The lush grounds of Knai Bang Chatt hotel, Kep Photo: Scott A. Woodward
Beyond the time-etched temples of Siem Reap, Johnny Morris discovers a less visited world of Miami-style townhouse hotels, design boutiques and modernist villas inspired by Le Corbusier – all within reach of the virgin islands of the south.
By Johnny Morris
Telegraph.co.uk
Mar 2012
Our pepper-red Eurocopter swung south-east over the expanse of the ancient West Baray reservoir and suddenly I could see the sandstone towers of Angkor Wat , the largest religious building in the world, glowing like a set of giant chess pieces in the Cambodian sunshine. Keeping a respectful distance from the huge, time-tattooed faces of Angkor Thom , we passed over smaller temple ruins engulfed in scrub jungle and surrounded by the chartreuse green of rice paddies. Following the Siem Reap river down to the watery heartland of Cambodia, Tonlé Sap Lake , I saw fishing boats carving glassy Vs as they passed floating villages in the surreal, semi-flooded landscape.
The helicopter did a wide loop around the mountain temple of Phnom Krom and, as we headed back north, I was surprised to see below us the familiar shape and texture of a well-manicured golf course. This one, it transpired, had been designed by Nick Faldo and is regarded as the best of the three courses that have sprung up in recent years around the temple town of Siem Reap.
My Australian pilot, Phil Butterworth , sensed my interest. “That’s what I like most – the variety,” he explained over headphones. “You can do your Indiana Jones bit all day, exploring the temples, then change into something smart and head out to a decent restaurant.”
From godheads to golf greens, Siem Reap has it all – and a lot more besides. Indeed, the gateway town to the Angkorian temples now attracts so many international visitors – year on year numbers were up 23 per cent in 2011, to 1.6 million – that it has emerged as a vibrant destination in its own right. It’s good news for brand Cambodia, but the surge in visitors also means the country may be in danger of destroying its most valuable tourist asset. The fabric of the Khmer monuments is steadily being eroded by the increased footfall, and the tranquil atmosphere of the holy sites is threatened by the kerfuffle of coachloads of tourists. While I was there, Chinese guides were barking out facts about the serenity of 13th-century Buddhist temples without any sense of irony or volume control. Read and see more beautiful pictures at Telegraph.co.uk.
The helicopter did a wide loop around the mountain temple of Phnom Krom and, as we headed back north, I was surprised to see below us the familiar shape and texture of a well-manicured golf course. This one, it transpired, had been designed by Nick Faldo and is regarded as the best of the three courses that have sprung up in recent years around the temple town of Siem Reap.
My Australian pilot, Phil Butterworth , sensed my interest. “That’s what I like most – the variety,” he explained over headphones. “You can do your Indiana Jones bit all day, exploring the temples, then change into something smart and head out to a decent restaurant.”
From godheads to golf greens, Siem Reap has it all – and a lot more besides. Indeed, the gateway town to the Angkorian temples now attracts so many international visitors – year on year numbers were up 23 per cent in 2011, to 1.6 million – that it has emerged as a vibrant destination in its own right. It’s good news for brand Cambodia, but the surge in visitors also means the country may be in danger of destroying its most valuable tourist asset. The fabric of the Khmer monuments is steadily being eroded by the increased footfall, and the tranquil atmosphere of the holy sites is threatened by the kerfuffle of coachloads of tourists. While I was there, Chinese guides were barking out facts about the serenity of 13th-century Buddhist temples without any sense of irony or volume control. Read and see more beautiful pictures at Telegraph.co.uk.
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