JVPhoto

Le Meridien & Siem Reap

I will give Angkor its own post.

I was able to check-in once I arrived, it didn't seem the hotel was full. The hotel is a big square with a center courtyard so it seems the SPG guest rooms are closest to the elevator/stairs.





Deluxe King and/or SPG Gold meant free coffee/tea from the lobby lounge serving Illy.

Breakfast was served ($15...with the SPG discount and the tax/tip added back in it works out to flat $15) in the Angkor Royal Cafe. Pretty decent mix of things each morning with an egg station and also a local food station.





In addition to that I had some lunch there twice. The shrimp/tofu curry was great as was the beef with mango salad. The Khmer pumpkin curry was super bland.




Across from the cafe is Naga Bar which I had a glass of wine in one night and watched the buffet dinner's Khmer cultural show.


The pool area was nice and of an interesting design.



The tour/transport desk in the lobby has it set up to call tuk tuks on demand for a $3 flat rate to the center of town. It's about a 5-6 min ride and is quite enjoyable. The wagons pulled by scooters are quieter and more comfortable than their Thailand cousins.


The joys of working out in SE Asia at Angkor Muscle Gym...at least it was only $1 entry and the 90 degree heat meant I didn't need to do any cardio. The people watching is worth $5.



The center of town along the river. Not bad to walk around for a bit. Nothing interesting to buy. Though the worst part (along with any other time of the day) is the constant barrage of tuk tuk drivers asking if you need a ride.




The first night I wanted to go to The Station Wine Bar which is gay owned. On the way there I would need to eat so La Marvloux looked good and inviting. Fairly decent food. I ended up finding a "friend" on an app who wanted to skip the drink but offered to drive me back to my hotel.






The day of touring Angkor Wat/Thom a resturant in town liked one of my photos on IG. I checked it out and it seemed awesome. George's Rhumerie is a father/son team from La Reunion Island who moved to Siem Reap a few years ago making their own food and infusion rums.

Also make their own tofu.



I sipped on a shot each of ginger and kaffir lime rum. They also gave me a nip of coconut rum as a digestif.


Just a random place in town called The Slabprea for riverfish amok before going to the gym. Not bad for $4.





The colonial vibes of the city were interesting. For the most part everyone seemed friendly. The traffic seemed to follow its own set of rules.


Walking back from the gym one day I passed Le Gout just south of the Night Art Market so I went back for dinner one night. Really good food. In love with the lemon(?) pepper sauce that comes on the side of lom lak! Nice pomelo salad as well.




First time I've seen this used in a bathroom.


All in all a nice place to visit serving as an outpost for the Angkor Park. There is an interesting blend of upscale (T's Galleria Shopping Mall, Rimowa store, some high end fine dining) and the local flavor of scooters passing you with 40 dead chickens hanging off each side or two pigs tied to the back who just had their throats slit (wasn't fast enough with the camera, sorry).