Lili ‘Kep’: A French woman guided by her heart in Cambodia
- Christophe Gargiulo
- Aug 4, 2025
- 7 min read
In the charming coastal town of Kep, certain characters become landmarks, embodying the unique spirit of this destination. Lili, owner of the Hôtel de la Plage — a name that echoes Michel Lang's film — is undoubtedly one of these iconic figures who enrich the charm of the region.
Seated on the colourful terrace of her establishment, a place where every object evokes a distant journey or a touch of artistic authenticity, Lili willingly opens up.
She talks passionately about her first steps in Cambodia, the fascinating kingdom that welcomed her, while sharing the ups and downs of her rather remarkable career.
Lili also talks about her vision for the future, where every new idea is combined with a sincere desire to preserve the unique soul of her hotel. Because with Lili, neither time nor horizons mark an end: adventure is a perpetual new beginning, vibrating to the rhythm of an undiminished passion for this place and its inhabitants.
Interview
Tell us a little about yourself
I am French, originally from the Ardennes in northern France, and I naturally have a very particular northern temperament. Hard-working, friendly and a bit of an explorer, that's how I would describe myself. I come from the town of Rimbaud, Charleville-Mézières.
We were immersed in a love of travel from a very early age, right from school.
Do you come from a large family?
No, not at all. I come from a small, broken family. So it wasn't difficult for me to leave. I started wanting to travel when I was 18. As soon as I started working, it was solely to pay for plane tickets and discover the world.
What was your first trip?
To Senegal, in Africa. Why Senegal? I don't really know why. The tickets weren't very expensive and it wasn't that far from France. I only travelled during my school holidays, as I was studying.
What did you study?
I studied law. I got a master's degree in law, then a PhD in political science, specialising in international relations with Africa. I also got a specialised degree, a DESS as it was called at the time.
That's interesting, and quite different from what you do now, isn't it?
Absolutely. I saw myself more in diplomacy and international relations. In fact, I worked in international organisations such as MRAP (Movement Against Racism and for Friendship Among Peoples), which is similar to SOS Racisme but more left-wing.
And your travels around the world?
At first, I travelled a lot in West Africa, mainly because I fell in love there. I'm a hopeless romantic. So I went to Senegal several times, then around the age of 30, my ex-husband and I started travelling more in Asia, always as part of Lili Perle, the company we created to change our lives.
Why the change?
We felt crushed by the French system. After several trips to Africa, we prepared to move to Asia.
Tell us about your arrival in Cambodia.
I arrived in 2002, after several years of travelling in Asia, mainly in India, which I loved. The idea for Lili Perles came from my ex-husband. We wanted to get out of the daily grind, and he suggested I make jewellery, as I enjoyed crafting. That's how the idea came about to design pearl jewellery, work with artisans, particularly in India, and sell our products at the market.
It was a complete change of direction, wasn't it?
Yes, I left my teaching job and we lived in a caravan on a campsite to save money, a choice motivated by a desire for nomadic life and freedom. I like challenges, they're stimulating.
Let's go back to your arrival in Cambodia.
I arrived as a tourist, first in Sihanoukville, a city that didn't appeal to me, mainly because of the atmosphere linked to prostitution, which was very prevalent at the time. I wanted a place by the sea, so I came to Kep, which seemed old-fashioned and laid-back, but healthier.
There were only two foreigners in the town at the time: Nicolas Strauss and Laurent Vallier, and the atmosphere was very peaceful. One day, a boy from the ASPECA orphanage spoke to me in French and invited me to visit the orphanage. I was deeply moved by these children, most of whom were orphans, and I decided to sponsor two of them.
That was the beginning of my story with Cambodia.
I settled there within two or three years. My ex-husband came back with me to discover this place and, free together, we worked in the markets and prepared to settle down. In Kep, there was no electricity, so we moved to Kampot, where we opened a very colourful shop, which did very well.
Did you manage to make a name for yourselves?
Yes, thanks in particular to an annual page in the magazine L'écho du Cambodge. People wondered who these two French people were selling pearls in Kampot. The shop aroused a lot of curiosity and did well, as did our other shops in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Battambang.
I remember perfectly when we started out, offering original, delicately designed jewellery that stood out from everything else on the market. At the same time, we organised numerous workshops, an initiative that placed us in a virtually untapped niche. We had absolutely no competition there.
We quickly built up a loyal customer base among expatriate women, often accompanied by husbands who were very busy with their work. They were bored and looking for a welcoming place to meet over a coffee and share a creative moment. These workshops were a hit, reinforcing our feeling that we had created something unique.
Then came the turning point: our arrival at the Hôtel de la Plage. How did this transition come about?
We had settled in Kep, where we ran a shop on the road leading to the crab market, a strategic location that allowed us to fully express our creativity. But life has its surprises. After separating from my ex-husband, who kept the house, I had to leave Kep for Phnom Penh.
We sold the house, losing our foothold in this city that was so dear to my heart.
That's when fate gave me a new opportunity: a small space available at the Hôtel de la Plage. I decided to take it, renovate it completely, and open the Lili Perles shop. The owner, impressed by the transformation and our dynamism, offered me the hotel itself, whose lease was coming to an end.
That was in 2010, and since then, this extraordinary adventure has been going strong for over a decade. The beginnings were not without their doubts, of course, but the location was promising and, above all, I had built up a solid network over the years.
Very quickly, I assembled a loyal team from among my acquaintances and my small professional family, who are still by my side today.
This success is based as much on this network as on the passion put into every stone and every detail. People enjoy coming here:
‘We're going to Lili's’ has become the local phrase for a simple outing to the hotel.
Today, I am working to make it more natural to say ‘I'm going to the Hôtel de la Plage’, while maintaining the intimate link between my personality and this place that owes so much to me.
Because, deep down, this hotel is a reflection of my soul, built with passion, tenacity and a profound vision that gives it a strong identity. It is this soul that every visitor feels, a refuge that is both warm and authentic, the fruit of 12 years of tireless commitment.
This is my story, told through every stone of the Hôtel de la Plage, a place where elegance meets simplicity and dreams become reality.
Then, unfortunately, Covid had an impact on your business?
We had to close for two months, and most of our foreign guests left, but thanks to a large Cambodian clientele, we quickly bounced back, even better than before, especially after the roads reopened before the Khmer New Year.
What is the secret to attracting Cambodian customers?
A welcome in Khmer, speaking their language, a prime location next to the square with ample parking, family rooms, reasonable prices and good quality service.
You even obtained Cambodian nationality?
Yes, it was very moving. In 2018, during the sea festival in Kep, I met some Cambodian dignitaries. Curious to know who I was, they offered me Cambodian nationality, and two weeks later, I had it.
What are your plans for the future?
Retirement is approaching, and I want to hand over the business to my team. I'll stay on for one last season to help them become independent.
I also have a project that is very close to my heart: opening a professional, accredited French school in Kep to encourage dynamic families to come and settle here, which is crucial given the lack of educational facilities.
What are your personal passions?
Other people, human beings, are my great passion. Despite everything, I like to see the best in everyone. I love talking to all the people who come here, discovering their backgrounds and their stories. Besides that, I like swimming, walking and daydreaming.
You are also involved in humanitarian work at the local level.
At first, I wanted to change the world on a large scale through politics. I quickly realised that it is at the local level, through community action, that we can really make an impact. This philosophy guides my commitment here.
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