Sea Festival in Kep Province

About 300 Athletes to compete in 9 Kinds of Sport during the Sea Festival in Kep Province.

The Second Edition of the SEA festival will be held at the Coastal City of Kep Province this December with Athletes competing in 9 different sports discipline. This was made known by the NOCC Secretary General, H.E Vath Chamroeun.



The Event will take place from 29th to 30th December 2012 with athletes competing in the following:

 3 km and 5 km swimming, 3 km, 5 km and 10 km running,  Boat racing (canoe-Kayak) and traditional boat, Triathlon and Duathlon, Beach Volleyball,  Khmer Free Boxing, Jetskies, Paragliding, Skaterstan.

According to the Secretary General, about 60,000-80,000 visitors are expected to attend the 2 day event with about 300 athletes competitng in the various sports activities.

The first edition was held in Sihanoukville in 2011 during the count down to 2012 with about 60,000 visitors The NOCC Secretary General stated..

Kep Province - Tourist Attractions

Kep, a province on Cambodia's southern coast, is a former resort town known throughout Cambodia for its relaxed, sun-dappled beaches and mouth-wateringly fresh crabs. In recent years, the province has undergone a revival, with many foreign and domestic visitors making the trip to indulge in its luxurious beachside resorts, tropical islands, and toothsome seafood.



During Cambodia's golden years before 1970, this lush coastal region was a seaside playground for affluent. Although Kep's beaches may not be in the same league as those in Preah Sihanouk, travelers seek out its tranquil atmosphere and unadulterated coasts.



A small section of the beach doubles as a regular crab-trading depot and the Crab Market (Psar Kdam) on the water’s edge serves as a popular tourist destination. Fishermen bring in baskets of crabs by the boatload, and waterfront restaurants cook them fresh, usually boiled with a few fragrant sticks of famed Kampot pepper. Fish, squid and prawns are also on offer, often cooking slowly over coals at the front of all the restaurants.

For a relaxing day trip, visitors often travel to a nearby island such as Rabbit Island (Koh Thonsáy), which is only a short boat ride off Kep's coast. Here, you'll find beautiful seaside views, bamboo platforms and basic bungalows, and plenty of rustic charm. A boat back during the evening sunset is not to be missed.

Those looking to take a break from beachside lounging may wish to visit some of the local limestone caves, some of which contain holy shrines.

Attractions in Kep Province

Veal Lumher,Kep City
 
Veal Lumher is a lovely little site tucked away in Kep Village of Kep Commune. Veal Lumher refers to the Koh Puor or the Puor Island. It has become as one of the most favorite destinations for the tourists who are looking for spending a few days far away from the crowds of more 'touristy' places. Arriving here is easy and convenient. If you are traveling from the provincial town, a 0.5 km journey will take you to the Veal Lumher in Kep City. A maximum of 3 minutes' ride and you will find yourself at one of the most beautiful corners in the land of Cambodia.

Teuk Chhou Zoo
 
The Teuk Chhou Zoo is a private zoo in Kep. It is located 2.5 km away from the provincial town. The zoo is located in Thmei Village in the Prey Thom Commune, and is home to a variety of animal and plant species.

Phnom Sar Sear
 
Phnom Sar Sear is a fabulous natural and cultural resort situated at a distance of 14 km. from the provincial town of Kampot.

Phnom Sar Sear consists of three small mountains spread across a total land area of approximately 1.5 square kilometers. The mountain rises to a height of around 40 meters. Tourists can visit the mountain caves here. Among the caves, the cave of Phnom Ach Pro Chiev and particularly, the cave of Phnom Dam Rey Sar, are the most well known ones. Here, you will find a great architecture of Viel Sre inside.

Koh Ton Say Resort
 
Koh Ton Say is natural resort located in southeastern Kep town. The resort has two beaches suitable for swimming.

Cambodia's Sea Festival in Kep at Dec 2012

Officials estimate that there will be tens of thousands of participants at the second Sea Festival later this year. 

Under the theme “Blue Sea, Green City”, the festival will be begin on December 30 in Kep province.

Officials will attempt to organise at least three or four days of events, such as a trade fair, an international food show and sporting activities centred around Cambodia’s coast, according to Minister of Tourism Thong Khon. 

-Activity in Kep Sea Fest : will be organized varieties of sports  
  
The events and entertainment will help to boost tourists numbers to the coastal area, as last year’s Sea Festival in Preah Sihanouk province saw a 50 per cent increase in tourists to the region, he said.

