Once the site of a series of major battles between the French colonial forces and a Chinese army, modern-day Kep is a relaxed beach town. During the colonial era, Kep was a favorite destination of the French and Cambodian elite, most notably King Sihanouk, whose former villa still stands in the area. Today, Kep's quaint streets and close proximity to the pristine beaches and waters of the Gulf of Thailand offer a markedly different experience than elsewhere in the country.of limestone caves by flowing water and time into a number of strange, otherworldly formations.