This will be the best South East Asian destination on your radar: the incredible coastal village of Kep, Cambodia. Photo / Getty Images
This will be the best South East Asian destination on your radar: the incredible coastal village of Kep, Cambodia. Photo / Getty Images
At Kep's crab market, an elderly woman catches my eye and waves a plastic bag of tiny, still-wriggling octopus in my direction.
Wander through the market and you'll find locals hunched over market stalls, tending to smoking, fish-filled grills with one hand while rotating squid-speared skewers with the other. Much of the food sold here is very much alive and kicking, but if you prefer something a little less so, head to the restaurants next to the market, where a huge pile of crab cakes will set you back just a few dollars.
In recent years, the coastal province of Kep has been thrust into the spotlight, thanks largely to the number of five-star hotels springing up.
Crab fishing is a great source of local livelihood in Kep, Cambodia. Photo / Getty Images
Luckily, most are on the islands just off the coastline. After the brutal civil war, Cambodia sold most of them to raise money to rebuild a country that had been torn apart, and some of the world's biggest hotel chains are now realising its potential. On the plus side, it appears those who stick to Kep's mainland have taken on the role of protectors.
At Knai Bang Chatt, Jef Moons has transformed a cluster of neglected buildings into a beautiful, 18-room boutique hotel. It's the first property in Cambodia to be awarded the Green Growth 2050 certification, which requires the hotel to meet more than 176 markers. Audits take place every year.
"I found these old beautiful houses which had been destroyed by the Khmer Rouge," explains Jef as we wander through the lush grounds.
"Before the war, this place was known as Kep-sur-Mer — it was where Cambodian royalty came. It was the San Tropez of Indo-China."
Today, the buildings have been lovingly restored to their former glory, and Knai Bang Chatt is helping Kep regain its reputation as Cambodia's coolest province.
Over cocktails, Jef tells me how he regularly invites some of the world's top mixologists to take a turn behind the bar. Recent guest bartenders have included world-renowned mixologist Eric Stephenson and the chief distiller from Death's Door Spirits, an ultra-hip, US-based distillery.
In the pesticide-free kitchen garden, Ehren, who's in charge of sustainability, shows me the Japanese composting system and points out the eco-friendly pineapple plant roof.
"We document everything we're doing so that we can produce a field guide for anyone in Cambodia keen to do the same thing," Ehren adds.
But my favourite property is nearby Samanea Beach Resort, where 12 villas are scattered throughout the hotel's lush, greenery-filled grounds.
A slice of paradise. Photo / Getty Images
The long pier that extends out over the clear water is the perfect place to admire Kep's spectacular sunsets, and there's an open-air spa area and swimming pool.
Sales manager Jonathan shows me the plant-based carrier bags used by the hotel before taking me on a tour of the property, with its vegetable gardens and on-site accommodation for staff.
But as much as I'd love to sprawl by the pool, there's too much to do.
I start with a walk through nearby Kep National Park, where tiger-striped lizards bask on dusty rocks and the air's filled with exotic bird calls. After paying the $1.32 entry fee, I set off along one of the trails that winds through the park.
It's worth prying yourself away from the beach to check out the lush surrounds. Photo / 123RF
Routes are clearly marked and it's easy to get to one of the many viewpoints. From the leafy pathways I can see distant islands and Kep's thick carpet of pepper plantations, many of which are open to the public.
Later, I visit one, and stroll through the rows of pepper plants and neatly-pruned durian trees before watching local women grind and sort the pepper pods.
From there, it's just a short, cheap tuktuk journey to the hilltop Wat Samathi Pagoda, reached via a steep flight of stone steps guarded by a pair of white stone lions.
Kep's position on Cambodia's coastline means it's easy to visit many of the nearby islands, like Rabbit Island, a palm tree-fringed dot in the ocean with just a handful of beach huts. You'll be able to walk its perimeter in just a couple of hours.
Wat Samathi in Kep, Cambodia. Photo / 123RF
And from the beach at Samanea Beach Resort I'm able to see the distant outline of Phu Quoc, a Vietnamese island that is now home to hundreds of hotels, including an enormous casino resort.
Krabey, another island off Cambodia's southern coast, will soon be home to a luxurious Six Senses resort.
As for me? I'll be sticking firmly to the mainland, gorging on crab cakes, wandering through butterfly-filled forests and sipping cocktails at bars where my only companion is a beady-eyed lizard. Cheers!
