Pheakday Phang, the soul of Knai Bang Chatt and of the Kep West adventure
Pheakday Phang is 40. He comes from Kampot province and has worked at Knai Bang Chatt for six years. As resident manager, he runs the resort and Kep West’s Discovery Center.
Pheakday Phang comes from Kampot province, next door to Kep. He is 40. He has worked at Knai Bang Chatt, the Kep West resort, for six years. Today he is its resident manager.
What he runs
He oversees all of the resort’s operations. He is also in charge of the Discovery Center, which offers water sports and a range of excursions in the area. He looks after the Art for Kep artist residency and the villas.
He is also a qualified sailing instructor. He teaches sailing and safety courses himself.
Knai Bang Chatt
The hotel sits on the water’s edge in Kep, a town once nicknamed the Saint-Tropez of Southeast Asia. It occupies three renovated villas designed by the Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann, who drew on Le Corbusier. There are eighteen rooms, with teak beds and private terraces, facing the sea. The property also has an infinity pool, a spa, a restaurant, a bar, a library and a garden.
The Discovery Center
The Discovery Center, also called the Discovery and Sailing Center, is Pheakday Phang’s other ground. Children aged 6 to 12 learn to sail the Optimist there. Adults take a sailing course or go on a guided kayak trip to the mangroves. Qualified sailors take out the Hobie Cats.
The center rents equipment and offers a range of excursions to discover the Kep landscape. On Saturday 7 November, it opens from 8:30 to 17:00. Lunch at The Wave is included in the day ticket.
Ten Boats+
Pheakday Phang also looks after Ten Boats+, an Art for Kep project. The open call invites artists to turn at least ten retired wooden fishing hulls into contemporary artworks. They will be shown at the Kep International Art Week, from 11 to 14 December.
He is the one who found those hulls. He went along the shores and through the mangroves looking for old boats, then brought them back to the site.
Kep, his everyday life
What he likes first is the place. “The setting is magnificent,” he says. For him, Kep is nature in its purest form. The resort has also taught him a lot. He says he has done more than he thought he could. The resident manager role lets him grow. The team works in an excellent atmosphere.
He also talks about the town’s atmosphere, its French colonial history and its nature. On weekends, people from the cities and neighbouring provinces come to Kep. He is already there. “For me, I am already in Kep,” he says. When he is not working, he stays at home with his family and visits places in Kampot province.
Wind, Waves and a Beach Party
Pheakday Phang is organizing and offering “Wind, Waves and a Beach Party”, three days at Coco Beach and the Discovery and Sailing Center, from 6 to 8 November. The event opens the season at Coco Beach.
Friday 6 November: cinema on the sand at Coco Beach. Campfire and drinks at 18:00, film at 19:00, as soon as it is dark.
Saturday 7 November: the Discovery and Sailing Center opens from 8:30 to 17:00. From 9:00 to 11:30, Optimist course for children aged 6 to 12, sailing course for adults or guided kayak trip to the mangroves. Lunch at The Wave from 12:00 to 13:30, included in the ticket. Afternoon session from 14:00 to 16:30. Hobie Cats are free all day for qualified sailors. The ticket costs USD 30 for adults and USD 15 for children under 12. Places are limited.
Saturday evening, from 17:15: Coco Beach Lights Up. Entry is free. At 17:15, the boats sail past the beach. At 17:30, the beach opens with sunset cocktails. At 18:00, BBQ with finger food at USD 25 per person, with a live band.
Sunday 8 November: every rental at the Discovery and Sailing Center is half price.
Rooms and stays: +855 78 888 557, sales@knaibangchatt.com. Discovery Center: +855 78 888 556, dcm@kepwest.com.
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