Month by month: the two seasons, the crab and salt harvests, calm vs rough seas for the island boat, and when the holidays fill the coast.
What each month is really like in Kep — the two seasons, the crab and salt and pepper harvests, the sea conditions for the Rabbit Island boat, and when the holidays fill the coast. It's the pattern of past years, not a forecast for any one day.
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January
Peak dry-season weather: warm, dry and breezy, with usually calm seas for the Rabbit Island boat. Busy with Cambodian visitors — book ahead.
Weather
Coolest and driest month — warm days, low humidity, very little rain.
Prices
medium
Crowds
busy
This is the usual pattern of past years — Kep's two seasons, the harvests and the holidays — not a forecast for any single day. Rainfall and sea conditions vary from year to year, and sources disagree on the exact figures, so check the weather and the boat conditions before you travel.
Peak dry-season weather: warm, dry and breezy, with usually calm seas for the Rabbit Island boat. Busy with Cambodian visitors — book ahead.
February
Still excellent — dry, calm water, and the pepper harvest beginning. One of the best months to be here.
March
Hot but dry, with calm seas for the island crossing. The Kampot-Kep salt and pepper harvests are at their peak.
April
Very hot. Khmer New Year brings Cambodian families to the coast — lively, but crowded and pricier, so book well ahead. Seas are still mostly calm.
May
Hot and humid, with the first afternoon storms. The salt harvest finishes before the rain. The island crossing starts to get choppy on stormy afternoons.
June
Green and quiet, but wet. Mornings are often fine and storms build later, so cross to Rabbit Island early in the day.
July
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Low season: lush, cheap and calm on land, but the sea turns rough in storms — check the water before crossing to the island.
August
The wettest time of year. Fine for a quiet, cheap stay and fresh crab, but the island boat is least reliable now.
September
Wet but winding down. The rain eases toward month's end as the dry season approaches.
October
The monsoon winds down. Pchum Ben draws Cambodian families home and to the coast — busier around the holiday.
The weather turns lovely again: drier days and calmer seas. The Water Festival and the start of the cool season bring visitors back.
December
Peak season: dry, cool and calm. Kep hosted Cambodia's Sea Festival here in December 2023; the festival now rotates the coast each year, so check where it lands before planning around it.