Amansara Siem Reap: Experiencing self & surroundings
There are many reviews and spectacular expositions of the elements that make up the picturesque Amansara Hotel in Siem Reap, however, much of the focus is on the factual aspects of the enterprise. There is a mythical, and a hypothetical quality about the place that transcends mere description and encourages inspiration.
In-house specialists in territorial untamed life, the use of nature’s restorative herbs and timberland products, the classical personality of Amansara defies traditional and preconceived notions, leading guests through the system of shrouded trails to uncover another side of the Angkor story. Focusing on an integration and mix of predominantly Eastern design aesthetics, which are not geographically restricted, instead blurring the East-West binary with a total reliance on nature’s design. The strategic location hiding behind the facade of normalcy, a special history, and the diverse landscape beholding variation in flora and fauna that appreciates diversity instead of suppressing it or attempting to control it. An exemplary model of Asian hospitality, traditional refinement, and contemporary standards of contentment, all enclaved within what is a beacon of beauty.
The name Amansara is reflecting upon peace and tranquility in itself, derived from the Sanskrit word “Aman” that means ‘peace and harmony’ and an ancient Hindu name of a mythical heavenly woman “Apsara”, Amansara is a resort rich with historic milestones and the beauty of culture within Siem Reap. It is located at the outskirts of the Angkor complex, giving it the right twist of cultural expeditions and relaxing idle time. A space pervading both the outward as well as the inward explorer, appealing to as many dimensions of the guests and diverse clientele with its statues of Apsaras and multiple dimensions it itself occupies.
This is the unique aspect about this resort, it is not a regular hotel that is only a destination, it is not just meant for sitting, relaxing and then leaving. It is the richness within Siem Reap town that has provided a large place for its visitors to explore and to discover throughout their stay.
A unique experience for all the visitors that leaves them in a state of awe for the culture, traditions and the rich history deeply engraved in the ambiance at Amansara. Siem Reap is one of the busiest tourist spots as on a yearly basis it is attracting more than four million tourists that is almost four times to what it was ten years ago. The tourists enjoy the temples and the rather complex architecture of Vishnu’s Angkor temple that potentially makes it so attractive to them.
One wills themselves in to be lost in The Amansara experience, an entirely different tale altogether, it is completely detached from the regular Siem Reap expedition. Upon arrival at the Airport, the visitors are not required to stand in long lines of immigration and the tourists’ guides literally whisk you past in a moment. Outside, a classic 1960s Mercedes Benz can be prearranged and waiting to take you to the resort, the entire experience is intentionally given a 60s feel to it, for the visitors to enjoy every bit of this exquisite legacy deeply rooted within Cambodia. The 60s theme and the minimalistic appeal to the visitors only gives them the real taste of the original structure of the place.
Historically, a residential compound for the Cambodian King Sihanouk an eccentric charming figure to oblige guests in addition to those staying at his regal home, only minutes from the now-resort, the compound is quintessentially ’60s in character and remains it’s culture, keeping it chic to the minimalistic and providing a peaceful retreat to its visitors with a taste of Luxury altogether. Over time, the single-story structure turned into a lodging and during the 70’s Khmer Rouge era, as political conditions intensified it began to decay. After rebuilding and opening to visitors in late 2002, pioneering its chalet-style with white faced & glassed housing.
Remaining extremely rich in history and has become distinguished through the unconventional reflecting pool and an obscure yard. Arranged in Siem Reap, the social capital of Cambodia, Amansara is a little ways from the wilderness, hiding ruins in open sight, daring Amansara visitors to appreciate the private access to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Angkor Wat and a short ways from Tonle Sap, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve which is southeast of Asia’s biggest freshwater lake. Permitting you to enjoy the thoughtful quietness of the once-consecrated site, undisturbed for ages.
With the harmony of nature comes the harmony of the residents there. Inviting residents from around the world, the beautifully homogenous diversity of the Hotel is representative of the linguistic, archaeological, and horticultural multitudes contained within the location — transcending time and space. Amidst the archaeological and linguistic spaces buried there, there is the reminiscence of all the legendary figures who passed through.
Guests can utilize Amansara’s armada of custom-fitted transport facilities, visitors can explore a portion of the thousand sanctuaries on the site, including Angkor Wat, just as Tonle Sap lake, where the houses have become one with nature, unchanged, tranquil, resplendent.
As one descends into the Sarong, the suites open onto private patios and quiet lakes, wrapped by gardens and concealed by an overhang of develop trees – a calm, helpful and restorative condition to return to after the ancient encounters and explorations of Angkor Wat and Siem Reap — an enclave of refinement housing the radiant sanctuaries of Angkor. You get expert accommodation, with expert staff: there are five staff individuals for each visitor and the lodging’s aides take visitors to the sanctuaries on courses not utilized by visit transports.
The Courtyard Suites stream together into a confluence of design elements reminiscent of the cascading waterfalls that exist within the compound. From the moment one steps up into the classically minimalist open suites, which are all comparative in plan as if in a harmony with themselves too, you will notice floor-to-roof glass entryways that open onto light-filled nursery patios with padded banquettes, expounding decor utilizing dark timber, stucco, and pale terrazzo. Giving it the harmonious effect of being one with the courtyard and the rest of the compound. Each of the contemporary suites offers a consolidated bath and lounge experience. An incorporated sound framework and a tablet in every room giving an advanced touch with modernity.
