Kep National Park: a loop around the hill

A shaded forest trail that circles the hill behind Kep, with sea views, butterflies, monkeys and a rock made for watching the sunset.

Area

Kep

Start from

Kep

Distance

about 8 km loop

Time needed

half a day

Best season

November – April

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

On foot from Kep town

Tickets & rules

Small entry fee

Why go

Behind Kep rises a forested hill that is now a national park, and an 8 km trail loops around it. The path is mostly flat and shaded, contouring around the hill with views across the bay to the islands and to Vietnam’s Phu Quoc.

Along the way you pass viewpoints, benches and small signs with quirky messages. Butterflies drift through the forest, long-tailed macaques watch from the trees, and in the early morning birds are everywhere.

It is the best walk in the area, and combined with a crab lunch it makes a perfect day.

The story

Kep National Park was created in 1993, in the same wave of decrees that protected Bokor and Ream, to save the forest on the hill behind the town. For years it was little visited and the paths were overgrown, until local residents and volunteers cleared and marked the loop, added hand-painted signs, little wooden benches and maps, and turned it into the walk it is today. Many of the signs carry gentle jokes and philosophical sayings, which is half the fun.

Sunset Rock, on the western side of the loop, is the most famous viewpoint, looking out over the sea to the islands. Getting there in time for the sunset and walking back down in the dusk is a Kep ritual.

The forest is mostly secondary growth, recovering from decades of logging and disturbance, but it is already tall and shady. Long-tailed macaques live here in noisy troops, and dusky langurs are sometimes reported in quieter parts. In the cooler months butterflies gather in clouds along the path, and hornbills and orioles call from the canopy. Near the entrance there are small shrines and a pagoda, and side paths lead up toward the summit.

Kep itself has a quiet, slightly melancholy charm, with ruined 1960s villas among the trees and new guesthouses, and the park is part of that atmosphere.

Getting there

The main entrance is on the hill behind Kep beach, a short tuk-tuk ride or walk from the town centre. There is a small entry fee at the gate. The loop takes two to three hours on foot.

A suggested plan

1. 7:00 amStart early at the park entrance to avoid the heat.
2. 7:30 amWalk clockwise around the hill, stopping at viewpoints.
3. 9:00 amRest at Sunset Rock; enjoy the view across the bay.
4. 10:00 amReturn to town for breakfast or crab lunch.
5. AlternativeStart at 3 pm to reach Sunset Rock for sunset, then walk out with a torch.

Where to stay

Kep is the base; guesthouses on the hillside are close to the trail.

Good to know

• Bring water and snacks; there are no shops on the trail.
• Wear walking shoes; some sections are rocky.
• Carry a torch if you plan to walk at sunset.
• Don’t feed the monkeys.