Kep, Cambodia: Pre-Resort Paradise (November 2013)

Thanks to great recommendations by friends, our next stop was the small beach town of Kep located about 3 hours south of Phnom Penh. This town is tiny, doesn't even have an ATM, but the one very important thing it does have is a very respectable seafood market and restaurants. Baskets of crabs are brought up from the water right next to the market where they’re boiled, grilled or fried to perfection, then gobbled up by tourists and locals alike. Grills are lined up, covered with a variety of delicious seafood. We had lunch, and then a snack and then another snack before we made our way back to our bungalow... and then back to the market for dinner.

One thing in Kep that was hard to ignore was the amount of construction. Roads and buildings were being worked on around the clock. White sand was brought in to cover the main beach. The French lady who owned our hotel informed us that Kep is in the works to become the next hot spot for resort seekers, with hope to draw crowds in the near future who are looking for an inexpensive, relaxing seaside vacation. I can definitely see how Kep would be perfect for this sweet spot, although they’ll probably need to look into getting a few ATMs in town. It was exciting to see Kep in its original state, where there are monkeys rummaging through the trash and kids playing in the water without crowds of tourists. 10 years from now we’ll be those annoying people who return to Kep and say “I remember back when there weren’t ATMs here and you had to fish for your own food in order to survive!” Ok, maybe not that roughing it, but I am excited to see what’s next for the sleepy beach town.

Our last night in Kep was spent at a new hostel owned by a French family. We enjoyed the pool and a beautiful sunset before heading back to the seafood market for one final feast at our new favorite market. I really hope that good people are behind the development of Kep. I would hate to see it become overpopulated like parts of Thailand. It’s a special place with positive potential. If you find yourself in that part of the world, I recommend checking out Kep and other coastal towns in Cambodia. Well worth the extra bus ride south from the major cities… and then you can also say “I remember when this was a different kind of paradise.”