6 days ago
5 
Cambodia is a haven for backpackers.
It’s one of those places where a few pounds stretches far, hostels are plentiful and tuktuks cost less than your morning coffee back home.
So naturally, I decided to do the opposite.
Rather than chasing bargain beds, I wanted to see what Cambodia looked like at opposite ends of the spectrum – starting at one of the country’s grandest hotels, then swapping Egyptian cotton sheets for a sleeping bag in the jungle and ending the trip on an idyllic private island.
Three wildly different ways to experience the same destination.
But which would leave the biggest impression?
The living museum
My experiment began in Phnom Penh at Raffles Hotel Le Royal.
After landing at the city’s gleaming new $2 billion Techo International Airport, it’s only a short taxi ride to the hotel, but stepping through its gates feels like travelling much further back in time.
Uniformed staff greeted me by name before I’d even climbed out of the car, while a porter whisked away my suitcase on a red carpet as I walked beneath the elegant white portico.
Opened in 1929, Raffles has spent almost a century welcoming royalty, diplomats, writers and Hollywood’s finest.
Jacqueline Kennedy stayed here during her famous visit to Cambodia in 1967, and Charles de Gaulle was among the many dignitaries to have passed through its doors.
The grandeur doesn’t stop at the entrance.
Polished marble floors, soaring ceilings, sweeping staircases and tropical gardens wrap around a beautiful swimming pool, creating an oasis in the middle of Cambodia’s energetic capital.
My room overlooked the gardens and came complete with artisan gin in the minibar, luxurious Sodashi toiletries and the sort of bed that makes you wonder whether you’ll ever want to leave.
Downstairs, the Elephant Bar is something of an institution.
It’s here that the famous Femme Fatale cocktail was created for Jackie O (before she was Jackie O), and while I gladly quaffed that down, I wasn’t so sure about one of the bar’s more unusual delicacies: crispy fried crickets.
The hotel itself feels like a museum.
Black-and-white photographs line the corridors, antique furnishings fill the public spaces and every corner seems to tell another story about Cambodia’s past.
I could quite happily have spent another day lounging beside the pool.
Instead, I traded five-star luxury for something rather more basic.
Forest floors and 4am wake-up calls
The following morning, I met my guide from Lina Smile Tours and headed towards Mount Aural, Cambodia’s highest peak at 1,813 metres.
The contrast couldn’t have been greater.
Gone were the polished floors, artisan gin and air conditioning.
In their place came muddy trails, river crossings and dense rainforest, stretching as far as I could see.
Unlike Cambodia’s famous temple circuit, there were no other tourists on the trek.. just the occasional monk.
Just myself, my guide and the soundtrack of deafening cicadas echoing through the jungle.
Because of my schedule, I tackled the entire 30-kilometre route in a single day.
It’s certainly possible. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it.
If you have the time, split the hike over two days and allow yourself to properly appreciate the landscape instead of constantly wondering how long is left.
As darkness began to fall, we reached our campsite.
Compared with the luxury I’d left behind, it couldn’t have been simpler.
Our tents were pitched beneath towering trees while dinner was cooked over an open fire. We swapped stories beneath a sky full of stars.
No phone signal. No cocktails. No room service. Just the occasional rustle from the surrounding forest reminding us we were guests in the jungle.
Surprisingly, I didn’t miss any of the comforts I’d left behind.
The only thing I could have done without was the cockerel outside my tent, who decided 4am was the perfect time for a wake-up call.
If anything, the simplicity made the experience even more memorable.
The following morning, an early start rewarded us with sunrise over Cambodia’s highest mountains as mist drifted through the valleys below.
It felt like discovering a side of the country that very few visitors ever see.
After hiking through the jungle, there was only one logical place to recover: the beach.
Modern indulgence
A few hours later, I ventured down south in a taxi and boarded a private speedboat bound for Six Senses Krabey Island.
If Raffles represents Cambodia’s colonial opulence, Six Senses is its modern luxury.
The private island resort is hidden among tropical forest just off the southern coastline, with villas tucked discreetly among the trees and complete with their own private infinity pools.
Within minutes of arriving, one of the island’s resident monkeys wandered past my terrace as though he were welcoming me to the neighbourhood.
Hornbills glided overhead while butterflies drifted through the gardens.
The surroundings may be upmarket, but nature remains very much in charge.
After sleeping in a tent the previous night, the resort’s spectacular spa suddenly felt less like an indulgence and more like a necessity.
The 2,000-square-metre wellness centre features treatment rooms, a yoga pavilion, gym, sauna and steam room – exactly what aching legs dream of after hiking 30km through the mountains.
I combined sauna sessions with a spot of yoga, followed by a massage. At the end, I feel human again.
As sunset approached, guests gathered for happy hour overlooking the Gulf of Thailand before drifting off to dinner.
One evening I tucked into a fragrant mushroom and coconut curry made using mushrooms grown on the island itself.
The following night it was perfectly cooked Cambodian lobster at AHA, the resort’s signature restaurant.
Floating in my private pool the next morning, watching birds skim the water while jungle sounds echoed around the island, it was hard to believe I’d been sleeping on hard wood slats less than 48 hours earlier.
So, which was worth it?
Each experience offered something completely different.
Raffles immersed me in Cambodia’s rich history and timeless elegance, the mountain camp delivered the kind of adventure money can’t buy (even if the 4am cockerel wasn’t included in the brochure), and Six Senses was a reminder that sometimes slowing down is the greatest luxury of all.
All are worthy in their own way.
If anything, the biggest takeaway is that you don’t have to limit yourself to one experience.
Cambodia is one of those rare destinations where you really can have it all.
Need to know: the essentials
Raffles Hotel Le Royal
Cost: Rooms from around £250 per night.
Need to know: Opened in 1929, the hotel is one of Cambodia’s most iconic luxury stays and is around a 20-minute drive from Phnom Penh’s Techo International Airport. Don’t leave without trying the famous Femme Fatale cocktail at the Elephant Bar.
Pros: A true slice of old-world glamour, impeccable service and a fascinating glimpse into Cambodia’s colonial history.
Cons: You may never want to leave the pool.
Verdict: Come for the history, stay for the cocktails.
Mount Aural camping trek (Lina Smile Tours)
Cost: From £410 ($550) for a guided overnight trek, including camping, guide, meals and equipment.
Need to know: Mount Aural is Cambodia’s highest peak at 1,813m. If you have the time, spread the hike over two days rather than tackling the full route in one.
Pros: Incredible scenery, zero crowds and genuine bragging rights.
Cons: The 4am cockerel doesn’t believe in lie-ins.
Verdict: Trade room service for sunrise.
Six Senses Krabey Island
Cost: Villas from around £700 per night.
Need to know: Reachable by a short speedboat transfer from the mainland, every villa comes with its own private pool and access to the resort’s award-winning spa.
Pros: Barefoot luxury, outstanding food and the perfect place to recover after an adventure.
Cons: Returning to reality afterwards is surprisingly difficult.
Verdict: The definition of treat yourself.
Getting there
Etihad Airways operates regular flights from London to Phnom Penh, with a stopover in Abu Dhabi.
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