Half of the suites have private pools installed that open into the gorgeous garden courtyards, flooded with blossoms for every season. The private patio with open-air seating, the audacious elements offer a consistent open plan living with contemporary and moderately exquisite rooms streaming together into one whole. An unattached bath in the center, free-standing welcomes you in its free-floating embrace, filled toward the evening and dispersed with new flower petals, always a welcome sanctuary after a long day of exploration.
The tones are quieted, and the cleaned dark terrazzo floor is cool. There are a lot of storage rooms, an enormous work area behind a jumbo bed, a sitting region with a couch and a roundabout table. Two sinks with enormous mirrors are close to the washroom. As one walks around, taking in these sights, feeling them, exploring them, it is a literal and metaphorical allusion to open plan living. You walk up to a splendid blue Cambodian silk sarong holding tight to two pegs and slip into its elegant embrace. A living arrangement fit for sovereignty, and a vault of New Khmer design. A quiet and helpful condition to come back to after back-in-time experiences in the vestiges of Angkor. Amansara makes the resort a comfortable space for its guests in every manner.
Courtyard Suite
Situated close to the fundamental pool, the former king’s screening room, eye-catching round-domed Dining Room with its concealed patio is the point of convergence of many of the compound’s highlights. The menu offers both customary Khmer and Western foods, highlighting the freshest of occasional produce. The feasting zone likewise gives way to enough space for an after-meal stroll. The wine and cheddar basement, where visitors can make their own combinations, provides an easygoing relaxing zone where they can grab home-baked cakes a-la Carte.
You can dine in all areas of the compound, or outside at pergola-concealed tables by the pool or in suite. The daily menus center around basic flavors, utilizing natural produce direct from the market and neighborhood providers. Private eating is likewise accessible at the retreat’s natural Khmer house at Angkor, where suppers are set up over charcoal to the sounds and sights of town life. For others, the Roof Terrace offers an occasional scene for right on time or late-night beverages and private suppers. It is additionally a perfect spot for yoga or calm thought, particularly at dawn.
The choice of venturing out into the sights and lights for a memorable meal cooked in front of you, amidst blessed environs whole and indistinct from its surroundings, unified in art and culture and an inexorable landscape instilled with purity and innocence, harmless and non-violent, a place of redress and salvation. The promise of fulfillment extends to the conventional Angkor sanctuary of Prasar Kravan, overlooking the ten-twelfth century imperial washing pool of Sra Srang. Activities like traditional noodle breakfast, cooking classes and romantic twilight suppers can be masterminded and orchestrated for the guests while they explore the close-by Tonle Sap lake, in a private hand crafted sunset vessel ‘Amanbala’ visiting the drifting and unnatural towns of Chong Khneas and Kampong Phluck. Kayaking and Bird Watching in Prek Toal Bird Reserve can also be arranged.
There is a lot of choice for dining and room for creativity and relaxation at Amansara, as resort authorities give it special attention to place your happiness at the forefront. A complimentary small bar with a scope of mixed refreshments just as elective beverages and tidbits, brings the wholesome images together.
Inspired by the female cloud spirits carved into the temples of Angkor, the spa offers a quiet haven, where treatments utilize conventional Khmer procedures and Apsara inspired aromatherapy, Aman’s own characteristic journey going a step beyond normalcy. Seven treatment rooms within a connected unwinding zone, each outfitted with a steam shower, are supplemented by a yoga space and the hotel’s focal pool, just as an isolated 25-meter lap pool serves its welcoming invite to the guests.
You can look out onto a reflection lake to meditate while being medicated naturally. Feelings of urgency dissolve your mind-body-spirit as you are elevated-nourished-purified in the embrace of professional team at Amansara.
Not only is the Hotel a personification of a displacement of the industrial, but it is also the harbor for the best of modernity. Latest technologies that encourage the displacement towards a more productive materiality are the use of ancient medications mixed with modern administrative centers. As such, the resort is the centerpiece of latest and revolutionary technologies in cooking, spa treatment and style as well.
The subterranean landscape — again an excavation of nature and modernity, and the relationship between comfort and the individual — creates an ecology of its own in harmony with nature. This excavation also seems to be a harbinger of memory at an earlier time, without the anxieties of the modern age. Truly a place of respite and salvation, the representation of nature comforting and soothing, extends beyond a surface-level and permeates the very design aesthetics of the Amansara.
There is little superficiality as there is no artificiality here — nature is allowed to run its course, while the trees which populate the resort and the forest which surrounds it is a potent reminder of both its Imperial Khmer history and the importance of being in touch with nature. The pinewood trees extending across the sight, the rootedness of the trees there for centuries, just like the resort — one with nature — and the landscape of drifting sand representing the shifts of time while the exposed rocks represent the true spirit of Amansara in the diaspora, stoic in the face of winds of change as Cambodia resurrects to its former glory. The cultivation of this vision of nature is important to register images that will remain with the guest’s, linger after they have checked-out.
