Knai Bang Chatt Resort

Forty metres from the Gulf of Thailand in Cambodia's sleepy crab town of Kep, Knai Bang Chatt occupies a cluster of 1960s modernist villas originally built for Phnom Penh's elite — the swooping concrete rooflines and original terrazzo floors survive intact.

The resort faces a private stretch of the Kep waterfront, with a saltwater pool cantilevered toward the sea. Rooms draw on the villas' original footprints, meaning layouts are asymmetric and no two are identical. The kitchen works closely with Kep's crab market, a five-minute walk along the coastal road.

Kep itself sits three hours by road from Phnom Penh and forty minutes from Kampot, making it a practical base for Bokor National Park day trips.