by Katherine
So goodbye Vietnam and hello Cambodia! I was torn about how I would like Cambodia; it is hot as balls, but Siem Reap seemed like a really fun town from my research. And hotels seemed really great too, a lot of bang for your buck. Of all the places we could have splurged and stayed in true luxury, Siem Reap would have been the place, as they had resort-like hotels for pretty cheap. But why spend extra if you can stay at the Golden Mango Inn! I had found this place pretty early on in my research, as the Trip Advisor reviews had almost nothing bad to say about the place. Then it turned out, it was the place my cousin had stayed at when she was in Siem Reap, and she said it was really nice. The biggest downside was that it was not in town, but my cousin said it was better to be away from that craziness, and reviews said it was super easy to take a tuk tuk into town. So we booked at the Golden Mango Inn.
We got a free tuk tuk pick up at the airport and it was only $4 for the ride back. We ended up using the same driver to take us to the temples during our stay. Seems like that's a common thing - making buddies with your first tuk tuk driver. We arrived pretty late, had a snack on the plane, and were planning to get up early the next morning, so we opted to skip going into town for dinner. The lobby did not have air conditioning, but they did give us a much appreciated cold towel. The rooms were large with plenty of room and we had views of the pool.
My favorite part of the hotel was that you could get cheap in-room massages. Perfect after a day of hitting up temples. I actually never took advantage of the pool because I was busy being a massage-whore. I got a 1-hour clothed full body massage for $6 and the next day I got a 1-hour oil full body massage. The 1-hour foot massage was $6. I frickin love Cambodia! I miss my daily massages! The rest of the gang did go down to the pool to relax. It was never too crowded.
In regards to the tuk tuk rides into the center of town, you just tell the front desk that you want to go into town and there will be a tuk tuk ready usually in about 15 minutes (sometimes it was a bit more or less). The trickier part was when you wanted a ride back. Most of the time, we just told the driver a time and a place, and he'd be there to pick us up. Otherwise, if you wanted to be flexible, you would need to pay for one back (only like $3 so really not so bad). And you can negotiate, as they'll usually start with a higher price. If you want to stay out late and party, you will need to pay for the ride back, as the free service stopped running at 9:30 I think. Overall, it was pretty easy. But there were times where we would have liked to pop back in town for a short time to buy a few more things, but spending 15 minutes into town and 15 minutes back, plus waiting for the tuk tuk at the start, was just not worth it. But the hotels in the center of town seemed like they would be too loud for me, especially since we were getting up early everyday. So in the end, I'd stay at Golden Mango again!
My favorite part of the hotel was that you could get cheap in-room massages. Perfect after a day of hitting up temples. I actually never took advantage of the pool because I was busy being a massage-whore. I got a 1-hour clothed full body massage for $6 and the next day I got a 1-hour oil full body massage. The 1-hour foot massage was $6. I frickin love Cambodia! I miss my daily massages! The rest of the gang did go down to the pool to relax. It was never too crowded.
In regards to the tuk tuk rides into the center of town, you just tell the front desk that you want to go into town and there will be a tuk tuk ready usually in about 15 minutes (sometimes it was a bit more or less). The trickier part was when you wanted a ride back. Most of the time, we just told the driver a time and a place, and he'd be there to pick us up. Otherwise, if you wanted to be flexible, you would need to pay for one back (only like $3 so really not so bad). And you can negotiate, as they'll usually start with a higher price. If you want to stay out late and party, you will need to pay for the ride back, as the free service stopped running at 9:30 I think. Overall, it was pretty easy. But there were times where we would have liked to pop back in town for a short time to buy a few more things, but spending 15 minutes into town and 15 minutes back, plus waiting for the tuk tuk at the start, was just not worth it. But the hotels in the center of town seemed like they would be too loud for me, especially since we were getting up early everyday. So in the end, I'd stay at Golden Mango again!
We got free breakfast, like in Vietnam. There were Western options, as well as fried noodles or fried rice, which of course Brad and I took advantage of. We also grabbed lunch at the restaurant (which also serves dinner and has a bar). I had read that restaurants at hotels are a lot more expensive than places in town, but that was not the case. Our meals were about $3-4 each, and pretty tasty too. We both really loved Cambodian cuisine, and I loved that the curries were manageable on the spice level. We would have eaten at the hotel again, if not for so many other places to try. The drinks were on par or cheaper than downtown too, about $3-4 for a cocktail.
Price Range: $34+ per night (including tax and fees) for base room
Location: 15 minute tuk tuk ride away from the center of town, which is actually great because town can get loud, plus the hotels outside of town have pools. A 2 minute walk to a gas station 7-11 type store. 10 minute walk to ATM.
Decor & Cleanliness: Lobby and room were clean. There was minimal mold/dirt on the grout in the bathroom. The shower curtain was at the end of its life and needed to be changed. The shower did flood the bathroom a bit, but the shower curtain kept the water from spraying all over. The room was extremely spacious. Decor was minimal but not dated looking. The pool was very pretty and the restaurant area is very relaxing and filled with greenery.
Comfort: Air conditioning worked well and it was pointed right at the bed, which was ideal. The shower never ran out of hot water. The room was also huge, more than enough space. The lobby, however, is not air conditioned. And the AC turns off in your room when you take the key out and leave (but it gets crankin once you turn it on pretty quickly).
Service: The staff spoke decent English, especially the main guy at the front desk. The front desk was very helpful at booking transport to/from the airport and to town and the temples. They responded quickly when I emailed about an airport pick-up. They actually offer free tuk tuks into and back from town.
Hotel Features: Free breakfast, In-room massages, Free tuk tuks to town, Free airport pick-up (not drop off), Pool, Restaurant and bar, Free coffee and tea all day, Cold towel when arriving and when coming back from the temples
In-Room Features: Free Wifi, safe, shampoo and soap dispensers, mini-fridge, 2 free waters each day
Location: 15 minute tuk tuk ride away from the center of town, which is actually great because town can get loud, plus the hotels outside of town have pools. A 2 minute walk to a gas station 7-11 type store. 10 minute walk to ATM.
Decor & Cleanliness: Lobby and room were clean. There was minimal mold/dirt on the grout in the bathroom. The shower curtain was at the end of its life and needed to be changed. The shower did flood the bathroom a bit, but the shower curtain kept the water from spraying all over. The room was extremely spacious. Decor was minimal but not dated looking. The pool was very pretty and the restaurant area is very relaxing and filled with greenery.
Comfort: Air conditioning worked well and it was pointed right at the bed, which was ideal. The shower never ran out of hot water. The room was also huge, more than enough space. The lobby, however, is not air conditioned. And the AC turns off in your room when you take the key out and leave (but it gets crankin once you turn it on pretty quickly).
Service: The staff spoke decent English, especially the main guy at the front desk. The front desk was very helpful at booking transport to/from the airport and to town and the temples. They responded quickly when I emailed about an airport pick-up. They actually offer free tuk tuks into and back from town.
Hotel Features: Free breakfast, In-room massages, Free tuk tuks to town, Free airport pick-up (not drop off), Pool, Restaurant and bar, Free coffee and tea all day, Cold towel when arriving and when coming back from the temples
In-Room Features: Free Wifi, safe, shampoo and soap dispensers, mini-fridge, 2 free waters each day
Thanks to Laura for letting us use some of her pictures!
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