The 9 Best Eco-Friendly Hotels and Stays in Siem Reap, Cambodia

This gem has proved popular since opening in 2016, setting a new standard for contemporary boutique accommodation in Siem Reap. The exclusive resort oozes serenity, with water playing a prominent role in its design. Tropical flora hides 33 unique living spaces – most with private pools – the Templation Spa offers the perfect place to unwind, using a range of nature-based oils and lotions for treatments inspired by Khmer traditional healing, and a restaurant and bar serve food and drinks. Templation is also pursuing the green hotel concept with vegetal roofs, enhanced natural airflow, solar panels directly connected to its electric grid and careful collection of rainwater.

As Cambodia’s leading wellness retreat, stylish Navutu Dreams offers programmes to help guests reach the perfect mind and body balance. As well as meditation sessions, guests can enjoy yoga, detoxes, traditional Chinese medicine and holistic treatments. It has also developed a range of destination-inspired experiences, including Pradakshina, a forest meditation experience in the form of a spiritual journey through Angkor’s jungle trails.

One of Siem Reap’s latest forms of accommodation to open is super-stylish The Beige. This minimalist, modern location is set in the middle of thick jungle and offers an alternative bed for the night in the form of luxury camping. The canvas villas are made from a fabric that resembles the sailcloth of a yacht and contains no traces of vinyl or plastic and all ingredients – where possible – are organic and sourced from the on-site or local farms. The site also features an impressive infinity pool suspended five metres above ground.

This community-based recreational area at the base of Phnom Krom, near the Tonle Sap Lake, offers visitors the chance to experience Cambodia’s nature and rural lifestyles. The site is home to a hotel, as well as a range of other activities organised by villagers from 50 local communities who are employed by the site. Activities that can be arranged include camping, ox-cart rides, cycling trips, boat rides and trekking.

Phum Baitang, which translates as green village from Khmer, is a luxurious sanctuary sitting on the outskirts of Siem Reap amid lush paddies, tropical gardens and lemongrass meadows. The eight-acre site is home to 45 stilted villas crafted from sustainable materials, all of which adhere to strict environmental policies, such as using natural products, sourcing food from local farms where possible, minimising use of plastic and producing drinking water onsite.

The Visit Banteay Srei campaign launched in 2016 and aims to throw the spotlight on the rural area, which sits about 30 minutes away from Siem Reap town. Dotted with homestays, guests can choose from private villas through to sharing a room with locals in their home. Hosts are also happy to introduce you to their community and way of life. For example, Bayon Smile runs six homestays in the area and the owners can organise activities such as remote temple treks, bike rides through the countryside and guided walks along nature trails.

Sala Lodges is another gem hidden in the Siem Reap countryside. Here 11 wooden stilted houses have been discovered in the countryside, dismantled and rebuilt at Sala Lodges. With each house – the oldest dates back to the late 1950s – telling its own tale, the exteriors have been preserved, while the interiors are full of modern fixtures and fittings, finished off with artisan touches.

For a sumptuous stay in Siem Reap, check-in to Lynnaya Urban River Resort & Spa. Set on the leafy riverside, this stylish resort opened its doors in 2015 as a leafy haven. Minimalist architecture dominates, with light, bright and breezy rooms decorated with local artisan crafts. A spacious swimming pool is on-site, as well as a spa, and the neighbouring Palate Angkor Restaurant and Bar serves up a range of international and local dishes, using locally sourced ingredients where possible.

Ensuring that nature continues to prevail, Natura Resort crafted its collection of modern villas around the ancient trees that dot the site on the banks of Siem Reap River. The stylish yet contemporary resort has been designed to resemble a green cocoon just a stone’s throw away from Siem Reap centre. There is a communal open-air area, swimming pool, spa and restaurant and bar, with vegan and vegetarian dishes served.