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Where is Botanica?

 

Botanica

A lovely, affordable spot

What we say 

Photo of Botanica, Main road, 2 km from town (toward Kampot), Kep. , Kep
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At Botanica, guests are greeted by a lush and overflowing garden dotted with honeybees and butterflies. Concrete bungalows are set along a meandering brick path that winds between banana plants and wild flowers. Interiors are simple but comfortable, with en suite cold-water showers and thick, comfortable mattresses. Mosquito nets and screened windows assure that no pesky critters disturb the slumber that should come easily in this quiet, out-of-the-way spot. Though it is a bit out of town, the guesthouse offers free bicycles and nothing is more than a short ride away. The restaurant serves an eclectic mix of international cuisine -- the menu is organised by country, with 12 nations represented -- and the bar is well stocked and offers a litany of cocktails and a hefty selection of Belgium beers. A pool table and friendly staff further compliment the draw of this lovely and affordable spot. WiFi is $1 per hour or $2 to use all day, and there's a laptop in the restaurant. When we visited in August 2009, the Belgian-Khmer couple who owned the place said it was up for sale and would probably change hands in a few months. They hope to sell it to people who will leave it generally as is.

Contact details:
Main road, 2 km from town (toward Kampot), Kep. T: (016) 562 775 
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What we were quoted*

Type of room Low season High season Notes
Bungalow fan private b'room 8 USD 8 USD Add $2 for a twin

* Travelfish researchers visit and review properties on an anonymous basis. By that we mean they show up, in person, and pretend to be either be a potential guest, or somebody looking for a room for a friend or relative. Where possible the researcher will inspect at least a couple of rooms. The rates you see above are what either the desk staff told us they were, or what were in the brochure when they just told us to quit bugging them and look in the brochure. For mid-range hotels and up, always shop around online for a competitive rate. Click here to find out more about what makes Travelfish different with regards our accommodation reviews.

Added to Travelfish on: 2nd July, 2008
Last visited or updated on: 29th August, 2009

Botanica reviews

Read 7 opinions from Travelfish readers

Amazing - 25th February, 2010
This is the best place to stay in Kep if you don't want to spent too much money. The owners are very nice, the food (Belgian) is great and the rooms are nice and clean. I came for 2 days and spent a whole week...

Botanica reviewed by hdelcour on 25th February, 2010, rated 5 out of 5.
Stayed here 11/2009
Total reviews submitted: 15.
hdelcour also reviewed: BAP Guesthouse, Chat House, Dai Long Hotel, European Guesthouse, Halo, Kangkhong Villa Guesthouse, Malany Guesthouse, Okay Guest House, Royal Sapa Hotel, Souannavong Guest House, Tree Top Ecolodge, Trung Cang Hotel, Vayakorn Guesthouse, Villa Sokxai 2.

A great place to chill - 28th January, 2010
While the bungalows themselves are pretty basic (and the geckos HUGE!) the setting and restaurant/bar/communal area and the fellow travelers that I met there are what made my stay at Botanica a highlight of my trip to Cambodia. The food is great and the beer selection includes Belgian brews for when you get sick of Angkor.

Botanica reviewed by raindog on 28th January, 2010, rated 4 out of 5.
Stayed here 1/2010
Total reviews submitted: 5.
raindog also reviewed: Balcony Guesthouse & Restaurant, Little Garden Bar & Guesthouse, Pan's Guest House, The Boddhi Tree -- Umma.

Great stay in Botanica - 18th January, 2010
We enjoyed our 4 days and night stay at Botanica. Their magical food makes you want to stay in the cozy atmosphere all day long. Crab-market, Kampot, Pepper plantation visit, jungle trip, Rabbit Island, etc... it's all in the neighbourhood. Just grab a free bike or rent a motorbike and you'r off. One of the best POOL-TABLES in Cambodia!!! Of course for free.

Botanica reviewed by FemkeThijs on 18th January, 2010, rated 5 out of 5.
Stayed here 1/2010
Total reviews submitted: 2.
FemkeThijs also reviewed: Queens Hill Resort.

Belgian beer..what more does one need - 20th November, 2009
Lovely little guesthouse in a very green surrounding. The staff is always in for a chat and can give you heaps of info. Highly recommanded...

Botanica reviewed by Lawoat on 20th November, 2009, rated 4 out of 5.
Stayed here 11/2009
Total reviews submitted: 2.
Lawoat also reviewed: Vanna Bungalows.

Cheap and cheerful - 19th November, 2009
Great little place with friendly staff and really tasty food. The walk into Kep is fine and there are pleanty of guesthouses on route but we didn't enjoy the walk back at night as it is very dark with lots of local dogs barking! If you enjoy chilling out then an overnight stay on Rabbit Island is recommended!

Botanica reviewed by Sheenastar on 19th November, 2009, rated 4 out of 5.
Stayed here 11/2009
Total reviews submitted: 9.
Sheenastar also reviewed: Bodhi Villa, Canh Tien, Kampot Guesthouse, Rikka Inn, Rosy Guest House, Sokdee Guest House, Thang Loi Resort, Top Banana Guesthouse.

Read 2 more reviews

Botanica made our stay - 31st May, 2009
We loved Kep - partly thanks to this great guesthouse! Yummy food - fresh rosemary and oregano in the omelettes, homemade Belgian frites, great curries! Our room was basic but very clean, and the restaurant area was great. They can also help arrange day trips to Ko Tonsay - a must.

Botanica reviewed by jessieo on 31st May, 2009, rated 5 out of 5.
Stayed here 5/2009
Total reviews submitted: 4.
jessieo also reviewed: Blissful Guesthouse, Bright Lotus 1 Guest House, Mandalay Inn.

Great budget option - 26th March, 2009
We had a very nice, relaxed stay at Botanica guesthouse. The bungalows are simple but there's a nice common area and the grounds are beautiful. It's a little distance from town, but they have pedal bikes for free guest use and can set you up with a motorbike if you want (which we did - it was great). The food is very good here, which is nice because there aren't many places to eat in Kep other than the guesthouses. Stefaan and his wife were great hosts, and at $8 USD it's great value. No TV but wifi is available for cheap. You might have some ''animal planet'' happening in your bungalow though. We didn't have any creepy crawlies but 2 tokay on the rafters and some tree frogs in the bathroom; we didn't have any problems with bugs though!

Botanica reviewed by amazon_blonde on 26th March, 2009, rated 4 out of 5.
Stayed here 2/2009
Total reviews submitted: 9.
amazon_blonde also reviewed: Gooddream Guesthouse, Mai Pen Rai Bungalows, Mandalay Inn, Nautilus Bungalow, Orchid Guesthouse, Tay Ho Hotel, Trung Nguyen Hotel, Xayoh Ban Sabai Bungalow and Restaurant.

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