Kampot, Kep, and Rabbit Island, Cambodia: Top 7 Things to Do and More
If you plan to venture outside of the quintessential tourist spots and capital city, bravo for you. It’s a shame that some tourists just come to Cambodia for Angkor Wat and then promptly leave. There’s so much more of Cambodia to discover, and if you too like adventure and have the time to spare, then you must journey south of Phnom Penh.
Kampot is a popular backpacker spot that offers riverside views and outdoorsy activities. We didn’t have the best time here, primarily because we didn’t account for the Chinese New Year festivities, which meant that all of the decent places were already booked well in advance and it didn’t help that the one place we booked was the Airbnb from hell, so we had to find another place to stay. We felt like Mary and Joseph going from hostel to hotel to homestay asking for a room, but there was no room at the Inn. Eventually, we found a suitable, bare-boned hotel for a couple of days until Chinese New Year blew over. Come to find out, many expats, young and old, who teach English in China and elsewhere come to this area during the Chinese New Year holiday. Pro Tip: Know when Chinese New Year occurs and book a place well in advance. Word of warning, there was a disproportionate amount of washed-up 60+ year-old expats, mostly men, who seemed to be on self-imposed exile in Kampot. It was a bit creepy TBH, unless you’re into uncomfortable staring and unwanted sexist comments (I’ll spare you the story). I should also mention that the Chinese have built a casino close by, so I recommend visiting this area soonest before the landscape changes dramatically. They’re starting to take over this area of the world, especially smaller, poorer countries like Cambodia and Laos. We stayed here for 4 nights, 5 days, but I would recommend staying here for only 2 or 3 nights.
Kep is a sleepy little beach-side town only 30 minutes away from Kampot. It boasts of fresh seafood, particularly crab. There isn’t too much to do here and the beach is just okay. The restaurants are also relatively pricey for being such a small town and there aren’t tons of options. We stayed here for 3 days, 2 nights, but many people opt to stay in Kampot and take a day trip to Kep, which I recommend. When in Kep, you have to eat the fresh crab, which is what they are known for. You can either eat it in a restaurant on the water or go for the cheaper option at the Kep Crab Market where you can buy your crabs from a fisherman and have them steamed right there. The crab is an astonishingly blue color and they are delicious.
Rabbit Island is a little gem of beach paradise. Not many people come to this island, and if they do, they make it a quick day trip, but you really should spend AT LEAST 1 night on the island. We spent 4 days, 3 nights here. It’s easily accessible from Kep, where there is a pier with boats that leave 2 times a day to and from Rabbit Island. It was a fantastic time to reboot, read a good book, and catch up on some blogging.
Also, who isn’t into unspoiled views of the sunset while sitting in a hammock on the beach, fresh coconut in hand!? You can also take a little trek around the island, which is only about an hour. You’ll spot locals along the way, secluded beaches (you’ll have to try to ignore the washed-up trash from the mainland. Sigh.), and a bit of wildlife. Fortunately, the main strip of beach where the bungalows and restaurants are situated are kept pretty clean.
Que soliloquy: Over the course of our travels, we’ve come to the sad realization that there aren’t many untouched places left that aren’t crawling with tourists snapping selfies for the best Instagram moment or peddlers selling you the same-same, manufactured tourist crap. So, finding the hidden gems is a feat unto itself, and I feel that I have the responsibility to try to steer you clear of the wooden phallus bottle openers and Bubba Gump Shrimps (yes, they have them in this part of the world). That said, Rabbit Island is one of those places where you will truly feel as if you are taking part in an authentic experience. The more you know.
Getting There
From Phnom Penh, we took the Sorya bus for 3 hours to get to Kampot. It was an easy ride and process. We simply booked our ticket at the main bus station same day. The bus cost $7.50 USD per person.
To get to Kep from Kampot, we took a quick, 30-minute bus ride on an express bus. All we had to do was go to Anny’s travel agency, to book the bus tickets and they arranged for a tuk tuk to take us to the bus stop. The bus cost $3 USD per person.
All you have to do to get to Rabbit Island is take a boat from the Kep pier. You can buy a round-trip ticket at the pier, same-day. The boat tickets cost $10 USD per person.
