That is either exactly what you want or a disappointment, and it is worth knowing which before you get on the boat.
Honestly, what's there
A beach of a few hundred metres, a row of family-run shacks selling food and cold drinks, basic bungalows if you stay the night, and no roads, no bank, and barely any electricity after dark.
What it is not: polished. The water is warm and shallow rather than postcard-clear, there can be litter after a windy spell, and the bungalows are simple in the real sense of the word — fan, mosquito net, cold water.
What it is: quiet, cheap, and genuinely unhurried, with better swimming than the mainland and a sky at night you don't get in town.
If you have one day in Kep, we'd spend it on the crab market and the national park. If you have two, the island is a lovely second day.
Getting there
Boats leave from the pier in Kep, not from the crab market. Buy at the ticket office at the pier, or through your guesthouse.
- The crossing takes 20–30 minutes depending on the boat and the sea
- A shared boat is around $8 return. Some sellers at the pier will quote far more — walk to the proper ticket office
- A private boat is about $25 return for up to six people
- Boats out generally leave around 9am and 1pm; the return is around 3pm in the rainy season and 4pm in the dry season
- Tickets are sold as returns with a set pickup time. Miss the last boat and you're staying the night
Times and fares shift with the season and the weather. Check at the pier on the day — and if you're staying with us, ask us and we'll point you at the right boat.
Day trip or overnight?
Day trip works for most people: over mid-morning, swim, eat, back before dark. That's what the 9am out and 4pm back is designed for.
Overnight is for a particular kind of traveller. Bungalows run about $7–10 a night and are basic. Power is generator-run and typically goes off around 10pm, after which it is you, the sea and the stars. Some people love exactly that; others are bored by nine.
Bungalows have historically been available on arrival, but there are not many of them and weekends get busy. If you're set on staying, ask your guesthouse in Kep to call ahead.
What to bring
- Cash. There is no ATM and card payment is rare. Bring more than the boat fare
- Water, more than you think
- Sunscreen and a hat — the beach has some trees, but not many
- Shoes you can get wet for the boat
- A dry bag if your phone matters to you; boats are open and spray happens
- Mosquito repellent if you're staying the night
When not to go
The sea between Kep and the island gets choppy, and in bad weather the crossing is unpleasant or doesn't run at all. The rainy season — roughly May to October — brings rougher water and an earlier last boat. The dry months are the reliable ones.
If it has been windy, ask before you buy a ticket. The boats are small and open.
Before or after
Rabbit Island pairs well with a late lunch at the crab market on the way back, or with the national park loop the following morning.
If you are staying in Kep, our bungalows are a few minutes from the pier — just ask and we'll sort the boat out with you.