Tourism & Siem Reap: A discreet and elegant refuge, stay at Templation Angkor
- Voyageuse Passion
- 11 hours ago
- 5 min read
When I went to Siem Reap to cover the Village de la Francophonie, which was then settling on the peaceful banks of the Siem Reap river, I chose to stay at the Templation Hotel, managed by the Maads group. Having explored many hotels across Cambodia and beyond, I had never had the opportunity to visit this one. Its reputation, quite positive on review sites, largely encouraged me to try the experience.
First impression
As soon as my tuk-tuk dropped me off at the door, I discovered a place faithful to the descriptions and reviews I had read. Although its modern and sleek architecture is not usually what I favor, I must admit that the place surprises by its "intelligence," its quietness, and the way the buildings fit into this vast green space. Right at the entrance, the tone is set: a clear water basin, populated with colorful fish, precedes the restaurant, where the sober furniture leaves full place to the impressive view of the main pool.
The charm of the garden and the pool
The harmony between the freshness of the shade cast by the numerous trees and the soft light filtering through the foliage creates a perfect atmosphere for calm and serenity, an impression of peace giving a unique feeling of renewing isolation. The smiling welcome, imbued with that gentle and polite Khmer hospitality, immediately reassures me.
At the center of the estate stretches the main pool, impressive, vast, and slightly winding, like a lagoon placed at the heart of the surrounding nature. Surrounded by carefully maintained gardens and green lawns, it offers an ideal space to relax after a busy day working or exploring the Angkor temples.
The many loungers, equipped with towels, undoubtedly invite laziness. The pool is impeccably clean and the choice of bluish slates for the bottom gives it quite a surprising color. Near the floating bed, some Singaporean tourists are taking a series of selfies, capturing their smiles in this friendly tropical atmosphere.
A private villa, haven of peace and comfort
What also strikes is the impression of an almost palpable calm. While the hotel has a notable occupancy, the human presence is discreet: some are lounging by the pool, others enjoy a coffee or a fresh fruit cocktail, while a few other guests move towards their villa.
My villa, a peaceful and functional refuge, opens onto a private pool. The architecture, both simple and elegant, harmonizes well with the tropical gardens. The layout of the spaces, separating bedroom, living room and pool, thus guarantees considerable privacy for a family or couple stay.
The villa offers all modern comforts: fast wifi, hot water, well-kept bathroom accessories. Half of the bathroom is open to the sky, allowing to take the evening shower under the starry sky, a particularly pleasant moment. However, I got a bit lost in the menus and remote controls of the TV screen. While a staff member came to fix this in 5 minutes, a small explanatory sheet might have been welcome for a vintage user like me. Same for the shower for which you need to fiddle a bit with the taps to know where the hot water or cold water comes from, but you manage quickly.
Flavors
The Templation restaurant offers a generous and original menu mixing traditional Khmer recipes and Western specialties. I chose a gratin with complex flavors including crab meat, shrimp, garlic, shallot, turmeric, galangal, peanut, shrimp paste, and dried chili; followed by shrimp topped with a tamarind sauce. To finish, a chocolate cake from Mondolkiri.
The main dishes perfectly met my expectations, with rich flavor combinations accompanied by whole grain rice, as I like it. The only downside was the gratin's presentation, a bit rustic for my taste, while the dessert shone both by its careful presentation and the quality of the chocolate. The service was quick, polite, attentive, and available, without ever being excessive.
Breakfast the following morning was just as appealing. After a peaceful night, there was no shortage of choices between Western, local, and Khmer specialties, accompanied by fresh pastries and generous tropical fruits.
Again, despite the number of customers, calm reigns thanks to well-thought table spacing. I later regretted not choosing the option to have my breakfast in the pool, an apparently very popular option judging by hotel reviews. You can also enjoy floating breakfasts, family meals, or private barbecues served directly in your villa, with vegetarian and vegan options available. Not having really had time to browse the site and documents on all services, maybe the staff could have sold me a bit on these options...
Sustainability
The hotel director, Somonea Cheng, came to talk about ecological initiatives, which delighted me. The hotel indeed implements several measures to minimize its environmental impact. It is notably the first establishment in the region to produce a large part of its electricity thanks to solar energy, which allows it to significantly reduce its conventional energy consumption. It also has green roofs that promote natural ventilation while preserving the native vegetation around the site.
"Moreover, Templation practices rainwater collection and recycling to reduce the use of drinking water. The hotel also actively contributes to local reforestation programs and the development of organic agriculture in the Siem Reap region."
In the fight against plastic pollution, it participates in the "Refill Not Landfill" campaign aimed at reducing plastic waste by providing guests with reusable bottles and water refill points.
A library, cultural treasure
At the heart of this stay, I had the privilege to finally discover the Templation library thanks to my friend Bernard Cohen, collaborator of the Maads group. We were then immersed in a hushed atmosphere, where I let myself be carried away by the shelves filled with editorial treasures. Bernard shares his passion, detailing the books, their editions, their plots, as well as the authors who bring them to life.
His interest focuses particularly on historical works. Bernard explained to me that the hotel owner and operators wanted to develop initiatives serving the community. The main idea was to create a database accessible on Cambodia's past, particularly Angkor.
Today, thanks to these efforts, more than 30,000 photos and 3,000 e-books or PDFs are already freely available. Bernard confides:
"What interests me in this rich country is that everything is intertwined there, from the genealogy of kings to architecture, from cuisine to religion, from archaeology to urban planning, syncretism and assumed influences... This intertwining of themes is an inexhaustible source of scholarship and inspiration."
The library adjoins a green space where dwarf rabbits and guinea pigs seem to thrive in their enclosure, with a terrestrial turtle chewing its greenery tirelessly and stoically next door. Probably a real delight for children and Instagram enthusiasts. Nearby, a gym room with some machines — not really an activity tempting me, especially in a place inviting more to outdoor exercise, but I perfectly understand that devotees of such equipment are happy to train here.
My experience at the Templation was therefore quite positive, notably in the context where I was staying, a few working days during which the tranquility and quality of the hotel service made my task much easier. Having quickly shared my stay privately with some friends, many asked me for more details about this place.
A place that I obviously recommend, both for a professional stay or a few days of family vacation, or even as a couple in search of authentic calm, a green setting, and top-quality service.
