The Cutlery Chronicles

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

CAMBODIA: Review of Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Siem Reap

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Siem Reap

In a nutshell

A French-colonial style luxury property with 238 rooms and suites, covering a vast six hectares, and close to the great Angkor temple complex. If it's good enough for the First Lady, it's good enough for us.

Where is it?

The hotel is set back from the tree-lined Charles de Gaulle Avenue close to Angkor’s famous temples in Siem Reap, and sits around a lake garden, with wooden bridges stretching across the waters, and a modern lake-shaped pool (the largest of its kind in Cambodia) at its heart.

It's close to the spectacular sunsets seen from Bakheng Hill, the Siem Reap River, the Old Market, it's 20 minutes from the International Airport, and walking distance to Siem Reap National Museum.

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Siem Reap
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Style and character

Built only in 1997 and opened in 2000, its striking interiors - feeling at once like the original airy French colonial architecture that can be found in Saigon, yet with a more local Khmer twist - feels a century older.

A property with a design that's unique in the area, its most show stopping feature is the use of space. Sitting amongst the elegant manicured gardens, the swimming pool is surrounded by lush and opulent landscaping, and the world-class 18-hole golf course at the Phokeethra Country Club, is just a 25 minute drive away.

Dark wooden floors and furniture, four poster beds, the gentle beat from ceiling fans, soft white linens, and vibrant local silks reflect French sophistication and yesteryear refinement, with each luxury room (what we stayed in) overlooking the garden, pool or lagoon.

A small mezzanine level with floor loungers to kick back on leads onto the private balcony surrounded by trees; perfect for a spot of exotic bird watching as they flit from tree to tree. An in-room Lavazza coffee machine and L'Occitane bath products help add the finishing touches to a very splendid space.

What's unique?

The hotel chain is part of Planet 21, an initiative encompassing their commitment to sustainable development. It's active every day in the areas of nature, carbon, innovation, local development, employment and dialogue.

For example, all taps are fitted with water flow regulators, only eco-friendly cleaning products are used for the rooms, they have a commitment to protecting children through training on sex tourism, and local food products are promoted in the restaurant.

In addition, the hotel is the first in Cambodia to have received the internationally recognised HACCP certification in February 2015. This means food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Siem Reap
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Who goes?

Shortly after opening, the hotel was discovered by star guests on their own search for ancient culture in the area – the whole cast and crew of Tomb Raider (2001), led by Angelina Jolie, stayed in the hotel during their filming in the surrounding temples.

And just a few days after our stay, the First Lady herself, Michelle Obama, was also there. Along with her security and entourage, they stayed at the hotel for two days whilst Michelle Obama was in the country to address a Peace Corps event. And it was no small price tag for the American tax payers, according to the Daily Mail.

And from the non-famous clientèle, I spotted a few business folk (I think quite a few from the Whitehouse were there in preparation for the First Lady's visit), solo diners, many couples, groups of friends, and a couple of tour groups.

Breakfast

Served in the bright and airy all-day dining restaurant The Citadel - one of the seven dining options available within the property - and recognising their diverse client base, it's an international offering.

Expect the likes of cheese, cold cuts, charcuterie, and crackers, smoked salmon, dried fruits and nuts, an egg station and a noodle station, cooking them to order. There's shrimp cocktail salads, ham and cheese salads, smoked fish, mango with pork, chive dumplings, miso soup. There's a soup of minced beef with five spices, chicken sausage, pork sausage, steamed veg, noodles with veg.

You'll find peanut butter, milk jam, compotes, mixed fruit smoothies, beetroot and apple juice, blueberry jam, Nutella, a spread of fine baked goods including madeleines and financiers, HP sauce (hurrah!) and Bon Maman jam jars on each table.

Calories are handily written on the label for each dish, and you can dine on the terrace and enjoy the bird watching in the surrounding trees, if you can handle the heat.

breakfast at Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Siem Reap
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Service

All the staff members were wonderful, and very smiley, closing their palms in the traditional Khmer way as a greeting every time they passed a guest - I really liked that.

