Things to see & do in Kep and Kampot

Surrounding Area and Attractions

Kep province is located in the southern part of Cambodia with Vietnam to the west, Kampot Province to the east and coastline to the south.

We rent bicycles and mountain bikes for those guests who want to explore the area at their own leisure.

Kep province is becoming more and more popular with tourists who are seeking relaxation and serenity away from the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh or the tourist traps at Sihanoukville and Siem Reap. Kep offers visitors a glimpse of rural Cambodia with its brightly verdant green rice paddies in the rainy season sprawling between traditional Khmer stilted houses and palm trees.

Kep city has several restaurants and bars for guests to explore along with a small beach to relax on. However, if a relaxing day on the beach is in order, then Rabbit Island is the perfect choice. Water taxis operate from the harbour in Kep all day and cost $20 per return boat trip to the island. The cost is divided by the amount of passengers who are ready to depart at the time, with a maximum of 10 people onboard per boat.

The taxi takes about 20mins and will drop you off on a beautiful, long white sandy beach. The beach is backed by a few low-key restaurants that serve locally caught seafood amongst other things. Some of these eateries also have very basic beach huts that can be rented for around $5 per night should you wish to stay and enjoy the stars and phosphorescence.

Day trips to a nearby reservoir are also available. The reservoir is good for swimming and is a popular hang out with the locals. You can also visit local caves and temple complexes. Should you wish to do some trekking we can offer guided treks up and over Phnom Voar or around the local area. Or if a relaxing stroll is more your cup of tea, we can advise you about short walks in the vicinity and have maps available should you wish to push further a field or take a bicycle for a spin.

We can also organise guided tours into Chamcar Bei itself where you can visit the Community Livelihoods Centre. The Centre provides vocational training and facilities for the local community to carry out a range of income-generating activities from agriculture to weaving and the production of handicrafts made from coconuts and recycled plastic bags. Products are available for sale at the Centre, and the Women’s Livelihoods Association conducts short workshops for tour groups for a small fee, which helps to support the Association.

Kampot is the nearest large town to The Vine Retreat and is around 30km away, which takes about 45 minutes by tuk-tuk. Kampot has a number of other bars and restaurants, many of which face out over the river and regularly enjoy spectacular sunsets.

From Kampot we can organise tours up to Bokor Mountain, a 1080 metres high jungle covered hill. The top of the mountain holds host to a number of abandoned old buildings which were originally part of a retreat-style community for French and Khmer aristocracy in the 1940’s. The colonial buildings were abandoned and taken over by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970’s, and remained one of their longest held strongholds.

Trips stop off at the King’s old holiday residence, a Jesuit church and finally the grand old casino. Bokor Hill Station’s buildings are fascinatingly haunting, often with a thick mist blowing through the empty architecture. These trips can also be extended to include treks through the local jungle to dramatic waterfalls and swimming pools.

Make sure you make the most of your time at The Vine Retreat and come and take a tour of our famous Kampot pepper plantation and the organic farm. Any of the staff will be happy to show you around and explain the interesting process of growing pepper in this region.

There is some wonderful countryside surrounding The Vine which is perfect for exploring by bicycle. The Vine has affiliated itself with an NGO called PEPY Ride who lead bicycle tours around Cambodia in order to raise money for the development side of the organization. Ask us if you'd like to take a bike around, usually one of our staff is happy to go along and show you around. 

For the independently adventurous we are also able to arrange moto hire from Kep. Travel down any dirt road in the province and experience Cambodia off the beaten tourist trail, just make sure you fill up before you go!

A trekking path has just been constructed along the Phnom Voar ridge line which can be seen right out the front door of The Vine. This trekking path has some stunning vistas out over to Kep and across to Kampong Trach. This winding path was built by local people, in association with the Community Forestry Association, Bridges Across Borders Cambodia and The Vine Retreat, to stimulate eco-tourism in the area. All money raised through trail passes goes to the up keep of the trail and to pay for local guides to educate others on the importance of protecting the forest as a natural resource. This path is quite steep in parts and guarantees a good workout!

Take in some relaxed beach time. The beach at Kep itself is mostly pebble and not much fun to hang out on, but nearby Rabbit Island has a beautiful beach. Join some other travelers in hiring a boat, go over to the island, and spend the day. Return journey by boat for one person was $7 or if in a group $20 for the whole boat at the time of printing.

Around Kep there are 3 major caves, some with small shrines inside. The most impressive and biggest one is the one near Kampong Trach with beautiful limestone formations.