Phum Baitang (pronounced Baitong) is not a hotel: it's a serious commitment - to tranquility and rigorous style. This boutique resort is spread over 8 acres of perfectly level land and tries to recreate a Cambodian farming village as closely as possible, complete with rice paddies, towering sugar palms and clumps of verdant trees. Guests stroll across dykes and raised walkways from stylish villa to vast 50m infinity pool to airy restaurants, to end up without fail at the magnificent Angkor-temple spa, with its Zen-like treatment rooms.
Surrounded by precisely nothing, the 45 generously spaced villas need to provide all the comforts of an isolated cottage, and they do: gorgeous untreated wood, natural fabrics, whispering air-conditioning, lovely antiques, and a fully loaded smart TV, plus either a lovely terrace or a plunge pool on your private lawn. And you’re just 15 minutes from Angkor Wat.
Highs
- A rewarding sense of being one of the few, not one of the many
- Gorgeous design, and views over the rice paddies as far as the eye can see
- Attentive, discreet staff dressed in immaculate white linen, and a lovely English general manager
- Space for everyone: couples, friends, solos and families
- Environmental awareness
Lows
- You’re in the middle of nowhere. Make sure you’re cut out for serenity
- The paddy fields get hellish hot, and the young trees don't yet provide shade or privacy. You’ll need those pristine white umbrellas
- Not cheap but it's a one-off
Best time to go
The winter (mid-November to February) is best and also the most popular season: it's dry and relatively cool. Avoid March to May - it'll fry you alive. The rainy season, June to November, is also a good option: it usually only rains for an hour and the rest of the time it's bearably muggy, and everything is lush and green.
Our top tips
Rent a car (reception can arrange). It gives you so much more freedom, especially in the evening when cabin fever sets in, and it is a relief to be independent of the tedious guides and drivers.
Location
Phum Baitang is a lengthy trundle outside Siem Reap, in an area of farmland and sleepy, indefinable out-of-town businesses. Traffic in Cambodia is slow, so calculate 15 minutes to get to civilisation and the entrance to the temple complex.
By Air:
Fly to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (53km), or head to Phnom Penh (335km, also in Cambodia) and then take a connecting flight or travel overland. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.
From the Airport
The hotel offers airport transfers from Siem Reap (1 hour).
By Boat:
It's possible to take a ferryboat or speedboat from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap via Tonle Sap lake (4-6 hours), but choose your vessel with care. The crossing can be extremely rough, the boats overcrowded, and the lifebelts non-existent. Some of the slower cruises (2-3 days) are much more civilised.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.
More on getting to Cambodia and getting around
Airports:
- Siem Reap Angkor International 53.0 km SAI
- Phnom Penh 335.0 km PNH
Other:
- Beach 520.0 km
- Shops 8.0 km
- Restaurant 8.0 km