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Anantara Angkor Resort, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Luxury for Less in Siem Reap.

Luxury for Less in Siem Reap from $24 Gourmet Menus to $70 Boutique Hotels

Luxury for less in Siem Reap means a 6-course gastronomic tasting menu at a fine dining restaurant for as little as US$32, a three-hour spa package priced at US$65, and chic boutique hotels starting from as little as US$50 in low season.

Our Luxury for Less in Siem Reap guide is the first in a new series of posts on Luxury for Less in Southeast Asia aimed at showcasing destinations in Southeast Asia where you can pamper yourself silly with a proper luxury holiday for far less than you’d pay in Paris, London or New York – or even Singapore, Bangkok or Saigon.

My inspiration was a recent New York Times Travel piece on How to Have a Luxury Trip for Much Less Than You Think which suggested US$400 a night hotels and US$32 museum tickets and recommended making savings by walking everywhere, skipping dinner and eating lunch instead, cooking in, and even eating at food courts.

Fortunately, you can experience luxury for less in Siem Reap, Cambodia, without having to sacrifice dinner or eat in food courts, and you’ll be doing it in a destination that needs your dollars. Here’s how to do it…

Luxury for Less in Siem Reap from $24 Gourmet Menus to $70 Boutique Hotels

The prices below are based on booking site search results for a weekend in September in low season, which runs from May to October and is the cheapest time of year to visit. While you’ll pay more during high season, from November to April, which is also the dry season, you’ll still pay far less than you would for luxury hotels in Europe, North America or Australia, and even other Southeast Asian cities.

Best Time to Visit for Luxury for Less in Siem Reap

The best time of year to experience luxury for less in Siem Reap is low season from May to October. While this is the rainy season in Cambodia, sometimes several days can pass without rain and during the wettest months it never rains all day. When it does, there’s plenty to do indoors. You’ll still find stylish mid-range hotels during the dry/high season from November to April that offer a measure of luxury for less in Siem Reap than you’d pay in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.

Where to Stay for Luxury for Less in Siem Reap

Most hotels include breakfast. For five-star luxury, majestic Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor oozes history, has a huge pool and plush rooms for US$182 next month. At atmospheric Sala Lodges you can have a beautiful traditional timber house to yourself for US$188. Elegant Jaya House River Park, home to two pools and a fine restaurant, has rooms for US$229. Maison Polanka has rooms in two traditional wooden houses in lush gardens for US$183. Templation, in sprawling gardens with an enormous pool, has rooms for US$163 while there are flamboyant rooms at Bill Bensley designed Shinta Mani Shack (and another big pool) for US$133. Chic Viroth’s, named world’s best boutique hotel two years in a row, has gorgeous rooms for US$110. The Aviary, a stylish design hotel is sold out on the dates I checked but has availability in October for US$127.

If you’re a fan of the big global five-star brands, then Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort has spacious rooms for US$186 and Le Meridien Angkor has rooms for as low as US$120; both are located on the road to the temples. For something more centrally located, riverside Belmond La Residence has a gorgeous deep-green swimming pool and rooms for US$271, while another Bill Bensley designed hotel, Park Hyatt Siem Reap, in the heart of the busy commercial centre, is offering rooms for US$192 in September.

For even more affordable luxury, the upper mid-range boutique hotel category is where you’ll really find the luxury for less in Siem Reap bargains for around US$70. The serene Hillocks Hotel and Spa has super-spacious rooms and a stunning pool overlooking a rice paddy for US$66 including breakfast, as does the charming Rambutan Resort, which has a Mediterranean vibe. On the riverside, sleek Lynnaya Urban River Resort offers rooms with breakfast (and has a lovely rooftop bar) for US$68.

A little out of town, the stylish rooms at Anjali by Syphon are US$72 while Navutu Dreams Resort, which has two pools, a spa and wellness programme, has spacious rooms for US$82. In a serene village set amongst the rice fields, Sojourn Boutique Villas has garden accommodation around the pool for US$94.  Drop another category and you’ll find plenty of perfectly comfortable and cute little hotels in the US$40-50 bracket.

Book a Luxury for Less in Siem Reap Package

While you can book a room at the five-star Anantara Angkor Resort on the same date for US$298 a night on booking.com, there’s a better deal on Luxury Escapes for A$999 (US$729) for 2 people for 4 nights (which works out to A$249/US$ 182 per night) including private airport transfers, daily breakfast, dinner for two at their Cambodian restaurant, daily happy hour drinks and canapés, two 15-minute foot spas and two 60-minute massages, full-day tour to Angkor Wat and other temples in a private car with an archaeological guide, complimentary mini bar, including icy cold beers and snacks, your own mobile phone with international calls, and complimentary tuk-tuk from 7am-11pm. Note that this deal expires in 5 days but Luxury Escapes frequently offers fantastic Siem Reap packages.

