There is (as already described in other reviews) a pleasant easy walk around Kep National Park if you stay on the nicely provided concrete foot path - which would take a couple of hours and is gentle and relaxing with some nice forest scenery.
However, there are opportunities to get off the concrete path and head into the "interior" .... this is a much more interesting and enjoyable hike for those who like a bit more of a challenge, have a bit more time on their hands and a good set of legs and lungs !
I did such a hike (solo) which took about 4.5 hours, covered 10km and took a bit of effort but was thoroughly enjoyable as a half day hike !!
I started off at the main entrance gate (behind Verandah Resort) and headed up the concrete path & past the Led Zep cafe (take a photo of the park trail map posted there to have with you for guidance).
I've attached a photo of the map so the following description makes some sense!
I stopped at a couple of view points on the way, including the viewing tower, at each of which there are lovely views down and over to the coast.
After about 4km on the concrete path you reach a ranger station next to the "Little Pond" (Waypoint 5 on the map) and that's where you head off into the interior via the path marked as "Jungle Path" (Waypoint 18 on the map) - this is where the fun begins !
This marks the start of a challenging section through the trees taking about 1 to 1.5 hours heading up to the highest point on the trail "Phnom Kep" (Waypoint 9 on the map) - the trail is very steep for long sections but fortunately there are ropes fixed which you use to haul yourself up with - the trail is a bit overgrown in places but that adds to the challenge - this is the hot and sticky section!
When you get to the top you'll come across a few stone cairns (rock piles) and a yellow sign telling you the altitude of 286m for Phnom Kep (that's how high you've climbed!).
From here you head over a short distance to the "Little Buddha" statue (Waypoint 8 on the map) and have a bit of a breather looking at the statue ... which is indeed quite little !
I then took the path to "Sunset Rock" (Waypoint 7 on the map) which had some very steep downwards sections at times - when you arrive here the trees suddenly open up and you get a wide ranging stunning view over the coast - it's a good idea to have a sit down, grab your drink and admire the view for a while!
From Sunset Rock I headed down the path towards & then past the "Antennae" and on to the "Nuns Centre" (Waypoint 6 on the map) which is a small temple. From there I continued down the same path until I reached a Buddha statue in a pagoda structure, where a swift right turn takes you down a switchback path past the rope park and out onto the road and the sunlight !! I then continued up the Bopha Prasidh Road back to the main park entrance, where I started from, and then wandered on up to the Led Zep cafe for some well deserved drinks and a rest admiring the views.
This was the end of a pleasant half day hike - a bit of a leg stretcher which tested the old lungs at times, but with many pleasant view points amid the forested park.
Couple of words of advice - wear closed shoes (full hiking boots not needed!) with a bit of grip, take a couple of litres of water with you, use bug spray if you get easily bitten and take your time on the steep 'ups' and 'downs' sections!
I also downloaded, and would recommend for this hike, the MAPS.ME app and its Cambodia map which had a detailed map of the park trails and made it easier to follow the park map photo (it also helped get me back to the right path when I took a wrong turn at the top of the trail !).
I've posted this detailed description of the hike I enjoyed to make known that there is more to the Kep National Park for walkers/hikers than the easy concrete footpath trail - head into the interior on some of the forest trails and you will have a more interesting and enjoyable hiking experience ... it's a shame I only had one day available for Kep National Park as I would have liked to go back over a couple of days and try out all of the other interior trails - maybe next time!!
My day in Kep National Park was one of the highlights of my trip to Cambodia - it was a pleasant surprise to get a nice hike in surrounded by lovely forest which once I got in to the 'interior' sections I had pretty much to myself.
I recommend to try it out when you're in Kep if you have a spare half day - if you've only a few hours then the paved track is also worth a wander for some nice views and quiet time with nature.