I like how a sign in the bathroom tells you the tap water is safe to brush your teeth with, that there are complimentary newspapers, and rather than being priced per item, the laundry service lets you fill up a whole bag and charges you $40 to wash and iron the lot

Liked lots / liked less

Liked lots

Those staying in the superior rooms get one of the best fruit bowls I've seen in a hotel, including mango, banana, logan fruit, rambuten, mangosteen and pear. And that accompanies a lunch platter - pastries, cut fruit, crepes, little pancakes, yoghurts and smoothies. More than enough to tide you over until dinner.

Liked less

Struggling to think of something, to be honest.

Price point

Prices from around £170 a night for a superior double room, to £235 for a junior suite, including breakfast.

Contact

Vithei Charles de Gaulle, Khum Svay Dang Kum, Siem Reap
+855 63 964600
Website
@SofitelNews

Note: Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort kindly hosted us as a guest as part of a media package. All views remain my own.

Related posts

CAMBODIA: Review of Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, Siem Reap
Week 13: CAMBODIA - Siem Reap (and Angkor Wat) → Phnom Penh
Week 14: CAMBODIA - Sihanoukville & Koh Rong Samloem Island
Week 15: CAMBODIA - Kep

Sunday, 15 March 2015

Week 12: VIETNAM - HCMC → Mekong Delta → HCMC

Image of the week: a trader makes his way to the floating market as the sun rises over the Mekong River.
Many more images at the end of post

Where in the world

A seven hour overnight train from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) where we stayed for four nights. Then a two day trip into and around the Mekong River with Water Buffalo Tours (overnight in the city of Ben Tre).

Finally, dropped off back in HCMC, where we spent our last couple of nights in Vietnam, which included a fantastic night food tour with XO Tours.

Thoughts

We were warned in advance that to announce the arrival into HCMC at three in the morning, the train carriages blast out classical Vietnamese music to wake you up. Instead, I woke up to the sound of Matt playing Goodnight Saigon by Billy Joel out of his phone on repeat. I'm not sure which I would have preferred.

HCMC (formerly Saigon) is Vietnam at its most hectic. A chaotic coexistence of pulsating commerce and culture, it really needs at least a week to get beneath the skin; I guess I'll just need to return.

Be sure to visit the parks in the cool of early morning or late evening. You'll find dance troops, the elderly limbering up for a gentle jog, teams playing the shuttlecock game of jiànzi, musicians, small groups gathering for book club sessions under the shade of a tree - it's a lovely time of day and a great location to take respite.

There were a couple of times when we were moving through the city in the small hours of the morning, which sees it in a whole other light. The amount of people going for a run and performing tai chi by the water's edge at 4.30am, already up for breakfast crouching over a steaming bowl of noodles, or sitting drinking coffee with a few pals - all way before the sun has even thought about rising - was quite astounding to me. Such a great city for early risers.

one of the parks in HCMC in the cool of the evening

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The War Remnants Museum is a must, but be prepared for an emotional onslaught. I wasn't, and I found the uncensored imagery (think children and babies..) and stories very distressing, which I suppose is the point. I wasn't the only one in there shedding quiet tears.

Another must when in HCMC is a tour with the fantastic ladies from XO Tours. They're the first all-female motorbike tour company in Vietnam, the only to have accident insurance, and the The Foodie tour was totally excellent.

You have your own driver that ferries you around (mine was called Hong and she was a total sweetheart), but there's a larger group (14 in ours) that follow the tour in total, with a really articulate and bubbly lead guide who gives a load of great insight at each stop. You drive through a number of different districts (not just District 1, which is cleaned up for the tourists), and as well as the food stops (see What to eat in HCMC below), there are additional stops to gain insight about the culture of Saigon.

Beer is included, there are a few fun silly games involving chopstick skills, you've giving a really handy book of Vietnamese phrases at the end, the lead guide takes pictures the whole evening and emails them to you after, and they keep ordering food as long as you keep eating.

All in, it was a brilliant laugh and made my highlight of the week (see below).

Our two day / one night Experience Mekong Delta Tour with Water Buffalo Tours provided some wonderful photo opportunities (see images at the end of post). It's quite driving-heavy, with two early starts, but sleep is the sacrifice you have to make to witness spectacles such as the pictures below.

