Cambodia & Angor Wat
Click here for a few suggestions from our
extensive portfolio of hotels
Having survived the stranglehold of the jungle,
occupation by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge guerilla fighters, and pillaging and
looting by international vandals, Angkor Wat in Cambodia is faced with
another problem – visitor numbers. The number of people arriving at the
10-12th century temple complex is increasing almost daily and it may
soon be necessary to limit the numbers. Anyone considering a trip to
this magnificent 200-acre temple complex - the most visited in S.E. Asia
– would perhaps be wise to think about doing it soon.
Fortunately, you can make a short trip to Siem Reap,
home of Angkor Wat, from almost any of the S.E. Asian hubs, and it makes
an attractive add-on to a holiday in that region. The town of Siem Reap
is experiencing chaotic growth at the moment but it has has three
excellent 5* hotels dedicated to soothing and pampering the seeker after
culture.
Raffles is a byname in sophistication and the Grand
Hotel d’Angkor is no exception. This legendary French Colonial hotel
built in 1932, restored to its former glory (winning the Condé Nast
World’s Best Place to Stay Award in 2001 and 2002) offers spacious
gardens heavy with the scent of frangipani, the usual spa, fitness
centre, swimming pools etc., as well as restaurants and bars catering to
the discerning gourmet that you would expect from a Raffles hotel.
 The
Sofitel Royal Angkor Hotel is the nearest to Angkor Wat. It has
strikingly lush grounds dotted with red and cream pavilions, the dining
area, pool area and spa facility linked to the bedrooms and suites by
cool verandahs. It boasts a magnificent pool that winds through the
flower-filled gardens, outdoor massage in one of the tranquil Pavilions,
and the usual fitness centre, restaurants, bars, and a shop selling
local handicrafts and books.
The newest hotel in the area is the Pansea, a
traditionally styled Kymer hotel built entirely of teak, the
swimming-pool lined with dark tiles to better catch the reflection of
the moon. The wood effect is carried through from the lobby to the
dining-room and from the bedroom into the bathroom, and the soft
reddish-brown of the wooden balconies that overhang the pool area, lend
the area an air of timeless charm.
You can see most everything in 2 days, but if you
want some leisure time to enjoy the facilities of one of these hotels,
then make it 3 days. This will give you time to visit all the important
Temples from the majestic Angkor Wat itself to the Bayon complex with
the 216 gigantic carved faces on 54 temples and the lesser known but
exquisite Prasat Banteay Samre. And don’t miss the sprawling Ta Prohm
where huge banyan trees still grow out of the ruins. Some of the more
dangerous walls are being secured but the restorers have decided to
leave this much as it was found in the mid-19th century. These trees
too, are part of Cambodia’s heritage.
Three days will also allow you time to enjoy some of
the facilities in your hotel, to relax around the pool after lunch
before continuing sightseeing in the cooler late afternoon, to join the
locals one evening in the short climb to view the evening sunset on
Phnom Bakheng, and to take a boat trip on Lake Tonle Sap to visit the
floating villages and photograph the traditional Khymer way of life.
One of the great joys of staying in the former
French Indochine is the food, a legacy of the former French colonial
occupation. Good wines, exceptional cheeses, and bread baked twice or
thrice daily is the norm, as well as food with that unmistakable French
touch. If you chose to try the local Kymer or Cambodian fare, you will
find it less spicy than Thai and more interesting than Chinese, with
extremely fresh seafood and crunchy vegetables.
Take plenty of film as it’s not always easy to find
here and it’s not usually kept in optimum conditions. You can get a Visa
on entry but bring three passport size photos with you, two for the Visa
and one for your Pass to the temples, but if you forget them, don’t
worry, there’s a photographer there on site.
Click here for a few suggestions from our
extensive portfolio of hotels
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