Siem Reap, Cambodia, probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when one thinks about living the life of luxury. But if you’ve ever been to Sofitel’s Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort on the outskirts of town, it might be.
We had an all-too-short stay at this hotel on our previous visit to Siem Reap. It’s been tucked away in the “I-want-to-go-back-there-someday” compartment in my brain ever since. And here we are. Oh boy.
I’m not the type of person who likes to be pampered. I thought it would make me uncomfortable. At least that’s what I thought until our first visit to this hotel.
Let the Pampering Begin!
The pampering begins on arrival. I’d normally schlep in my bags, check in at Reception, hand over some ID and a credit card, and get a room key. There was none of that here.
When we arrived, a beautiful Cambodian girl greeted us with a smile and led us to an attractive area with sofas and low tables. She said, “You must be tired from the trip. Please have a seat and relax. Everything is being taken care of.”
We settled in as if we were in the cozy living room of my imaginary dream home. Another girl brought moist, hot, lemongrass-scented hand towels. Someone else offered us refreshments, and after a few minutes, we had our room keys. Wow. What just happened? Didn’t know. Didn’t care.
To get to our room, we exited the hotel lobby and walked outdoors onto a canopied walkway. After 20 feet or so, we came to a junction. There were places to sit, a gorgeous piece of Cambodian art, and walkways that continued on in different directions.
A girl was there, sitting on the ground, weaving lotus flowers into something. She greeted us with a Cambodian smile, and offered assistance in case we needed directions.
A Covered Bridge, a Lake, and Lotus Flowers
From there, we walked across a bridge over a lake surrounded by trees and lush greenery. Cambodian sculptures dotted the landscape, sometimes peering out from the bushes.
Cambodian music played gently in the background. I’ve never heard anything like it, before or since. How to describe it? Hmmm… What I was hearing was mostly percussive – kind of a “pok pok” sound, along with some kind of simple stringed instrument. Simple, yet mesmerizing – like we were deep in an exotic forest somewhere.
Lotus flowers floated on the lake. Each flower has a long root attached at the bottom of the lake. At the surface, its green leaves lie flat as if to provide a stage for the flower. These lotus flowers had yellow centers surrounded by pink and white petals. They’re beautiful. No wonder they’re revered in so many eastern cultures.
Our room, tastefully furnished in that unique Cambodian style, looked out over the lush landscape and the lake. A statue of an exotic-looking Khmer figure stood on the lawn outside.
This is the only hotel I can remember where all I wanted to do is walk around, explore the grounds, and take it all in.
All that being said, it would soon come to pass that I’d have a rather uncomfortable experience here. But that will have to wait. For the time being, it’s all good.
To be continued…
