HanumanAlaya Boutique Residence & Villa, our very own hotel in Siem Reap, gateway to the temples of Angkor, announces an enticing new promotion for the green season from 1 April to 30 September 2013.
HanumanAlaya Villa in Siem Reap-Angkor
Following on from last year’s successful promotion, the HanumanAlaya team are pleased to announce a ‘Stay Longer, Save More’ promotion for 2013. The longer that guests stay at the Boutique Residence or new Villa, the more they will save. It works like this:
Stay 1 Night, Save 10%
Stay 2 Nights, Save 20%
Stay 3 Nights, Save 30%
Stay 4 Nights, Save 40%
Stay 5 Nights, Save 50%
So there are savings for everyone, particularly those staying for 3-5 nights. The Hanuman Travel team would certainly recommend a minimum of 3 nights in Siem Reap, as there are simply so many incredible temples around Angkor.
In the meantime, here is some more information on the new HanumanAlaya Villa, sister property to HanumanAlaya Boutique Residence.
A new addition in 2013, HanumanAlaya Villa compliments the original HanumanAlaya Boutique Residence. With just nine rooms, the Villa is an intimate boutique escape from the bustle of downtown Siem Reap, located with a view across to the Siem Reap River. The rooms are all finished in wood trim and our signature combination of traditional Khmer design and sophisticated international amenities. As well as beautiful decoration in the form of hand-carved wooden furnishings and traditional Khmer silk, modern touches are clearly visible with flat-screen televisions and contemporary bathrooms throughout.
Beyond the rooms, the Villa includes its own secluded swimming pool, tucked away from public view. There is also a small bar-restaurant around the pool, where the included breakfast can be enjoyed each morning before exploring the temples. A wide variety of drinks is available and a small menu of light bites and snacks. Around the corner in our sister property, HanumanAlaya Boutique Residence, is Reahoo Restaurant with a full menu of Khmer classics and international delights. A range of massages are available at the new Villa thanks to our sophisticated Sita Spa at HanumanAlaya Boutique Residence. These can be enjoyed in the privacy of your own room or in small pavilions next to the swimming pool.
Our new HanumanAlaya Villa is an atmospheric place to stay in Siem Reap for those wanted a relaxed and peaceful base after a day exploring the temples. The room rates are great value for the impeccable new facilities and prices are set somewhat lower than the original HanumanAlaya Boutique Residence. However, this does not reflect a lower room standard, but the fact that the HanumanAlaya Villa does not have a full-service spa on site.
Join Hanuman for an escorted seat-in-coach two-week Cambodia Revealed trip of a lifetime that will begin on 17 August 2013.
Cambodia Revealed
An in-depth journey throughout Cambodia that will take you beyond the highlights and under the skin of this beguiling country, beginning with the Kingdom’s riverside capital, Phnom Penh. More adventures await you in the remote northeast in Mondulkiri, especially at the Elephant Valley Project before we follow the Mekong River and enjoy a close encounter with the rare and unique Irrawaddy dolphins near Kratie. We head off to discover the first temple city built in Southeast Asia at Sambor Prei Kuk. At Angkor, over 1000 temples were built between the 9th and 13th centuries, so we select the best of them including the world’s largest religious monument at Angkor Wat, the enigmatic and enchanting Bayon and the atmospheric Ta Prohm, consumed by jungle and fighting a losing battle with nature. Cambodia Revealed is a trip through an amazing country that will leave you with so many lasting memories.
The cost of the two-week land-only Cambodia Revealed tour is from US$965 per person, based on a minimum tour party of six persons. View our detailed fact-sheet on the tour at http://www.hanuman.travel/Tours/Cambodia/CT_Cambodia-Revealed.html. Contact the Hanuman sales team to book directly.
London 2013: Meet one of Cambodia’s eminent artists, discover the secrets behind shadow puppetry from an iconic Arts Master, learn to cook the original recipes from the Royal Palace of Cambodia and find out how charitable projects are teaching young people the skills they need for a brighter future through working at the Lotus Blanc restaurant in Phnom Penh or at the Artisans d’Angkor’s Silk Farm in Siem Reap. These are just some of the incredible experiences included in Raffles Hotels & Resorts inspirational new trip entitled A Journey Through Khmer Culture.
