The Beige
Update November 2018 – Our friends at ‘Ride Bicycles, Not Elephants’ have brought it to our attention that there is now a resident elephant at The BEIGE. There is no place for elephants to be used for tourism and marketing purposes in this day and age. We have therefore sent an email and asked that they rethink their decision as a matter of urgency.
Looking for a new way to experience one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations? Want to stay somewhere which has as much style as it does luxury? Look no further than The Beige, a luxury tented resort located in the Cambodian countryside just 20 minutes from Angkor Wat. The Beige offers a unique concept never previously seen in Cambodia; with just 8 luxury tents available, guests are pretty much guaranteed attentive and hospitable service from check in until departure.
This place really is something special.
Although you are technically staying in a tent, this isn’t really camping as you might imagine. The tents were luxuriously appointed with an outside bathroom, super comfortable beds and sofas, fans, aircon, lamps, lights and ample power sockets, a mini safe, hairdryer and beautiful vintage furniture. You can unzip your tent to reveal a swing seat to laze on and the sides fully open to let the breeze in. The indoor-outdoor vibe was truly enjoyable.
There was also a personal WiFi device which could be used anywhere and a mobile phone for each guest which was a nice touch; we also liked the huge ice box stocked with complimentary drinks (much needed after a hot day of exploring).
One of the most memorable features of The Beige was the swimming pool; it was simply stunning.
Perched on the rooftop of a rectangular building (which will house the spa when it’s completed), the pool at The Beige is like nothing we’ve seen before. Nestled within the tree tops, 5 metres above the ground, this stylish and sophisticated infinity pool provides uninterrupted 360 degree views of the Cambodian countryside with literally not another building in sight. Float in the water underneath the sun and feel like you are swimming in the treetops.
It’s also the perfect place to watch the sunset and to feel like you are living the dream.
The Vegan Food
The intimate restaurant at The Beige has both indoor and outdoor seating as well as huge sofas adjacent to a fire pit which is the perfect place to end the day with your favourite drink.
Breakfast is served à la carte with a variety of options for vegan guests. We began with freshly squeezed orange juice and a tropical fruit platter with tea and coffee. The coffee was organic and the fruit had been grown by neighbouring villagers, again chemical free. There were a number of Cambodian dishes that were suitable for vegans including a traditional breakfast noodle soup and fried rice. However, we opted for a roasted vegetable, cashew cheese and salad club sandwich served with pickles and sweet potato wedges (very tasty indeed).
Again, for dinner there were a number of Cambodian dishes that could have been adapted for vegans as well as pasta dishes and salads.
But one of the strong points of this exclusive resort is that they are able to treat guests as individuals and create a truly bespoke experience for them. In our case this involved sourcing some of the best vegan products from experts in town and creating a picnic style banquet for us for dinner. We ate bagels from Bang Bang Bakery, topped with probiotic cashew cheese from Vibe Cafe, raw zuchini noodles with a creamy spicy dressing and soft peanuts, a delicious heatry salad full of beetroot, mango and cashews. We nibbled on pickles, saurkraut, kimchi, tofu, tempeh and seaweed. We slathered a creamy, tangy cashew sour cream and a miso dressing on everything.
For a sweet and local end to our meal we dipped green banana grown from the neighbour’s tree in organic palm sugar, then we walked back to our tent under a sky full of stars.
The Vegan Essentials
The feather free duvet and pillows are always the favourite bedding option for a vegan travel lover.
Bathroom amenities from local spa company, Bodia are not tested on animals and nearly all free of animal derived products, they use honey in some product lines but not the ones available at The Beige. We were very impressed to receive wooden (maybe bamboo?) tooth brushes instead of plastic, this is very unusual and was a welcome surprise.
The Vegan Food Quest Verdict
Check in to The Beige for a totally unique luxury stay near Angkor Wat, one of the world’s must see destinations. Enjoy the bespoke vegan dining and the friendly service from the local staff as you make the most of enjoying life in the beautiful Cambodian countryside.
We were guests of The Beige but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views.
The Beige
Svay Chek Road
Angkor Thom
Siem Reap
Cambodia
Telephone: +855 99 297 298
Email: info@the-beige.com
Cost From: £140 / $185 (June 2018)