Highlights included a cycle through the palm trees and paddy fields of Tan Hoa village, marvelling at the array of produce at the local markets, the fantastic seafood lunch on Tan Thanh Beach (see What to eat in the Mekong Delta below), witnessing the sun rise over the Mekong and traders ferrying their wares to the floating market, and cruising through the creeks in an ethereal early morning light, complete with mists rising from the water. Quite a spectacle.

Up a creek towards the floating market, in spectacular early morning light

sunrise over the Mekong River

The best things I ate this week

What to eat in HCMC..

Hu Tieu noodle soup. Roaming the streets for dinner, we came across this place. There was a lot of activity, with people constantly pulling up in mopeds to order some to take home, nearly ploughing into the girl in the bloody way taking pictures. They make hủ tiếu noodle soup.

We had a cute little studio apartment while we're in HCMC. So we made like so many of the locals and ordered it to go. Better for you than a Saturday night pizza. We left on foot as opposed to two wheels though - not an honorary Vietnamese just yet.

At 62 Truong Dinh Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1

Pizza. After almost five weeks of eating barely any, the wheat craving I had been trying to ignore culminated in a feverish online search for a good pizza place in town one evening this week. There's one in the Japanese quarters - they make their own cheeses up in the highlands of Da Lat and use traditional Neapolitan-style ovens.

We walked in at 5.30 and were asked if we had a reservation - they were fully booked. They managed to squeeze us in though, and the bread craving was duly appeased. Plus, a rather splendid burrata.

At Pizza 4P's, 8/15 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1

from top left: the hu tieu noodle place, taking it away to eat at home, the noodle making station, a very good pizza

Then there was the stuff we scoffed thanks to the ladies on the XO Food Tour. What's also great about these guys (apart from the gushing above) is that they don't just take you for pho and banh mi which so many other tours do - it's far more interesting than that.

Bun bo Hue noodle soup. The place to get this noodle dish in HCMC. The owners are from Hue, so theirs is pretty authentic.

The main difference between pho and bún bo hue is the former is with a chicken and beef stock, the latter is pork and beef, spicy, and with a strong lemongrass presence. Also with shredded banana blossom, bean sprouts, garlic ginger and chilli mix.

At Bún bò Huế Đông Ba 110A Nguễn Du

Table-top BBQs. The ladies informed us that BBQ is one of the most popular meals locals want when they eat out. The city is such that certain areas specialise in certain things. Massages, clothes, Chinese food - you name it.

For BBQ, you need District 8 (there are 24 districts in total). I can't recall what particular restaurant we went to (there was a lot of beer), but head to the area and you won't go wrong. Goat is the most popular meat. Also beef, prawns, frogs, sparrow, quail, okra, and the rest.

In District 8

Seafood. Whilst District 8 will cook you meat over coals, District 4 is the place to go for seafood. Crabs, clams, scallops - fill your boots.

In District 4

Longan fruit. I've loved discovering the exotic fruits of Asia. A new one for me we had on the tour was longan, also known as 'dragon's eye' - you can totally see why (see pic below). It's a cousin of the lychee.

from top left: bun bo hue noodle soup, table-top BBQ's in Distrit 8, BBQ aftermath with all of the beer, sparrow, logan fruit, crab in District 4

What to eat in the Mekong Delta..

Catfish. Lunch on the first day of the Mekong Tour with our guide from Water Buffalo Tours had us stop off at a seafront restaurant on Tan Thanh Beach. One of the most abundant fish from the river is catfish. There was sour catfish soup with tamarind, pineapple, vegetables. And ca kho to - caramelised catfish cooked with soy and pepper in a clay pot. Also grilled prawns, okra - all the seafood from the surrounding waters.

Then there was dessert, which was a glorious plate of exotic fruits purchased by our guide from a local market. Mango, custard apples, rambuten. And another new one for me, sapodilla. Which is a fruit that tastes like cake. And caramel.

The seafront on Tan Thanh Beach, Mekong Delta

Street food must-eats

Street food in HCMC..

Mi viet tiem. Fresh yellow noodles with gorgeous marinated duck, falling away from the bone. I think it was the only time we had duck in Vietnam, actually. This bowl was around £2.50 - pretty pricy for street food. We pushed the boat out for our final meal in Vietnam.