Khmer is the original culture of Cambodia and can be traced back to the 9th century AD and the rule of King Jayavaraman II. However, during the civil war, the Khmer Rouge, under Pol Pot’s leadership, destroyed not only the lives of the Cambodian people, but also obliterated all traces of its culinary, artistic and musical heritage. Since its demise, the Cambodian people have strived to reignite the Khmer Arts and today there is an exciting new energy which surrounds the traditional arts scene. This six-day journey is based at Cambodia’s only two luxury hotels which date back to the Indochine era of the early 20th century. It explores Khmer culture both past and present, through the eyes of the people who have lived through it all and are now writing the next chapter.
Meet Eric Raisina, one of Cambodia’s leading fashion designers, adored by Lulu de la Falaise and Christian Lacroix, who is taking Cambodian silk to the next level on the international fashion scene. Witness Chhim Sothy at work, a painter whose intricate paintings of the Ramayana era have been exhibited around the world. Learn from iconic Arts Master, Mann Kosal who has breathed new life into the ancient tradition of shadow puppetry. These are just some of the extraordinary people who will be met along the journey.
Raffles Hotels & Resorts are supremely qualified to lead this experience as both Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor and Raffles Hotel Le Royal have played a part in this incredibly fascinating country’s history from the 1920’s when they opened, through the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge regime to the present day, when they too have been lovingly restored to contribute to a new chapter. They are the only hotels in Cambodia allowed to display the Royal crest above the door and serve original Khmer dishes, having been granted permission from the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk to use the Royal Palace of Cambodia’s recipes. Atmospheric and authentic, these hotels are the perfect backdrop to a journey through Khmer culture. Raffles is working with leading Cambodian destination management company Hanuman (www.hanuman.travel) to make these unique experiences possible.
A Journey Through Khmer Culture starts from USD 3,187 (GBP 2,073) per person based on two people sharing the tour. This includes 5 nights’ accommodation in Landmark Rooms with Raffles Hotels & Resorts on a bed and breakfast basis, legendary Raffles Butler Service, all activity options and additional meals stated in the itinerary, entrance fees, English speaking local guide and transfers. A 5 Night Suite option (Balcony Suite in Raffles Hotel Le Royal and Personality Suite in Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor) would start from USD 4,230 (GBP 2,752). A Journey Through Khmer Culture can be booked through Raffles Hotels & Resorts at www.raffles.com.
Thailand and Cambodia will launch the first direct bus services linking Bangkok with Siem Reap and Phnom Penh in the next two weeks. The first bus service between the two countries will debut on 29th December, said The Transport Co, a Thai state enterprise under the Transport Ministry.
The service includes the Bangkok to Siem Reap route, a 424km trip that takes about seven hours. The two countries will provide two trips a day and the fare will be 750 baht or US$25. The Bangkok to Phnom Penh service, covering 719km and taking 11 hours, will run once a day with a fare of 900 baht or $30.
Air-conditioned buses will serve both routes, which will use the popular border crossing at Aranyaprathet/Poipet. It is to be hoped the new cross-border service will reduce the petty corruption that plagues this border. International travellers crossing this way are routinely faced with a variety of unofficial and official scams ranging from fake visa offices to insisting on visa payment in Thai baht at a prohibitive exchange rate. Poipet is notorious among overlanders and could learn a lesson or two in manners from its eastern counterpart Bavet on the Vietnamese border. There are no major scams at Bavet and the visa fee is fixed at the official US$20. Poipet has long been the worst possible introduction to Cambodia. Perhaps this new international bus service will finally force Poipet to change its ways?
HanumanAlaya, Angkor’s Boutique Residence, was recommended in the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper in an article entitled “South-east Asia holiday deals put to the test”
Swimming Pool at HanumanAlaya Boutique Residence
“Our secret shopper was after a south-east Asian jaunt in January and sought the advice and best offers of several leading tour operators. Here’s the verdict.
The test
I was looking for advice and costings for a two-week holiday to Thailand with a side-trip to see the temples at Angkor Wat in Cambodia departing on January 26 2013. I wanted the trip to comprise three nights in Bangkok in a riverside hotel, four nights in Siem Reap (for Angkor), and six nights in a quiet resort hotel on the Andaman Sea. My budget was around £5,000 for two people to include flights, transfers and b & b accommodation in four-star hotels. I said that I might increase the budget for an exceptional beach hotel.