Accommodations
As I mentioned before, our time in Cambodia coincided with Chinese New Year, so make sure that you book accommodations around this time well in advance so you can avoid some of our issues finding a good place to stay.
In Kampot, we bounced around to three different properties. The first was the Airbnb from hell, that I will only mention so that you can avoid it. It was called Kampot Café. If you want to know the details of our stay, feel free to check out our review of the place on Airbnb. We then escaped to the only available place in town called Home Stay Guest House. I wouldn’t recommend it if you have better options available. On the last night, we stayed at BARACA for $18.50 USD, which I would definitely recommend. It reminded me of an artsy, Spanish villa. The staff were super friendly and helpful, especially Ras. The dinner at their restaurant had delicious tapas that the staff spent all day preparing. They also specialize in gin cocktails that were divine. The only downside to the place was that it didn’t have air conditioning, so the room was stifling hot at times.
In Kep, we stayed at Kep A1 Guesthouse for $14 USD per night. It was a bit far from the beach and market, and it is situated in a remote spot surrounded mostly by farm land. I wouldn’t recommend it on that basis alone, although the place was very clean and newer.
In Rabbit Island, we stayed at Khim Vouch Lay Bungalow for $22 USD per night. The property had a handful of bungalows each equipped with two hammocks and arranged in a semi-circle so that it was very intimate, and you got to know your neighbors (for better or worse).
The best part was that it was right on the beach, so we ate our breakfast in a lounge chair with the sand beneath our toes and sipped on an ice-cold beer while watching the sunsets. It also had a restaurant that served generous portions of yummy Cambodian food to include fresh fish and prawns. Khim Vouch Lay Bungalow is family-owned, and they are all very lovely. The owner even discounted our stay at the end, which was very kind. Hands down, I recommend that you come to Rabbit Island and stay here. You won’t be disappointed!
We used Booking.com for our accommodations – use our referral link so that you can get a $25 reward! https://www.booking.com/s/43_8/roxyba87
Top 7 Things to Do in Kampot, Kep, and Rabbit Island
Kampot
1. Sunset Cruise on the Praek Tuek Chhu River. There are multiple boats that you can choose from that also offer happy hour specials
2. Bokor National Park for hiking and wildlife. You can take a scooter to the national park or hire a Grab
3. Phnom Chhngok Cave Temple is Cambodia’s only cave temple and is over 1,000 years old
4. Day Trip to Kep for a day at the beach and a crab lunch or dinner
Kep
1. Crab Market where you can go up to the dock and ask the women for their freshly caught seafood by the kilo. All you have to do is turn around to find someone to cook it for you.
2. Sailing Club for sailing, windsurfing, or kayaking. They also have a beautiful restaurant on the water, but it’s very pricey for the area
Rabbit Island
1. Relax, go swimming in the ocean, chill in a hammock, and read a book. That’s it! If you want some exercise, take a walk or run around the island.
Where to Eat
Kampot
1. Lemongrass for authentic Cambodian food
2. The Loving Spoon for superb Thai food from a Thai family
3. BARACA for delicious tapas and refreshing gin cocktails
4. Happy Smile Pizza for $.50 drafts – so cheap!
5. Simple Things and Sun Bird for their delicious western food. We ate here several times for the healthy smoothies and vegetarian breakfasts
6. Couch Potatoes if you want a pub atmosphere with sports entertainment and craft beers. The place is owned by a bloke named Jem who is a gem. We came here for a stand-up comedy night, featuring our new friend, Andy Curtain. He’s hilarious. Check him out!
Kep
1. Magic Crab for great food and a sunset viewing spot. I got crabs here and Mike got a chicken dish. The whole meal was $17.50, which is pricey for the area.
2. Arts Café for fantastic coffee, artisanal goods, and great brekkie. It’s also a good spot to sit and work since the WiFi is strong. The best part about this place is it’s on the water. Literally.
Rabbit Island
1. We ate most of our meals at our bungalow because the food was just delicious and the portions sizes were generous.
Our Key Tips and Takeaways
1. While in the south of Cambodia, spend less time in Kampot and Kep and more time in Rabbit Island, especially if you want something a bit off the beaten path.
2. Don’t skip the crab in Kep!