Siem Reap Airport Transfers

For a comfortable airport transfer, the first thing you should do is ask your hotel what they can offer, especially during low season when many will throw in complimentary transfers. Some of the hotels, above, include airport transfers, while others charge an additional fee of $15-25. Always check the price, as some of the big brand hotels charge as much as US$110 for a one-way airport transfer. Hotels such as Viroths send luxurious vintage vehicles. Otherwise, transport can easily be arranged at the glass booth at airport arrivals for US$10-15 (depending on vehicle size and where you’re going) or you can book an airport transfer online (US$14) before you leave home for peace of mind.

Experience Angkor Wat and the Temples in Style

I adore trundling through Angkor Archaeological Park on a breezy tuk tuk, but if you’re looking for luxury for less in Siem Reap you will probably want more comfortable transport, freedom and flexibility so book a private air-conditioned car and driver (US$38 for 8 hours). For an organised programme, you could book a full day private temple tour by jeep with an English speaking archaeological guide, and pick-up and drop-off at your hotel from US$48 per person.

Note that you will also have to purchase a one-day Angkor Pass for US$37 per person, although better value is the 3-day pass at US$62. You can also arrange a private tour with an archaeological guide and comfortable air-conditioned car or charming tuk tuk through your hotels. (We can also recommend excellent guides and drivers.)

For some added luxury, ask the hotel to pack a breakfast, morning tea or lunch hamper (with a bottle of bubbly perhaps), which you could enjoy on the lawn overlooking the Angkor Wat moat. Or ask your guide to take you to one of the empty, lesser-known temples that are often devoid of tourists. Good hotels will ensure drivers have iced water, cold scented towels and umbrellas for shade as much as rain, but take fans for extra comfort.

Another way of experiencing Angkor is on the water, with a serene sunset cruise on the still moat around Angkor Thom on a replica of an ancient gondola. While you can book a boat ride only (90 minutes) for US$35 per person including pick up and drop off from your hotel, Kongkear Angkor offers cruises with lunch, high tea, or canapes and cocktails.

For a breathtaking birds-eye-view of Angkor Wat and the other Angkor temples, take a scenic helicopter flight with Helistar Cambodia, which starts at US$99 for an 8-minute flight, US$165 for a 14-minute flight, and US$240 for a 20-minute flight. Helicopters Cambodia offers a ‘Grand’ 30-minute flight which also includes the Rolous Group of temples and the floating villages for US$335.

Savour Lunch and Dinner at Siem Reap’s Best Restaurants

When it comes to dining, you can easily experience luxury for less in Siem Reap without having to forego dinner as the New York Times experts suggested you’d need to do to experience luxury for less in some destinations. Siem Reap hosts some of the country’s best Cambodian Restaurants, including fine dining restaurants experimenting with what we’ve called New Cambodian Cuisine.

Meals for two with creative cocktails can cost as little as US$40 at one of the lovely hospitality training restaurants such as Spoons or Marum, while the bill for a feast for two of home-style Cambodian cooking and a bottle of wine at Sugar Palm need not be more than US$60. An array of dishes at celebrity chef Luu Meng’s Malis restaurant and a good bottle of wine (they have one of the best wine lists in the city) might come close to US$100 but it could just be your best meal in Cambodia.

For a gourmand’s experience of luxury for less in Siem Reap, you need to savour a multi-course gourmet tasting menu at one of Siem Reap’s most creative restaurants, such as Mie Cafe, where chef Pola is serving an elegant Euro-Cambo fusion cuisine; Embassy, where female head chefs Pol and Sok are experimenting with contemporary local cuisine; Mahob Khmer, where chef Sothea’s team are dishing up Modern Cambodian takes on traditional dishes; and French-helmed Cuisine Wat Damnak, named Cambodia’s Best Restaurant by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants two years in a row. You’ll pay US$24-28 for 5-6 course tasting menus with an amuse bouche at these restaurants.

Luxuriate at a Siem Reap Spa

There’s perhaps no better example of how well you can experience luxury for less in Siem Reap than a spa package. The city is home to scores of serene spas – both independent and at hotels and resorts – that rival any in Thailand or Bali and they’re amazingly affordable. A massage by a qualified masseuse starts at as little as US$24, while body treatments such as scrubs and wraps start at US$32. At Bodia Spa, considered to be Cambodia’s best by many, you can indulge in a 3-hour Tropical Moisturising Package for US$66 including a foot cleansing, massage, mango wrap, fruit facial, and body hydrating. Serene Sokkhak Spa offers a 60-minute Khmer Herbal Compress Massage for US$32 or a 3-hour Khmer Inspiration Package with a traditional Khmer massage and natural rice scrub among other aromatic treatments.

Book Siem Reap Tours and Experiences

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About Lara Dunston

A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

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Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
#blackcat #blackcatsofinstagram #picoftheday 
#christmas #christmastree #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas #cambodia #siemreap
This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

#siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels.
Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

#recipe #recipes #vietnamesefood #cambodianfood #asianfood #southeastasianfood #ricenoodles #rice #noodlebowl #meatballs #igfood #igfoodie #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #writingacookbook #writingacambodiancookbook #patreon #patreoncreator #grantourismo
It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

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