Kep

Kep is a municipality that also has provincial status. It is also a coastal resort and one of Cambodia's most popular tourist destinations.

The colonial government created Kep in 1908 so that the French nobility and public officials in Phnom Penh could escape the heat of the Cambodian capital and relax by the sea. After the French left, Prince Norodom Sihanouk decided to refurbish the coastal resort and build a magnificent home with a view of the Gulf of Thailand in the early 1960s.

Kep rapidly became a ghost town after the Khmer Rouge took power in 1975. The villas and mansions, which formerly served as a symbol of Cambodia's decadent bourgeoisie, have now become abandoned, with some being razed. Kep did not experience a new boom until the early 2000s, with the expansion of international tourism, which was more controlled than its competitor, Sihanoukville.

Today, Kep promotes itself as a beachfront resort with a diverse range of activities. Visitors may unwind on the sandy beaches and take in the tranquil ambiance.