The Amansara Resort is a luxurious spot and it is all about the location that makes its prices justified in every manner. The room rates are inclusive of the assortment of daily guided tours and social strolls within the Angkor complex that keeps the guests occupied throughout their stay. A guide and a driver will be present to accompany the guests and make them feel comfortable and at ease. The walkways and the passageways are still the same as they were in the 60s, the idea is to make the experience lasting and to ensure that the temples within Angkor are observed in its true glory.
Amansara makes the Angkor complex easily within the reach of the visitors and you may think it is in a car, but it is actually in remodelled remork that is a Cambodian version of a tuk tuk with leather seating and adequate space for the guests. Tours of nearby temples from early morning and late evening to dodge an uncomfortable Sun and crowds, these trips center around the sanctuaries encompassing Angkor Wat with a private English talking guide, vehicle, and driver. Furthermore, Children-Friendly visits and exercises ensure that the entire family may enjoy together.
The experience at Amansara is not limited to the facilities or the ambiance, there is individual attention given to the services being provided to the visitors throughout their stay. Even during their visits to the temple and other attractions in Angkor, the guests are given out refreshing cold towels and water ready to be served during their ride in remork as it may get hotter during the day. Next, the visitors are served with fresh coconut water, to keep up the hydration during the tour as well. All this is taken care by the driver himself throughout the ride within Siem Reap. The entire experience with Amansara give its guests a unique feel of the true Cambodian way of life altogether.
Drenched in both the old legacy of Angkor and the contemporary culture of Siem Reap, Amansara appreciates visits from both driving universal masterminds and neighborhood entertainers. Consistently, visitors may appreciate addresses from visiting scholastics from a portion of the world’s most regarded establishments, marvelously arranged carnival shows or night committed to conventional Cambodian movies. All this contributes to a sense of lively discussion and social camaraderie. At one time, visitors may also have encountered a strikingly pretty, wonderfully conditioned young lady occupied in unarmed battle with a gathering of conceal raiders, viewed by a full-scale Hollywood cinematographic team. For this consecrated site is also one of the main areas utilized in the recording of Tomb Raider, the principal big-screen excursion for the Hollywood renegade, Lara Croft.
The understanding of Cambodian history, culture, and nature is further complemented by the historical sites which are as much a part of the resort as the resort itself. It is an experience in itself for the guests to take the insider’s journey across the landscape with tourist guides in the quest for understanding and an authentic experience. This purity of experience is further accentuated by the stimulating nature of the surroundings which work their magic on the traveling-residents as they become more connected with nature over their stay, gathering information about the experience of Cambodia’s rich history through a private, personal, and experiential exploration of the landscape. The natural terrain is conducive to an economy of space that the Cambodian mentality has framed perfectly, and honed for specific usage through years of convention-building and religious-symbolism, all made possible through the innate appreciation of nature that the Cambodian culture imparts to the traveler.
Every resident of the resort might carry these images with them for years after having visited this place, replicating it perhaps, or finding it in their own surroundings. Having transversed such ancient sites, fertile plains, and diaspora ideals, the tourist experience does not get more enriching and fulfilling than this. The picturesque becomes the historical, the present, and the future in Amansara, Siem Reap. From the structural wonder of Angkor Wat itself, to the Angkor Archeological Park which stands as demonstration of the uncommon refinement of the past Khmer Empire, each element is indicative of the resort you are residing in.
The natural aesthetic reminds one of the minimalist Cambodian lifestyle that is resilient and enduring — a tapestry of diversity, color, natural, agricultural, traditional and the industriousness of the human spirit when it is faced with constraints. The cultivation of this aesthetic is also due to the focus on bio-sustainability encompassed by the Hotel, which seemingly supersedes profit for a pleasurable experience. The landscape is as much a painting of distinct elements as it is a cohesive whole of those colors which evoke an intense — almost holy — feeling. This feeling is exacerbated by the primordial and naked feeling of the Aman, which relies on elements made of stone, nature, wood. Each facade of the place, then, evokes something paradisiacal.
The ancient historic sites and the unique mix of the Cambodian cultures makes its guests to stay for a longer time period at the Amansara Resort. It is not just a regular resort that you may be visiting to relax but it is about the entertainment, comfort provided at the resort alongside and the unique visits to the Angkor complex and other historic places surrounding. The guests have uncountable options to explore during their visit to Siem Reap and Amansara only takes the entire experience to an entirely new echelon.
Set out into the wide open around Siem Reap, Cambodia, you find the ordinary rhythms of an history as aged and enmeshed as the Mekong waterway framework, showing you that the Amansara experience is the entire Siem Reap, delimited to the compound itself. Amansara is your choice for the next vacation due to the wide range of luxuries and beauty filled amenities it has to offer to its visitors coming in from all corners of the world.
Click here for exclusive offers!
Stay in Touch
To follow the best independent media platform in the world, read stories you wont see on the main stream media and follow inspirational interviews with the worlds most amazing people and un mask the corruption and cause of poverty. Start changing your perspective by being actively engaged in our independent coverage!
