Kep, Cambodia

Lucky for us, Kep was only up the road from Kampot, so a nice short bus ride! We didn't even have to worry about accommodation as it was already sorted. When we got to our guesthouse, 'Oasis Guesthouse' we were met with two lovely French owners and very friendly Khmer staff. They all couldn't have been more helpful. The guesthouse was really nice. It was only open ten days and the rooms had a lovely French feel to them. After we got settled, the three of us went on a nice walk to a temple in the mountain. There were really cool sculptures throughout the grounds, which were interesting to see. On our way back, we were surrounded by three big dogs, luckily enough they weren't after us and left after a minute. Kep is very rural with a lot of country roads which are just dirt roads. There are cows everywhere, even where there shouldn't be. Later on, while relaxing in the bar/restaurant at the guesthouse, out of the blew, a bat starts flying around us. Definitely random! By far, the next day was our favourite. We hired out a Tuk Tuk driver for the day. He was very friendly. We first went to a Pepper farm to sample the world famous 'Kampot Pepper'. It really is amazing. There wasn't much pepper left on the trees, as they had already been picked in preparation of the monsoon season. We have really enjoyed 'Kampot Pepper Sauce' while staying here. It's amazing, and all it is, is crushed black pepper, salt, lime juice, chicken powder. Try it! Getting out of here was interesting as the Tuk Tuk broke down, so we all had to push it through a dirt road onto the main road where there was a garage, luckily enough! Some experience! The next stop of the day was to a salt field. When we got there, there was a guy carting two big huge baskets full of salt. The things the people here carry! We have seen scoters filled with a whole shop. We've even seen whole families on one. If you think your car is too small, think again! The best part of the day was exploring through a cave. That was really cool. Our guides were really nice. They were only in their teens, but we're really helpful. We first went to an unfinished temple that was built in 2006. It had some very impressive art work, but unfortunately, work had to ground to a halt as money ran dry. We then went into a cave which led us to an outside area completely surrounded by limestone cliffs. It was stunning. Nature is amazing. One of the guides, a 13 year old boy even climbed up some monkey ropes, which was pretty cool to see. Throughout our visit there, he kept on giving me cool things like different quartz stones from the cliffs, which were really beautiful. There was even a film crew there filming a caveman movie. It was really cool to see. After a day of adventures, it was time for some nice food so we went to a lovely seafood restaurant. It was by the sea with lovely views of the sunset. The food was amazing and the staff were very helpful, and the chef even came out to us, which was really nice. After a very long day, it was time to head back to the guesthouse, where we enjoyed a few drinks. Jason even created a new drink for the bar, 'Mango Jango', which consists of fresh mango from their garden and rum. A really good choice! Even though we were the only customers there, there was still a really good atmosphere and we even got talking to the owners which are only around our age. The guy told us that there dog, 'Thonsai', who is a lovely looking dog was rescued from a previous owner who didn't treat him right. The poor dog is very uneasy with strangers as a result. The night the dog was rescued, he was destined to be killed that evening. There really are some nasty people out there! After a few drinks, it was time to get some sleep as we had to get up really early. The next morning we got up early and had a really nice breakfast to start our engines off. The owner even gave me a big tub of their homemade mango jam, which was amaze balls! The two owners and staff were so friendly, they really couldn't have done more for us. They were all so nice! All in all, we really enjoyed Kep. It really is raw Cambodia at its best! There is so much country side. The whole area is changing with a lot of investment being made in Kep. In ten years’ time it will probably be unrecognisable. I hope it doesn't lose its charm! We will definitely return here at some stage!

By Andrew

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