{Hotel Review}: Siddharta Boutique Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia

I had an enjoyable stay at the Siddharta Hotel in Siem Reap and wanted to share a nice, reasonably priced hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia (love Cambodia!)


Overall Review 
We were initially recommended the Siddharta Hotel's sister hotel, the Pavilion.  Since it wasn't available, we stayed here hoping for the best (we were a little hesitant but didn't know too many hotels in the area).  I rate it 4 stars out of 5 - the room was a decent size, the hotel was a cozy size, and the service was cordial.  I did go back and forth with the manager about the rate and the amenities included with the rate (I was told I was getting a special deal at 10% off, but this sale price was already listed on the website!)  But the hotel was very gracious and threw in a free massage for both of us as part of our stay.  Always ask about the best rate and what kinds of services can be included with your rate (don't be afraid to share if it is a special event as well!)

Room
We got the honeymoon suite at the hotel. The room wasn't huge, but well sized with a small couch/living area.  Fresh fruit and water was supplied daily.  The swan shaped towels were cute.

Service
We encountered courteous service from every staff member that we encountered.  They all spoke English (our Tuk Tuk driver less so, but he still understood us) and were friendly and warm.  



Pricing
The rate for the honeymoon suite for $90/night in August. This included a free Tuk-tuk driver for each day and breakfast daily (more on that below - yum!)  As I mentioned above, I also negotiated and got us free massages as well.  Who doesn't like a massage right?


Facilities
The property was a cozy size with most rooms overlooking the pool in the center.  The room and facilities were in good condition.  We didn't get to use the pool but it was neatly nestled between palm trees and guarded by stone lions.
We loved the restaurant because the breakfast had a great variety.  There was fresh fruit and a nice variety of bread and jams.  But we loved that they made to order eggs and fried rice or noodles.  It was a nice way to have a filling breakfast before trekking out to the temples.

Photo Love/Travel Log: How to spend 36 hours in Siem Reap, Cambodia

I can't get over Cambodia and am now planning a trip to Phnom Penh in December when my cousin visits the region (yay!)  In the meantime, I wanted to share a few highlights of Siem Reap.  I hope these are helpful if you are ever there for a few days!

Visit the floating village
Kompong Pluk is less than an hour from Siem Reap and is a village built in and around a river.  We took an exciting ride there in our tuk-tuk along the winding bumpy roads.  I loved watching the crowded city streets melt into quiet countryside.  We finally reached Kompong Pluk and were escorted to a houseboat just for us.  Though we visited during rainy season, the skies were bright blue and the water calm.

I call this "Young Man and the River" - love the contrast of the background and the lone figure.

It was so cool watching the houses raised up on their stilts and the kids playing in and around the houses and river.  How crazy that your front yard is the river and even the forest exists in a drenched environment.

Note: It can sometimes be worth letting your hotel book your tours, especially if they offer discounted rates  with preferred partners.  Or you can see if tour operators will offer lower prices if you try your luck.

Nosh on Cambodian food or burgers

I never knew what Cambodian food tasted like, but it reminds me quite a bit of Thai food.  There are simple grilled meats and curries fragrant with coconut milk.  Two of our favorites dishes were: amok - a local delicacy of fish baked with coconut in a banana leaf and cambodian dumplings - delicate bites in a rice flour type of wrapper and filled with chives.  We really enjoyed Khmer Kitchen (Mick Jagger ate here!) and Amok on Bar Street.  You'll pay ~$5 a person and get a grilled meat, rice, and a curry for that price (we loved the pumpkin, tofu, and coconut one).

We went to Hotel de la Paix for a night cap and the art lounge has a great atmosphere - chic and comfortable.  I love any place with beds instead of tables.  They also have a cool burger menu with good (not awesome, but solid) burgers.  Pair that with some cocktails and you have a perfect reason to return.

Explore the temples
Siem Reap is full of ancient, beautiful temples.  I've already listed my favorite temples here.  It can truly take your breath away when you stop and actually realize that you are stepping foot on a temple that was built more than 1000 years ago in a time when cranes and drills didn't exist.  Remember to go to Angkor Wat (the largest religious temple in the world) and Ta Prohm (the fusion/invasion of the jungle into the temple is amazing!)

Night Market shopping
The Night Markets are a fun place to look for Cambodian silk and gifts.  I was determined to get cotton/silk table covers to commemorate our anniversary (traditional second anniversary gift) and finally found them at the Night Market.  The Old Market by Bar Street has a small night market as well but I preferred the main Night Market.

The most common items being sold were pieces of silver jewelry, t-shirts, silk linens, and masks.  Every stall may have slightly different pieces so have a good idea of what you want to purchase.  Of course, bargaining is a must, but I didn't bargain as aggressively as I normally do.  I saw so much more poverty, yet resilience, in Cambodia that I actually preferred to give vendors more money.

More pictures on Flickr here!

Photo Love {Inspiration}: Children of Cambodia

I believe the children are our future...

Greatest Love of All sung by Whitney Houston

I was struck by many things when I visited Cambodia: the breathtaking temples, the lovely food, and the children.  We encountered many young children everywhere.  Many were quite young (probably less than eight years old).  It actually broke my heart to see so many children not in school, playing on the sidewalk, or being forced to solicit business for their family's shops (by the way, kids can be quite forceful in following up and trying to coerce you into shops).  It really made me wonder what I, a foreigner and tourist, could do to help.  It was impossible to shop at every family grocery store and textile stand.  I ended up feeling slightly helpless.  I know I can start by being more directive about where my donations go and focus on education and children.

The thing that did give me hope was the brightness and happiness of the kids themselves.  One little girl was perfectly happy as long as we shared our potato chips with her (no English is needed in the international, tasty world of potato chips).  Another one loudly yelled "Hiiii" to us before doing a cannonball into the river.  They were perfectly content to frolick and play among themselves living fully in the present.  They have that optimism that some adults lose.

I am fortunate enough to be able to see the world and travel.  This experience with Cambodia's kids has touched me and I certainly hope that I can touch their lives some day as well too (Angelina Jolie was onto something here...)

Have a lovely week!

Photo Love/Travel Log: My Favorite Temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap is known for its temples.  It can actually be quite easy to get "templed" out because there are so many.  But if you go to Cambodia, I encourage you to see as many as you can.  You will start to see the differences in the temples and appreciate the workmanship of these wondrous buildings.  We got day passes for $20 each, but you can get a pass for up to one week (for $60).

Enjoy my pictures!

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