Paradise In Kep

After arriving back into Cambodia last week for our 10 year reunion, and following a fun night out in Phnom Penh, 8 of us plus little Maya made the trip down to the coast and the town of Kep. A four plus hour trip in a mini-van, and then we arrived in paradise!

We had Villa Romonea to ourselves, an amazing retreat to relax and catch up with one another.

Built in the late 1960s by a Khmer family of the area, the house has some incredible history. Stefan told us the story of the house and it's survival and phases soon after we arrived, and we were in awe of the place.

Built with the shape of a dragon in mind, the features including the head and tail, the scales on the back of the dragon, and even the gills, were pointed out to us. All lovingly restored to it's glory just 6 years ago.

During the war and Khmer Rouge occupation, this house was one of the few that was looked after and cleaned by the KR - because they used it to store their fishery supplies. Heavily guarded in a time of deprivation for the rest of the people, Stefan showed us photos of the state of the building when the new, current owners took it on.

The house, and the setting in front of the Bokor mountains and sitting watching out to sea and Vietnam, is stunningly beautiful.

Of course, the infinity pool and decking, was gorgeous, and the area we lounged and ate and drink, read and swam, and talked.

The attention to detail in the restoration, and the fittings as an accommodation option in the small town of Kep, was impressive. The staff took care of our group's needs, and we had food delivered from a local restaurant for the first night.

An amazing, unforgettable way to come together as a group and spend time with each other.