concierge cambodia | Valencia | Buenos Aires | Australia
The 30-second concierge
SuddharTh Mehra, aManSara Describe the look and feel of the resort for us... Set in a private garden compound, it was previously the guest villa of Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihanouk and has since been transformed into a 24-suite retreat. As a former royal enclave it has all the ambience of a grand home and now serves as a beautiful base from which to explore the historic sites of Angkor and the local Khmer culture.
food. There you can weave through the labyrinth-like passages, picking up local ingredients as you go, and stop by a noodle shop to see ‘nom ben chock’ (fresh rice noodles) being made. Next we drive to a country farm and gather herbs, chilies and salad before preparing lunch in a traditional kitchen (no gas or electricity!) assisted by a chef. Once lunch is cooked you can tuck in against a backdrop of the Cambodian countryside.
I want to stay in your most gorgeous suite – which should I book? One of our pool suites. We have just 12, each of which features a swimming pool that flows through the villa’s private courtyard. Request a table and chairs to be set up outside and you can dine privately here too.
Where would you recommend for dinner? Inside the resort, our Circular dining room is an idyllic place to eat beneath a soaring, seven-metre high ceiling. But, if you want to head further out, I heartily suggest a romantic, sunset dinner at Khmer Village house which is set in an archeological park studded with mango trees and date palms. There a chef prepares your meal on a charcoal fire as you sit on the veranda (lit by garden flares); all the more majestic as daylight fades. www.amanresorts.com/amansara
I have a free day; what should I do? How about an excursion to learn the art of Khmer cooking? We set off at 7.30am for ‘pasa ler’ (a big local market) which is teaming with fresh
May 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 77