Discovering Timeless Cambodia with Secret Retreats

Enjoy seamless boutique hotel-hopping throughout fascinating Cambodia on a journey curated by Asian hospitality experts Secret Retreats 

It took me exactly half a century from my first trip to Southeast Asia (in 1975) to fulfill a bucket-list aspiration and reach the magnificent sacred ruins of Angkor Wat, that unique temple compound in the jungle near the Thai-Cambodian border – and at the last moment, it almost didn’t happen. A flare-up in simmering tensions led to armed skirmishes between the two nations’ armies, and the land border was closed. Fortunately, air traffic was not disrupted, and one of the lifelong dreams of any world traveler finally came true for this anxious globetrotter.

Moreover, I had the help of a top-notch travel consortium throughout my peregrinations in what used to be part of the Kingdom of Siam. Secret Retreats is “a collection of unique properties and experiences comprising boutique hotels, resorts, villas, cruises, restaurants, and exclusive itineraries throughout Asia.” And as thousands of readers of Everett Potter’s Travel Report know from this previous article, everyone is welcome to draw on this expertise to plan an unforgettable sojourn in this exotic part of the world. 

Surprising Siem Reap

My journey began upon landing at one of Cambodia’s two international gateway airports, Siem Reap, in the country’s northeastern corner. The other is the spanking new Techo International Airport outside the capital city of Phnom Penh, a cavernous, modern terminal that is actually supremely easy to navigate. 

The online bureaucratic hassle of purchasing a Cambodian visa in advance (although Visa on Arrival is also an option), coupled with completing the separate Cambodia e-Arrival form, is no fun – but once over and done with, our passage through the practically non-existent immigration line was jaw-droppingly quick and easy: passports glanced at, stamped and returned literally within seconds.! 

Regardless of where you arrive, the good news is that the ride-hailing app Grab – the regional incarnation of Uber – is now widely available in Cambodia. Just download it and create an account to get anywhere you need to go cheaply and easily – by tuk tuk as well as car – without having to haggle with drivers over price or hassle with local currency.  

Our first lodging in Siem Reap was in Secret Retreats affiliate Le Chanthou, a small boutique hotel whose calling card is friendly, personal service. Its location in a residential area makes it a quiet place, yet still in quick and easy reach from downtown via convenient tuk-tuk. 

Despite having only seven rooms, Le Chantou boasts a swimming pool with a whirlpool area and an excellent on-site restaurant, where we enjoyed a stellar four-course meal worthy of a fine dining establishment. It was an excellent introduction to Cambodian specialties, such as beef lok lok.   

The staff at Le Chantou arranged our entire day-long outing to Angkor Wat, with the hotel’s resident tuk tuk driver at our disposal to drive us from one magnificent point to another throughout the sprawling complex. The price was incredibly reasonable (less than the entrance fee to the ruins) for this expert service and navigation. 

Dinner on our second night was also arranged by the hotel, at Banile, an interesting vegetarian restaurant/vegan downtown, whose healthful dishes were washed down by creative specialty cocktails. The existence of such a niche restaurant in Siem Reap is reflective of the cosmopolitan atmosphere that suffuses this mid-sized city that receives roughly four times its population – nearly a million tourists – annually from all over the world.

Visitors of all ages come to Siem Reap, but the low prices make it especially attractive to young travelers, who set the tone for Pub Street, a very lively few blocks lined with restaurants serving every imaginable international cuisine, alongside bars playing loud music and a thriving night market selling clothes and souvenirs.

The fun vibes, along with another worthwhile attraction in town, Artisans Angkor, make Siem Reap a place we wanted to spend another two nights. Fortunately, there is another conveniently located Secret Retreats property in the city, the very modern and elegant Hotel Vellita.

Unexpected elegance

Only two years old, Hotel Vellita is a boutique hotel with a sense of grandeur: its 35 rooms encompass five different categories, with even the smallest coming in at 450 sq. feet. The guest units, some with free-standing bathtubs, have separate shower stalls and toilet cabinets, for a welcome extra measure of privacy. Another luxury touch is nightly turn-down service.

A particularly relaxing feature of the hotel is an expansive pool, complete with a swim-up bar. The perfect time to enjoy a refreshing cocktail either in the water or poolside is during the bar’s daily happy hours, when drinks are half-price. The on-site Ankara Spa offers both massage and beauty treatments. 

Were it not for Secret Retreats, we might have ended our Cambodian sojourn after our lovely time in Siem Reap – and missed the rest of this fascinating country. But there were more properties in the country that beckoned, and private transportation arranged for a seamless transfer to as yet undiscovered provinces. 

The Cambodian Riviera

It is an admittedly long ride from the northeastern corner of the country to its southern coastline, but observing daily rural life in a foreign land is always an integral part of travel. Our arrival at Knai Bang Chatt, the resort that is redefining hospitality in Kep West, was just in time for cocktail hour at The Wave bistro/bar, distinguished by original art commissioned by the owners.

Over specialty cocktails served during happy hour, KBC founder Jeff Moons explained his vision for his 18-room boutique resort: a place that will embody “barefoot luxury, cultural authenticity, and sustainability.” We were to discover all of these aspects during our brief stay – but first and foremost, the outstanding cuisine of the talented executive chef, in both formal and informal settings.

The Strand, the property’s fine dining beach complex, attracts Cambodian residents from as far away as the capital to enjoy the gourmet food, especially the local specialty, crab (as well as other fresh seafood). The more casual dining room, closer to the guest units, is the venue for the daily breakfast combination of small buffet plus à la carte selections, while cooking classes are held in its kitchen. 

There is a wide range of active (and more passive) activities to enjoy, from lounging at the beach to swimming in the sea or pool, set amid immaculately manicured grounds. The small spa, with its expert masseuse in Khmer and traditional techniques, is part of an incipient wellness dimension, which currently offers yoga and mindfulness retreats with an emphasis on reconnecting with nature. 

KBC is also home to the Kep Royal Yacht Club, a sailing center that offers a full complement of motorized and non-motorized water sports, as well as a highly recommended island-hopping excursion that includes a fully catered, extravagant lunch on a secluded beach, preceded by snorkeling.

Speaking of excursions, the KBC discovery tour of Kep market combines exotic tastes with rare glimpses of local life in homes built on stilts in the water, as well as a tour of the old French colonial section. A highlight of this afternoon was a surprise picnic with wine in a mangrove conservation area. 

Getting away from it all

Our final boutique hotel was quite different from any of its predecessors. Khla Lodge.

Is an intimate (only five rooms) riverside enclave reached at the end of a long, bumpy stretch of unpaved dirt road – the ultimate escape to a figurative end of the world. 

As such, Khla Lodge is suitable primarily for guests with their own car or motorbike, as local transport is difficult, and there are no major tourist attractions in easy reach. Hence, the hotel’s appeal is limited to those wishing to get out in nature by kayaking or bicycling, or simply sitting by and dunking in the pool.

Rooms are spacious and comfortable, furnished sparsely with just the basic amenities – e.g., an old-fashioned safe and no coffee maker or mini refrigerator (although an ice chest is available upon request to keep drinks cool). A communal television is the sole on-site entertainment option, while one tiny restaurant, where I enjoyed a tasty dinner, serves three meals a day from a limited but adequate menu.  

We did nevertheless manage to organize a worthwhile outing, to a peppercorn plantation that grows unimaginable varieties of that indispensable spice that is on every dinner table. Alongside the ubiquitous black are vines of red, white and green pepper, each with its own distinctive characteristics and used to flavor just about everything comestible and drinkable, from beer to ice cream.