Getting Here
From Kampot to Kep, a half hour ride by car, tuk tuk, or motorcycle. About $4.00 by motorcycle taxi, $12 for 4 people in a tuk tuk, or you can rent a motorcycle in Kampot for about $3-$5/day. ($3 in gas gets you a complete tour of Kampot and Kep.)
From Phnom Penh to Kep, taxis and minibuses everyday to Kampot and the Kep for about $4. A two to three hour ride. Also, 7am or so, and 1pm, busses from Phnom Penh for $5. Check for exact times and bus stations while in Phnom Penh. A private taxi costs about $35 for the trip from Phnom Penh.
From SihanoukVille, there is no direct service. You must go to Kampot first and arrange travel from there. However, a taxi from SihanoukVille is about $30 to Kampot, and $40 to Kep for the whole car.
To Vietnam, you can go through the Prek Chak (Cambodia) / Xaxia (Vietnam) border, about 45KM from Kep, but you need to get a visa beforehand. This is now the quickest route to get to Phu Quoc island in Vietnam. Motorcycle taxis are about $6 per person, and a car will cost about $35. From Vietnam, you can usually get a Cambodian tourist visa good for 30 days at the border for $25.
Chner Tours does boat trips to Rabbit Island
When you're in Kep, look for The Kep Revival Guide for more current and complete information.
Also, motorcycle tours on big dirt bike from Shiran at Stray Dog Adventures. Day Tours and multi-day tours around Kep and all over Cambodia
Most tourist to Kep combine their trip to one of Southern Cambodia's other coastal towns.
Kampot is known as a quiet town on a river and the base for day trips up to Bokor Mountain. There's also many sightseeing and river activities around Kampot. It's a half hour drive to the West from Kampot, and also on the way to Phnom Penh and SihanoukVille. The town is on a river, which flows both ways, depending on the tides. There's many small guesthouses in town and several riverside bungalows.
Bokor Mountain is a popular destination because of the rough ride up the dirt track to the top, the views of Southern Cambodia and Vietnam, and the cool temperatures; not to mention the abandoned casino and summer palace of the former King. (Note: Bokor is occasionally closed for the next couple years for construction of a new road and resort on top of the mountain).
SihanoukVille is Cambodia's largest beach resort. A couple hundred small guesthouses, as well as a few top quality resorts on the beach. SihanoukVille is Cambodia's second largest city.
Koh Kong is Cambodia's most popular eco-tourist province, along the Southern border with Thailand. Mountains, jungle, rivers and waterfalls. Also beaches, mangroves and tropical islands.
Now is the perfect time to visit the Southern Coast of Cambodia
Special thanks to Dan from Kep Lodge for many of the photos and descriptions.