You'll find this place on the eastern extreme of Phan Van Han street, at the busy junction - it's one of the most popular noodle haunts in the area. If you want the duck, get there early as they run out quickly. The whole menu reads pretty well - do try more.

At Luong Ky Mi Gia, Phan Van Han Street

During my research, I stumbled across this very comprehensive guide to street food in Saigon from someone who's spent a lot more time there than I. I would have worked my way through this lot if I was there longer.

Did you know?

Learnt loads of interesting titbits this week, most of it insight from the lovely ladies at XO.

Cholon. Saigon's Chinatown area is called Cholon and it's one of the biggest Chinatown's in the world. It's also home to Binh Tay Market (a bit more on that below), which we're told sells all manner of both legal and illegal things. An example of the latter, monkey brains. Those Chinese really do eat anything.

Cao Dai mass

Cao Dai. Also known as Caodaism. It must be one of the most recently established religious movements, founded in 1926 in southern Vietnam.

It's one that combines Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, Confucianism and Islam.

They believe all the gods worshipped by different religions are in fact the same single God. And so all religions 'are one'. And so we should probably all just get along a bit more. Which sounds quite attractive.

We witnessed noon mass at the Cao Dai temple in the town of Cai Lay on the second day of our Mekong tour with Water Buffalo Tours.

Privacy for couples. Due to lack of space and lack of money, homes in Saigon often house three, sometimes even four generations. For the couples living in them, if they want some 'privacy' and can't afford a hotel room, they rent a lounger by the river.

Behind a gas station, in amongst the bushes that line the water, there are a load of loungers, in pairs. You only need to buy a drink to be able to spend the whole night on one. This is the place young couples go for some alone time. If you pull up and shine your headlights, you'll get a lot of abuse. There's a separate more discrete alleyway, also with loungers, for the screamers.

Balut

Balut. If you watch Karl Pilkington's An Idiot Abroad, you'll remember the episode in China and his reaction to watching a local eat balut.

This is a developing duck embryo (so, a fertilized egg) that is boiled and eaten in the shell. The result is part hard-boiled egg, part duck foetus, complete with veins, the beginnings of feathers and a feet, a head etc.

The thought of it is quite appalling, but it's a popular street food snack in SE Asia, especially the Philippines which is where it's called balut. In Vietnam, it's actually trung vit long.

The girls on the XO Tour will take you to a place that does them, if you fancy trying it. No one was brave enough on ours. Even the girls themselves were recoiling in disgust.

I like to think I'm an adventurous eater, but I'll need a few more introductions before balut becomes something I can envisage putting in my mouth.

My insider tips

Ben Thanh Market. Specifically there to sell stuff to tourists at high prices. Even though it's referenced in a lot of guide books, the girls at XO tell us the vendors buy the products from the massive and much cheaper wholesale Binh Tay Market in Cholon (Saigon's Chinatown), mark up the cost by a factor of at least four, then sell it to tourists.

Those who've haggled 40% off think they've got a good deal, but no. Either make your starting point 25% of their asking price and bring them down from there, or go to one of the other markets.

Here's a good guide to the authentic HCMC markets.

Highlight / Lowlight

Highlight. This was definitely the XO Tour. It was a totally terrific night zipping around Saigon through the hectic streets in the cool of the evening on the back of a moped, with great company, great insight and great food stops.

Really exhilarating, and without doubt the best way to see the city. There was beer, laughter, and my driver Hong was fantastic. Everyone who visits HCMC should take a tour with these lovely ladies.

Lowlight. Thanks to two early starts in a row during the Mekong Tour, still reeling from the 4am arrival in Saigon on the overnight train, and being sleep deprived in general, we spent one of the days in HCMC in bed. Which always feels like a waste. But if I've learnt one thing during these travels, it's that not setting an alarm needs to happen occasionally to allow the body to catch up.

Next week

Five weeks in Vietnam comes to an end, and it was fantastic. Onwards to Cambodia.

Here's a collage of some of the great eating we had here, in celebration. Vietnam, you will see me again.