Siem Reap is a magical
place. I used to live there. I landed there helping out in a centre for
responsible tourism management. This was 1 year after I first set foot in
Cambodia. I`ve only seen Angkor Wat that first time but now I got to know the
town. Its a small town surrounded by rice fields. However its one of the
busiest tourist spots on earth. Angkor Wat is a major tourist attraction that
attracts about 3 million people a year.
But the town is situated in the middle of jungle, rice fields and rural
Cambodia. Living there I enjoyed the rural and authentic side of it. Hearing
your Cambodian neighbour get up every morning at 5, just like his chickens and
pigs. Have daily encounters with snakes, rats, frogs, centerpids, spiders and
other friendly earthlings. Spending weekends by the pool, biking, cycling or at
the house of your Cambodian friend followed by dancing in bars with drunk
backpackers on the same old music.
Anyway, good times
really. We moved because a little dusty town in the middle of nowhere is a bit
boring for us youngsters and went to live in the capital Phnom Penh. After that
Siem Reap became my retreat from the city, my guilty pleasure, my calm oasis.
When I was fed up with vibrant and polluted Phnom Penh I took a bus and 6 hours
later I was once again surrounded by palm trees and traditional cambodian stilt
houses. My husband usually stayed in Phnom Penh, too busy and too much work.
So this one time I
dragged him with me together with my sweet american friend who never went to
Siem Reap after living 2 years in Cambodia. She had to see this before leaving.
Usually I stay with friends or at a nice and cheap guesthouse. But I really
wanted a nice retreat and getaway with the husband so I picked out a hotel a
little more fancy. This place turned out
to be amazing. A lasting memory.
The hotel is called
Pipelli Pensione and tucked away in a small typical dusty siem reap alley. Its
surrounded by palm trees and the sound of the frogs and other little animals at
night. However its walking distance to the town. The town can be very busy so
this place is the perfect retreat. The staff was really amazing. Cambodians are
usually very nice and chatty but the girl working here was simply charming and
I truly felt at home. The hotel is french boutique style on the outside but
modern and bright on the inside. The room also has a its own outdoor 2 persons
bath tub. This came as a suprise as I didnt see this on Agoda. Right, but the
best thing at this place is the breakfast: eggs, pancakes, home made jams, juices,
home made yohurt, fresh fruit on your very own balcony with the view of the
palm trees and swimming pool. Yes please :)
No comments:
Post a Comment