Many tour operators and web-based agents sell off-the-shelf beach holidays to Thailand but few can organise side trips to places such as Siem Reap. I contacted four travel companies to assess their knowledge of the area, choice of accommodation and speed of service. Here are the results.
William picked up my call. He had visited Siem Reap and recommended a boutique hotel, the HanumanAlaya, an “affordable oasis” run by a friendly family. He would send a brochure and ask a colleague to call me after the weekend with advice on the Andaman Sea resorts.
That afternoon an email arrived with links to the relevant sections of Audley’s informative website. In the post I received a high-quality brochure together with a personal letter, a planning and price guide, and a copy of the Audley Traveller magazine. It was a very impressive beginning.”
Friends International and its signature training restaurants Friends and Romdeng have long been a popular fixture in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. More than a decade since the original Friends Restaurant burst on to the scene, Marum Restaurant is opening its doors in Siem Reap tonight on 1 October 2012. Named after the Moringa or Tree of Life, Marum promises creative local cuisine in an contemporary wooden building. Run by Kaliyan Mith in Siem Reap, part of the Friends International family, this NGO has been working with street children and marginalized young people since 2005. Part of the TREE Alliance of training restaurants that have sprung up in Indochina in recent years, other members include the impressive Makphet in the Laotian capital Vientiane, also part of Friends International, and Sandan, run by Mlup Tapang in Cambodia’s premiere beach destination Sihanoukville. Hanuman has long been a supporter of these world class training restaurants, including places such as KOTO in Hanoi and Saigon, the Hoa Sua family in Hanoi and Huong Lai in Saigon. We look forward to sampling the cuisine and introducing Marum to some of our many guests that visit Siem Reap each year.
HanumanAlaya, Angkor’s Boutique Residence is featured in Conde Nast Traveller, one of the world’s bestselling travel magazines.
OK, so it was featured back in April, but the Cambodian postal system can take time to deliver. “Full of art and antiques with a restaurant serving great local cuisine,” is what the Traveller team had to say about HanumanAlaya.
This was the first time Conde Nast had featured Cambodia on their cover and the trip was co-sponsored by Audley Travel, Hanuman and a number of our leading local suppliers in Cambodia such as Raffles Hotels and Song Saa Private Island.
Watch this new video of HanumanAlaya, Angkor’s Boutique Residence put together by the Hanuman Films team.
Using all new equipment, including a handheld steadycam and a selection of lighting gear, this showcases the best of the hotel and all its facilities. Book now for the last chance to take advantage of half price rooms before the end of September. Live online, real-time booking is now also available for those who want to check availability directly: http://www.be3.com/en-us/asia/cambodia/siem_reap/hanumanalaya_boutique_residence.html?cur=USD
Explore the temples of Angkor in royal style in a replica 1920 Rolls Royce 20, originally used as the car of the Cambodian king in the Jean-Jacques Annaud film Two Brothers or Deux Freres, starring Guy Pearce.
See a video of the striking yellow vehicle travelling around the temples. This is an ideal vehicle for honeymoon couples wanting something a little different or for a couple celebrating their anniversary. Families might like to consider it as an option if the children are particularly interested in vintage cars or classic vehicles.
We can now offer a unique opportunity to experience the old world charm of elegant travel in French Colonial Indochina of the 1920s with the superbly restored replica Rolls-Royce Twenty that appeared in the family adventure film Two Brothers, by famous French movie director Jean-Jacques Annaud. The movie was shot amongst the temples and exquisite countryside in Cambodia and hit the big screen in 2004 – a timeless and heartwarming tale about the power of friendship and the bond between brotherly tiger cubs – that shows off Cambodia in its best light. The car itself was used extensively throughout the film.
Hanuman’s very own replica Rolls-Royce Twenty, with comfortable seating for two passengers, is now available as your car of choice to explore the Temples of Angkor, or for your transportation with a difference in and around Siem Reap, as well as pick up for your transfer to and from Siem Reap International Airport. In the early part of the 20th Century, Rolls-Royce cars were described as the best cars in the world. Relive those magical memories of French Colonial Indochina with Hanuman. Contact the company’s sales team @ sales@hanumantourism.com for more information.
