Amansara began life as the guesthouse King Sihanouk kept for visiting dignitaries, a building in the 1960s New Khmer style rather than a colonial villa. Aman has kept the clean lines of that architecture and added its own calm. There are 24 suites, each with a lounge and a courtyard, and many have a plunge pool of their own. A round dining room with a high ceiling sits at the centre, alongside a curving pool and a spa that offers Khmer treatments. The point of being here is Angkor. The hotel lies between Siem Reap and the archaeological park, about ten minutes from the UNESCO-listed temples, and its guides lead daily outings to the well-known sites and to quieter ones, some by remork, the local moped trishaw. Dinner can be taken at the hotel or in the Khmer Village House inside the park. Families can explore jungle temples by bicycle and the countryside by jeep, and there are programmes that join monks for blessings and meditation.
- Nearest airport
- Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI), 23 Miles / 37 Kilometres
- Rooms
- 24 suites
Insider tip Let the guides take you to the outlying temples by remork early in the day. You reach the smaller sites before the coaches and see the countryside on the way.
Why I choose it It gives Angkor the time and guiding it deserves, from a small, quiet base with real history of its own.
