It’s been a week now since we arrived in Krong Kep at our first Asian house sitting experience. During our time in Indonesia at the beginning of October, we saw an advert on a platform called “Trusted House Sitters” (https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/). Mandi and Stephen were looking for someone to look after their house and garden, their two dogs, three cats and about twenty chickens while they were travelling overseas. It sounded perfect for us, so we applied and, after one video call, we agreed to “sit their house” from the middle of December to early January. Christmas in Kep!

We left the island of Koh Rong Sanloem on a fairly bumpy boat ride on December 18th and afterwards endured a three‑hour drive from Sihanoukville to Kep. Kep, also spelled Kaeb, is a fairly tranquille coastal town of roughly 35,000 inhabitants. Established as a seaside resort by the French colonials in 1908, it quickly became a fashionable retreat for French officials and Cambodia’s elite, earning the nickname “Côte de la perle d’Agathe.” During Cambodia’s post‑independence “Golden Age” of the 1950s and 1960s, many modernist villas were built, adding to the town’s stylish reputation. Like much of the country, however, Kep suffered greatly during the civil war and Khmer Rouge era, when many villas were stripped for materials and left to decay. Today Kep is best known for its lively crab market, a lush national park and the pepper farms that form part of the world‑famous Kampot‑pepper region.

We met Mandi and Steve on the 18th and were given a relaxed tour around their property, along with clear, detailed explanations about the animals’ feeding times, which plants need watering and at what intervals, and some general information about the water filters, their car and other practical topics that would be useful for us to know during our stay. We then went to the national park for a walk with their lovely dogs so we could get to know one another. Right from the beginning, the two massive shepherds were extremely friendly and open with us, especially toward the kids. We immediately felt we’d establish a proper bond with them. We’ve now spent a week here and those first impressions have been thoroughly confirmed over the past few days.

Every second day we take the dogs to the national park in the early morning to give them a good, brisk walk, but since the property is located in the middle of some wide rice fields, the dogs can freely roam the entire time. I think they’ve gotten used to us by now, and it’s just lovely to spend a quiet, unhurried morning with them. The garden needs plenty of water, which is a daily exercise, and of course the three cats and the chicken also need to be looked after. It keeps us busy, but in a very nice and rewarding way.

It’s December 26th now where I am writing these lines, which means that the Christmas festivities happened in the meantime. This year felt different from previous ones, and while the kids surely missed some of their usual “Christmas routines,” I believe we still managed to make it special for them. Finding a Christmas tree in a country with 96% Buddhist followers proved impossible, but we improvised: we found fairy lights at a shop in Kampot, and Leni even bought a Santa costume in a second‑hand shop, which added to our celebrations.

On the days leading up to Christmas, we wandered to a small pizzeria near our temporary home, where Leni met a local girl she instantly clicked with. I struck up a conversation with the girl’s father, who spoke German, and before long they invited us over for a playdate for the kids. We accepted and went to their place on the 25th, spending a relaxed afternoon by their pool and in the garden. It’s these small, unexpected encounters that make traveling feel so special.

We also rented scooters for our entire stay here to stay flexible. Although Mandi and Steve had kindly offered us the car, we wanted to keep the mileage down and used it mostly for taking the dogs to the national park. Apart from that, we’ve been exploring Kep and Kampot when we feel like venturing out, but we also really enjoy simply spending time with the animals on the beautiful property we’re looking after.

We have a week and a half left now in Kep, and I will probably find the time for another update before we head to our next destination: Chiang Mai, Thailand. Until then, be well!