Kep also romanized as Kaeb formally known as Kep Province is the smallest province of Cambodia covering 336 km², with a population of 40,280. Founded as a seaside retreat for the French elite in 1908 and a favoured haunt of Cambodian high-rollers during the 1960s, sleepy Kep is drawing tourists back with seafood, sunsets and hikes in butterfly-filled Kep National Park. Its impressive range of boutique hotels squarely targets a more cultured beach crowd than the party-happy guesthouses of Sihanoukville and the islands.