“Since we organised the Sea Festival last year, we saw a 50 per cent increase in international tourists and local tourists,” he said. “This year, we will hold the festival in Kep province, because we think more tourists will be interested." 

-Activity in Kep Sea Fest : will be organized varieties of sports
   
According to a recent report by the Tourism Industry Department, as of June this year, Kep province had only 372 hotel and guesthouse rooms. Seventy are hotel rooms, and 302 rooms are in guesthouses.

Officials estimate that with the expected tens of thousands flocking to Kep, accommodation will be a major problem.

Thong Khon said that they could go to sleep in Kampot, Bokor or stay in hotels on the Cambodia-Vietnam border.

He added that officials will allow private comapanies to run booths for renting accommodation.

“I think there will not be just a few people, but a lot of people attending because Kep is beautiful,” he said. “Even though it is small, it is easy to see the seascape. It is very suitable to hold events.” 

-Activity in Kep Sea Fest : will be organized varieties of sports 
 
Last year, officials estimated that as many as 50,000 tourists spent New Year’s weekend in Sihanoukville.

The celebration of the Sea Festival began last year as a tribute to the Cambodian Bay, which was accepted into the club of the most beautiful bays of the world in May 2011.

[Source: Phnom Penh Post]

Hot News-Cambodia’s Sea Festival in Kep at Year-End 2012

Thousands expected for Cambodia’s Sea Festival. Of course it reminded me of last year’s inaugural Sea Festival in Sihanoukville. Here in the middle of the rainy season, we tend to forget how busy it gets in the high season and Sihanoukville was packed for the Sea Festival last year. I can hardly imagine how little Kep is going to handle the traffic.

 


Last year’s Sea Festival in Sihanoukville was a big success

Anyway, we’ll see. Traffic jams aside, I’m sure the Sea Festival will boost Kep’s image just as it boosted Sihanoukville’s. I can’t guarantee that the Sea Festival is responsible for it, but it seems like more than a coincidence that our formerly empty-in-the-rainy-season town gets crowded with Cambodian weekend holiday makers almost every weekend now.
 
One thing that seemed a little weird to me last year was how few foreign visitors attended the Sea Festival. I have no idea why, but I saw very few, whether it was at the jet ski races, the food stalls, or the New Year’s Eve shows, I know there were plenty of them in town, but the majority of them steered clear of the festivities at the festival.

We’ll see what happens this year in Kep. One thing’s for sure, if you’re planning on staying in Kep between 30 December 2012 and 2 January 2013, you’d better book your Hotel in Kep, Cambodia right now unless you want to sleep on the beach, because according to Cambodian officials, there are only 372 guesthouse and hotel rooms in Kep. I’m sure there are actually more, but not that many more.

None of this is written to put you off going. On the contrary, it could be an amazing time to visit. If last year’s Sihanoukville Sea Festival is anything to go by, the crowds tend to gather together around events, leaving plenty of space elsewhere, if you want to take a breather from it all.
 
There aren’t that many places on the Cambodian coast that have the infrastructure to deal with large crowds. My guess is that next year, if it doesn’t go to Koh Kong, it will come back to Sihanoukville, but they’ll hold some events at Otres Beach.

Anyway, just wanted to give you a heads up about the Sea Festival.

Kep City - Cambodia

      

Kep City is a municipality in Cambodia with the status of a province. Kep is just a few kilometres from the border with Vietnam located and used to be Cambodia's most popular beach town but has fallen on hard times in recent years (especially due to the Khmer Rouge). Many of Kep's, mostly French villas are abandoned, but some of the town's former splendour is still apparent.
   
The see is lined with huge sidewalks and some large statues that now seem largely out of place. The king built a palace overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, but it was never furnished and now sits empty. A good, paved road connects the small town with the 15km far away Kampot. The slightly darker beaches than in Sihanoukville are mostly scattered with mangroves and black rocks, but Koh Thonsay (Rabbit Island) is just a short boat ride away (approx. 1/2h).
   
Kep appears to be experiencing something of a renaissance, with several mid-range and luxury guesthouses and bungalows recently opened or still under construction. The seafood is cheap, plentiful and delicious - particularly the quite famous crabs. Kep is also home to an extensive national park covering some mountains with deep green jungle.