April 23 - 30, 2015

We hired a driver to take us from Kampot to Siem Reap. We could have taken a bus, but it would have been a much longer day (about a nine hour ride) with many stops back in Phnom Penh picking up all sorts of folks. We weren't keen on another long bus ride and It was not a huge price difference considering there were four of us.

It was an interesting ride. The roads were awful for a good chunk of the trip. Some were not paved properly and the resulting potholes caused us to swerve, drive into oncoming traffic or just hit them. I think we were all nauseous.

There was no shortage of interesting things to watch along the way. We saw a great deal of vehicles being pulled by the front end of a tractor with huge handlebars. I have no idea what these are called, but there were many on the road. We also enjoyed seeing how many people or things could be crammed into a van or onto a motorbike. I tried to capture photos as we passed some these vehicles. We saw a couple of vans that had at least 20 people (maybe intended for 8) plus their gear which often included a motorbike. The doors of the van were open and the motorbike was hanging out of the van. Don't worry, it was secured by rope and weighted down by the person sitting on top of it. Strange indeed.

Motorbike hanging off the end of the van. Looks like they could be living in this van down by the river.

The dude is sitting on the bike while the van is moving. Remember we are traveling 40-50 mph. — The dude is sitting on the bike while the van is moving. Remember we are traveling 40-50 mph.

No idea what these are, but they were all over Cambodia. Pulling power.

Guess the tractor helps them pull cargo through fields.

Average Cambodian houses along the way. Crazy antennas that seemed to balance on bamboo poles.

We had a very brief stop for lunch. Our driver seemed to know where to stop for some local roadside food. It seemed everyone had the same thing - rice, some sort of broth and fish or prawns that you would mix all together. Fortunately, we had Rikitikitavi pack us a lunch, so we were set. A seven hour car ride was not the time to get adventurous with street food.

We arrived in Siem Reap in good time, but our driver did not seem to know exactly where our hostel was, despite the fact that we had given him a map. We were now driving down a dirt road filled with large puddles from recent rain. Our driver called the hostel and got directions. The hostel owner waited outside in front of the building and seemed a little annoyed at the inconvenience of having to navigate our driver to the correct location.

We checked in, paid for a few nights of our intended week stay and trekked to our room on the third floor - no lift. We were forced to get two rooms because each room could only fit three. The rooms were large enough, but they would not put a cot in one room to accommodate all four of us. We had a look around and we were not too happy. I suppose it had all that was advertised, but it was more of a 20 something backpacker place than some of the other more family friendly hostels where we previously stayed.

There was a pool, but it was indoors and by the bar and eating area. There were other features that allowed younger people to hang out and drink. Hmmmm. So we went back to our room and began to get settled. It wasn't 20 minutes before the power went out. No air conditioning, no screens on the small balcony door, no air flow, no generator. Long story short, we spent our first night sprawled out on the tops of the bed like sweaty starfish. Now we really were not happy.

The power never returned, but we made it through the night. All cranky and sweaty, we headed downstairs to check out breakfast. It seems they had a small generator for the kitchen, so we were able to get something that would tie us over until lunch. The owner was there and we had a chat. He said that this situation of no power could last a couple of days. He wasn't advertising that, but he said he would understand if we wanted to look elsewhere for accommodation. Say no more....off we went.

Maeve and Liam play with a huge Connect Four game by the indoor pool at hostel. The only pic I took there.

We knew there was a hotel next door. Our driver stopped there accidentally while he was looking for our hostel. We thought it was a good place to start to check out pricing and see what other places had to offer....plus it was next door and we wouldn't have to travel far.

I think ethereal music began playing in my head as we crossed over a little pond into an oasis of ceiling fans, welcoming faces and traditional Cambodian decor. There was definitely power here. The whole place was backed up by a massive generator. My next thought was ....yeah, we can't afford this place. Liam and Maeve were immediately drawn to the pool. It was huge, clean and practically empty. 'Can we stay here? Can we?' Sigh. Well, we we're here so no harm in asking.

We inquired about room rates at reception and were kindly asked to have a seat on a couch nearby. Another lovely employee joined us and asked some questions. She quoted us a price and as suspected, it was well over budget. We asked if there was a discount if we stayed one week. We waited while she went off to make a call to the manager. It felt a little like buying a car. Next thing you know we are being served cold ice tea and handed cool clothes for our hands and face. Nice touch.

The lady returned and did what I imagine would be a Combodian "Godfather" imitation by presenting us 'with an offfer we can't refuse.' Not only was the price significantly cheaper for a week, but we were offered a VIP package which included daily breakfast, an hour massage for each of us, one traditional Cambodian dinner for the family, and transportation to the airport when we leave. We asked if we could see a room and if it would accommodate all four of us.

These people could not have been nicer. They happily showed us a room and placed a large cot inside. The air conditioning worked well with the generator so there would never be a disruption in power. There was also a lovely balcony with a view of the people suffering in the hostel next door. Perfect.

We made the decision then and there to splurge and stay here for the week. We went downstairs to make the necessary arrangments and we were then treated to freshly made juice, sticky rice with mango served in a banana leaf, banana chips and salted nuts all served on a hand-carved silver tray service. Uhhh, I could get used to this.

The following week felt like we were staying with family. We could not sit down for more than five minutes without being served complimentary ice tea or being given a snack of fresh fruit, banana chips or nuts. Our daily breakfast included a huge buffet with hot foods and chef who would make any type of eggs. Happy hour always included complimentary food/snacks, and on Fridays they had a cocktail party where there was an endless supply of wine or soda for two hours. I think that alone made up for the price difference.

Each time we returned from an excursion in the heat, we were greeted each of us by name with cool face clothes and warm smiles. They were the most helpful and friendly staff I have ever encountered. One day two employees stopped and chatted with my parents when I was on Skype in the lounge area. I am even now Facebook friends with one of the employees.

We had a great week in Siem Reap. We saw Phar Circus (see Maeve and Liam's video about that https://youtu.be/PxR2vRE8cQs ) and visited Angkor Wat and many of the surrounding temples. The rest of the time we completed some school work and just enjoyed the pool and the superior service and attention at the Golden Temple.

So if you find yourself in Siem Reap and are looking for the royal treatment and an amazing pool, you must check out the Golden Temple Hotel. You will not be disappointed.

I was not compensated in any way for this review. Just a grateful family appreciative of the kindness and overwhelmingly attentive service.

Breakfast buffet area with egg chef too!

No idea what it was, but it was filling and refreshing

Complimentary wine and snacks at the Friday night cocktail party

Cambodian dinner before our evening at the circus