While world renowned for attractions such as Angkor War, as well as all of the Dark Tourism sites related to the Khmer Rouge, there are also a lot of hidden gems in Cambodia, such as Kep and indeed Kep Crab Market.
And while neither of these are currently part of our group tour programs to the country, they are available when you take an independent tour to Cambodia with us.
What the Kep?
Kep is a quiet seaside town on the south coast of Cambodia whose beaches have more in common with Sheppey than of say Palawan.
The quiet remoteness of it also make it starkly different from Sihanoukville, with the lack of unfinished high-rise buildings being somewhat soothing.
Getting here from Phnom Penh is fairly easy, with it being connected by train, or 3-4 hours by bus. Neighboring Kampot which is also a draw for tourists, as well as being on train network is so close that it can be traversed by TukTuk.
Leaving Kep one can go south To Koh Kong, Sihanoukville, as well as the islands of Koh Rong and beyond.
Photo: Roger Andrick
Kep Crab Market
So, while beaches and the like are a primary reason to visit Kep, the Crab Market in our mind at least is what really makes Kep stand out. The market which is located down on the waterfront marks the epicenter everything Kep.
There are at least 30 seafood restaurants here, as well as cafes and the bars that make up what is known as the Kep nightlife scene.
The market itself is only open during the day, but is quite simply the place to go if you are on the lookout for the best and cheapest seafood pretty much in Cambodia.
On entrance you are greeted by a normal market, but follow your nose and you will see a while heap of fishermen selling their wares, but also an equal number of chefs and street food vendors doing their thing.
And while the area is most famous for crab, you will also find some the best shrimp and squid anywhere in the country, with one being able to argue it as being some of the best in the region too,
But, of course the weirdness does not stop there with there being a whole heap of dried fish, prahok and other Khmer dishes that are not for the fainthearted. These include gems such as songvak a Cambodian sour fish cake that is served in a banana leaf.
And all of this can either be eaten on site, or taken to a restaurant of your choice that will happily do the honors. I would say that in all may travels Kep Crab Market comes a close second to Rason Market in terms of value for seafood.
Seafood tour of Cambodia?
As crazy as it might sound you can actually do a really good seafood tour of Cambodia and beyond. For me this would start in Phnom Penh before going away the way down to Sihanoukville by train before returning to Kampot.
Whilst there you head to Bokor Hill before finishing the Cambodia leg in Kep and indeed the Kep Crab Market. The trip is then duly finished by crossing the border at Ha Tien before taking the ferry to Phu Quoc.
And of course YPT can arrange all of this for you.
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