Luxury Cambodia: Sarai Resort and Spa

When we first saw the picture of Sarai Resort and Spa we were actually very confused. With it’s beautiful pool and dome arches, I actually thought we were looking at a resort in Dubai or somewhere in the Middle East – it didn’t really look like something you would find in Cambodia did it?

In all the excitement we booked it immediately, because it did look so stunning and luxurious and the price tag was low, and we couldn’t wait to get there.

From the minute we arrived at the airport we were greeted by our private car and driver, and it was easy to see how Sarai had earned it’s 5 star rating.

Return airport transfers were included in our reservation when we booked our stay on booking.com which was an added bonus and even further justified the price of the stay.

The drive from the airport to Sarai Resort takes about 30 minutes and our driver was nice enough to stop at an ATM for us along the way, and point out the major landmarks and things to visit around the town.

Exploring The Temples of Angkor

Checking in: Our room at Sarai

Everything about Sarai Resort and Spa was fantastic, from the incredibly friendly and helpful staff on the front desk, to the beautiful rooms, comfortable window seats and delicious cocktails by the pool. The window seats in the rooms were actually something we couldn’t get enough of.

They were big and wide enough for two of us to lie down on comfortably and got the perfect amount of afternoon sun to keep you warm and toasty in the afternoon. After a day of temple hopping, it was the perfect place to have a quick afternoon nap before going out in the evening.

Sarai Resort is in a great location – within walking distance of Pub Street and the Angkor Night Market (both less than 1km or 10 minutes walk away), with several restaurants and cheap bars close by if you don’t want to go all the way out to Pub Street.

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You can also choose to take a tuk tuk between Sarai Resort and the main town, which should cost $2USD for a one way ride. Make sure you make it clear of the price before you hop into the tuk tuk, because when we were negotiating many would try and charge us per person, rather than for the ride, and they’re really just trying to get as much as they can out of tourists that don’t know the difference.

As well as their beautiful pool and fantastic location, Sarai Resort and Spa also has heaps of other services and benefits to make your stay even more comfortable. Onsite you can find Season Spa, offering all sorts of spa treatments from full body massage to beauty services such as body scrubs, mani and pedicures, and waxing, as well as a fitness centre with different classes across the week.

They also offered all sorts of tours to the temples and other local attractions, and were able to organise a tuk tuk driver for you at a moments notice.

Across the whole resort, the wifi was some of the best and fastest that we’d had in weeks, allowing us to catch up on our emails, social media and favourite TV shows after half a day of exploring the temples.

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We especially loved the speedy wifi at the pool – where we could endlessly scroll at the same time as cooling off and having a couple of cocktails!

And if you don’t want to leave this little paradise, the in room dining menu can cover you from 6am to 10:30pm.

The Goat Tree Garden Restaurant

The onsite restaurant – Goat Tree Garden Restaurant – is just another reason why you might never even need to leave the resort. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, Goat Tree’s menu showcases the best of Southeast Asian cuisine. You can choose to dine either inside in their exquisite dining room, or outside in the Fountain Courtyard if you would like to enjoy the night air.

For a completely unique experience, the Goat Tree Garden Restaurant also offers a cooking class onsite, where you can learn to cook some of their signature dishes straight from Sarai’s Executive Chef. The cooking class package goes for 4 hours and includes a trip to the market to shop for your fresh produce, the cooking counter class, an Angkor beer when you’re eating your meal, a cooking class certificate and recipe book and a souvenir gift from Sarai Resort and Spa. There are a couple of different options that have different menus for you to choose from, but it’s very affordable and a fun way to learn more about Southeast Asian foods.

We stayed in a Gold Chamber Deluxe Room, which was absolutely stunning, but if budget isn’t a problem, I would definitely recommend booking a suite for your stay. These gorgeous, two story rooms are the ultimate luxury experience. I saw one open before anyone had checked in to it and had a quick sneaky peak around, and honestly, it was amazing.

Find the best prices Sarai Resort & Spa for your dates

The bottom story has floor to ceiling windows and the window seat is huge, offering the most perfect views over the pool and rest of the resort. And the top level of the suite is almost exclusively an outdoor lounge, with hanging chairs and comfortable sofas sitting under huge outdoor fans where you can relax and rejuvenate after a long day of temple hopping.