Our top 10 places to stay in and around Siem Reap
Modern style, good food
River Bay is a small but multi-faceted little spot, with a hotel, spa, art gallery, two restaurants — one a modern air con sushi restaurant and the other a gorgeous traditional but contemporary restaurant space — as well as a cool garden with bright and comfy bean bags and low tables for maximum lounging opportunities.
Even though it has only been open for a short while, River Bay is quietly making a name for itself, and was so full on our first visit that we couldn’t see any of the rooms so had to wait and come back again. This while everyone else in Siem Reap appeared to be virtually mugging passers-by so they can give them rooms at prices substantially lower than they were offering as much as five years ago. The white-walled, contemporary hotel has lots of graphic architectural features, yet somehow softens the effect thanks to the fact that it is built around a traditional Khmer wooden villa which gives a huge open-air upstairs space that is perfect for tucking into a delicious pork gyoza or simply savouring a glass of wine while enjoying the scene below. This is one of the few places in Siem Reap where the view is green and not serious shades of brick. The restaurant is worth a visit in its own right, offering very good sushi at very good prices. There are “flasher”, more expensive places in town — such as Hashi, and die-hard sushi and sashimi fans are advised to check out the restaurant at the Sokha Hotel — but the food here is really good. The rooms are mid-sized and modern, with everything that you’d expect. The main difference between them is that the superior rooms have bathtubs for soothing out weary bones as well as showers. We like this place even as just a hang-out, even if you’re staying elsewhere. It’s never crowded, and a pleasant spot for getting away from the crowds in town.
Address: West Riverside, Siem Reap
T: (063) 962 952 ;
Email: info@riverbayvilla.com
Web: http://www.riverbayvilla.com
Coordinates (for GPS): 103º51'50.15" E, 13º22'15.92" N
See position in Apple or Google Maps: Apple Maps | Google Maps
Room rates: US$35 to 75
What we were quoted as a walk-in.
| Superior double room Includes pick up | US$45 | US$90 |
| Deluxe double room Includes pick up | US$55 | US$110 |
Reviewed by
Nicky Sullivan
Nicky Sullivan is an Irish freelance writer (and aspiring photographer). She has lived in England, Ireland, France, Spain and India, but decided that her tribe and heart are in Cambodia, where she has lived since 2007 despite repeated attempts to leave. She dreams of being as tough as Dervla Murphy, but fears there may be a long way to go. She can’t stand whisky for starters. She was a researcher, writer and coordinator for The Angkor Guidebook: Your Essential Companion to the Temples, now one of the best-selling guidebooks to the temples.
Our top 10 places to stay in and around Siem Reap
