book.

Kep is best visited from January to June or mid-October to December, when the waters are calmer and the weather is better.

Your resort can arrange transport around the island. Scooters, tuk-tuks or cars are also available on Grab for as low as US$1.

Most of the smaller eateries and markets take only cash. Cashless payments are accepted in established restaurants.

I recommend spending a few days in either Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, as both offer first-time visitors a good feel of Cambodia’s culture and daily life. In Phnom Penh, visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (

tuolsleng.gov.kh

), which costs US$6 to enter, or the Royal Palace of Cambodia, which is free.

In Siem Reap, do not miss Angkor Wa

t and the city’s many temples. Tickets for Angkor Wat are best bought online and in advance at ticket platforms such as Agoda and Trip.com. Dress modestly when visiting places of worship – clothes should cover your knees and shoulders.