{"id":35640,"date":"2026-03-12T12:05:38","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T04:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=35640"},"modified":"2026-03-12T12:05:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T04:05:38","slug":"beyond-angkor-wats-allure-discovering-cambodias-hidden-gems-in-siem-reap-and-phnom-penh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=35640","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Angkor Wat\u2019s allure: discovering Cambodia\u2019s hidden gems in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Significantly underrated compared with its Southeast Asian neighbours Vietnam and Thailand, Cambodia is a culture vulture\u2019s paradise. Though the ancient temples of Angkor Wat<\/span> in Siem Reap still attract millions of visitors every year, the city surroundings \u2013 as well as the country\u2019s capital, Phnom Penh \u2013 are considerably less overrun with tourists than nearby megacities like Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City<\/span>.<\/div>\n

Here are some destinations worth checking out on your next visit to Cambodia, if you choose to stray off the beaten path.<\/p>\n

Enjoy luxe temple living at Anantara Angkor Resort<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\"Anantara<\/div>
Anantara Angkor Resort blends tradition with modern luxury. Photo: Handout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In a place as down-to-earth and significant to human history as Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire located in modern-day Siem Reap, any average luxury resort \u2013 opulent and over-the-top as it may be \u2013 might look somewhat out of place. Strict height restrictions on buildings, including a ban on high-rise skyscrapers taller than Angkor Wat out of respect for Siem Reap\u2019s cultural landscape, make the city feel more sacred than your typical tourist destination.<\/p>\n

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The lobby walkway. Photo: Handout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

If \u2013 considering these surroundings \u2013 living in luxury feels out of touch, Anantara Angkor Resort offers a more grounded approach to hospitality, inviting guests to discover the deeper sense of purpose behind luxury travel and experience their holidays a little differently, at a relaxed and comfortable pace nonetheless. Design touches taken from the walls and ruins of Angkor Wat, from the temple pillars to the window balusters, are replicated liberally throughout the resort, giving the overall impression of a tribute to temple living. And while the hotel blends seamlessly into the city\u2019s humble landscape, hidden treasures abound inside, including a panoramic pool view framed by palm trees and fragrant flowers that remind you this is still a luxury resort, after all.<\/p>\n

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The terrace suite. Photo: bdv Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Thoughtful considerations also aim to minimise the resort\u2019s impact on its surrounding environment. Sustainability efforts feel both impressive and sincere, proving to be a true highlight of the guest experience. Herbs and produce used in the resort\u2019s restaurant and bar are home-grown at the rooftop garden, which guests are welcome to peruse, discovering the many sights, scents and sensations that shape local cuisine, from the crunchy texture of noni leaves to the singular smell of basil. It\u2019s a welcome reminder that mindful consumption isn\u2019t just an afterthought here. Even food waste goes on to serve another purpose, to be used either as compost for the garden soil or livestock feed at local farms.<\/p>\n

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The spa room. Photo: Handout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s the human touch, however, that makes a stay at Anantara Angkor Resort worth writing home about. First, there are the warm smiles of staff members who come to welcome you personally at check-in, wrapping a welcome krama,<\/em> or Cambodian scarf, made by local artisans, around your neck. Then there are performances by Khmer dancers at sunset, a visually arresting spectacle that doesn\u2019t so much lean into theatrics as it does honour an authentically local way of life, ensuring guests never lose sight of what makes this country\u2019s culture so special.<\/p>\n

Indulge in Khmer cuisine at Chi Restaurant<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n


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Significantly underrated compared with its Southeast Asian neighbours Vietnam and Thailand, Cambodia is a culture vulture\u2019s paradise. Though the ancient temples of Angkor Wat in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4840],"tags":[11414,10237,7580,13719,1035,3020,6151,6150,13157,13156,17893],"class_list":["post-35640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-globetrotting","tag-allure","tag-angkor","tag-cambodias","tag-discovering","tag-gems","tag-hidden","tag-penh","tag-phnom","tag-reap","tag-siem","tag-wats","wpcat-4840-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35640\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}