My 48 Hours in ... Kep, Cambodia

The charming Cambodian coastal resort town is making astunning comeback

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SUNSET BOULEVARD: ANOTHER GLORIOUS DAY DRAWS TO A CLOSE ON THE WATERFRONT.

Looking out across the sprawling sea of tropical green that makes up the base of Kep National Park, Dan Kreis takes a sip of his cocktail and watches the sky transform into a palette of colour as the sun slowly melts into the shimmering Gulf of Thailand.

"It's moments like this that made me fall in love with Kep," resort owner Kreis (right) says .

And in the nine years he has called the quaint Cambodian coastal town home, the pristine view hasn't lost a fraction of its tranquil hue.

Once dubbed Kep-sur-Mer, or Cambodian Riviera, during Cambodia's golden age of the 1950s and '60s, Kep was a paradise for the country's elite, with the cool sea breeze, laid-back pace of life and charismatic charm appealing to French colonials and rich Cambodians alike.

The charming seaside town became a getaway for the rich and famous who flaunted their fashion, flashy sports cars and lavish lifestyles in the Saint-Tropez of Southeast Asia. But during the Khmer Rouge reign from 1975 to 1979, the town was plunged into ruin, becoming a shell of its former glamorous self.

In 2001, the last of the Khmer Rouge were driven out and peace was restored. This paved the way for a slow trickle of tourism, and it wasn't long before Kep was on its way back to becoming a stylish weekend destination.

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
Seven years ago, Kreis set up Kep Lodge, a boutique eco-retreat nestled at the base of the national park's dense jungle. "It took me two years to find the perfect spot but here it is and I wouldn't change it for the world," he says. Kreis recognised Kep's raw, undeveloped beauty and knew it was where he should set up shop. Read the full article at The South China Morning Post.