Treeline Urban Resort

Wander along the tree lined riverside and step into the urban oasis that is Treeline to be welcomed by a wonderful team that are dedicated to eco tourism, culture, art and last but by no means least, plant based food. Does this sound perfect? It does to us, and after many visits to dine, drink and attend community events we finally got to stay at what is most certainly one of the coolest spots in Siem Reap.

Our Junior Suite was the type of place you never want to leave. The huge bath and walk in shower alone were enough to make us want to stay forever and that’s before we spent time soaking up the riverside tree top views from the window seat, or relaxing whilst stretched out on the huge sofa. This was one seriously cool suite, boasting delightful photography and intriguing artwork throughout, nothing less than we expected from a hotel that is a committed purveyor of art and design.

The Vegan Food

With creative plant based options clearly marked on the trio of menus at Treeline, vegan food lovers are certainly in for a treat. The talented chef and his team have worked hard to ensure that the plant based food is of the same high standard as the other cusine on offer. They’ve succeeded on every level with the vegan food being delicious, nutritious and plentiful.

Breakfast was served at SEED on the ground floor. Choose from the AC interior dining room, or be seated in the beautiful courtyard which is the heartbeat of Treeline, this was our chosen location on both mornings. Being surrounded by verdant gardens, water features and breathtaking sculptures provided the perfect backdrop for breakfast.

We enjoyed hot chocolate with almond milk and freshly squeezed juices to commence our breakfast before it got really exciting. Well, really exciting and also quite challenging. It’s not often that there are more than 1 or 2 vegan items available. In fact, quite often there are none, meaning we have to rely on the creativity and willingness of the chef and team to work their magic. That’s certainly not the case at Treeline where each of their menus have vegan options available. But that’s where our challenge started, what do we choose? It’s the ‘problem’ that all vegans dream of, there were more options that the amount of days we were staying meaning that some creative ordering was required. We ordered ‘Bangers & Hash’ to share on both days because OMG this dish is SOOO good. These divine, handcrafted vegan sausages that are packed full of dark leafy greens, served with a sweet potato hash and carrot ketchup are quite simply a must. Possibly the best homemade vegan sausages we’ve ever had the pleasure to devour…

And please, whatever you do, don’t leave without trying the ‘Green Goodness Toast’. This healthy (and rather virtuous) start to the day is a fresh blend of creamy avocado and peas piled high upon a slice of crunchy toast. This unique guacamole interpretation sees the peas add further texture and goodness to what is already a favourite of ours. Mixed with the creamiest of perfectly seasoned avocado, this breakfast offering made us very happy indeed. But then so did the ‘Crepe with Beetroot Puree’, another plant based breakfast creation at SEED that certainly hit the spot. This light pancake, packed full of slightly sweet jackfruit and roasted pumpkin, served with a vibrant beetroot purée was moreish to say the least. We told you that breakfast presented a challenge, we would happily order and eat each of these dishes again and look forward to returning soon, to do exactly that!

For lunch we ordered two of the brand new, plant based arrivals at Treeline Urban Resort. First up was ‘Vegan Baradon’, seasoned rice topped with a veritable rainbow of vegetables, a wholseome vegan meal in a bowl. Beetroot, tomato, mushroom, avocado, cucumber, seaweed, pickled ginger, sesame seeds and spring onions dressed with a flavour packed ponzu wasabi sauce. Get involved with your food, mix it all up and watch as the flavours come together to give forkful after forkful of deliciousness. Our other lunch selection was ‘Vegan Burrito’ which was a perfectly cookd tortilla packed with crunchy salad and vegetables. More of that yummy pea avocado enhanced the dish but it was the cashew cauliflower sauce that stole the show. Creamy, light and seasoned to perfection, another example of how the Treeline family know exactly how to create excellent plant based food.

Dinner at HOK Noodle Bar + Grill is always enjoyable and yet again, we were spoiled for choice with the extensive and exciting vegan options available. We’ve eaten the amazing ‘Nom Krok’ multiple times, this is a Cambodian classic like you’ve never seen it before, a traditional Khmer street food elevated to restaurant level. Crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside these are oh so good. Rice flour and coconut savoury custard spheres of delight, topped with avocado and each sat within individual pools of carrot ketchup. We just can’t get enough of them. Accompanied by a platter of delicious vegan gyoza and we were in food heaven. Dining at HOK is all about sharing and our meal was complete with a bowl of wok tossed green vegetables (super peppery hit from the fresh green peppercorns) and simple yet delicious grilled egg plant with miso. Please sir, can we have more?

The Vegan Essentials

Everywhere you look at Treeline Urban Resort, it is apparent that their commitment to sustainability and the environment is a core belief. From our suite where the bathroom amenities were in refillable ceramic containers to the bamboo straws in our drinks the eco efforts are clear to see. You won’t find a single use plastic toothbrush / razor / comb etc in the bathrooms either, these items are available upon request only, and made from eco-friendly wood or bamboo. As partners with the excellent Refill not Landfill initiative there are certainly no single use plastic bottles but stylish refillable bottles instead. In fact, you won’t find ANY single use plastic in the guest rooms and with the help of Plastic Free Cambodia they are working towards eliminating plastic throughout the whole property. An extra special thanks for the almond milk in our mini bar. The mini bar is included within your room rate with soft drinks, snack and local beers available.  The almond milk was a very nice touch and shows that the staff team are fully aware of their guests dietary requirements. Thank you!

In between eating and enjoying our lovely suite we managed to fit in some relaxing time next to the stunning infinity pool. The rooftop, treetop and riverside location takes you to next level chill time. Everything has been considered at this design hotel and the fact that whilst enjoying some pool time you are surrounded by glorious trees whilst catching glimpses of the river below is certainly no coincidence. We must also mention the simply supreme, SURI Spa. One of us treated the other one (guess who was the lucky one) to a 140 minute facial and massage experience that from all accounts was of the highest level. But what else did we expect from Treeline, when everywhere you turn you are impressed, and every new encounter leaves you smiling at the exemplary service?

The Vegan Food Quest Verdict

Treeline Urban Resort is a unique and refreshing home away from home in the heart of Siem Reap. Simple words cannot explain just how wonderful the team are, they make you feel part of what is quite clearly one very happy family. As guests, we feel blessed to be part of their family and will do everything we can to support them on their journey. And as for the plant based food? We will be back. Again, and again and again as we love it. Keep up the amazing work Team Treeline!

We were guests of Treeline Urban Resort but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views.

Treeline Urban Resort
Achasva Street
Wat Bo Village
Siem Reap

Telephone: +855 63 961 234
Email: book@treelinehotels.com
Cost From: £90 / $120 – Nov 2020 (discounted rates during COVID)