1. Downtown
An entertainment hub through night and day, the city’s downtown area offers an Old Market, a bar-filled street (Pub Street) and narrow, artsy lanes (The Lane and Ally West). Recommended watering holes include:
- Miss Wong’s Cocktail Bar – a hidden gem decked with cherry-red lanterns and intimate leather booths
- Charlie’s Bar – a retro-Americana bar decorated with unique memorabilia
- Long’s Bar – a more relaxed option with AC and comfy pallet furniture
- Gelato Lab – serving homemade Italian gelato and sorbets
- The Steakhouse Restaurant at Pub Street – Shinta Mani Club's newest American steakhouse
2. Kandal Village
Nestled within the city’s central neighborhood is a rising arts’ and culture precinct. Kandal (Middle) Village is home to cafes, galleries, artsy homeware stores, spas and Cambodian-style fashion outlets, making it the prime place to pick up unique souvenirs.
3. Khmer Cooking Classes at Kroya
Led by Shinta Mani’s chef, participants first visit the town’s Old Market to sample Khmer Spices, before heading back to the hotel's Kroya restaurant (below) to learn how to prepare traditional Cambodian dishes. Alternatively, visitors can skip the cooking process and sample the restaurant’s fare with a seven-course Tasting Menu available.
4. Phare the Cambodian Circus
Arguably Siem Reap’s most unique and authentic entertainment offering. More than just a circus, Phare (below) combines theatre, music, dance and modern circus arts to narrate historical, folk and modern stories. Pre-show options include drinks at Bensley’s Bar, located on Shinta Mani Club’s second floor, which runs a happy hour daily from 5.00 to 7.00pm.
5. Bike tours
Bike tour company Grasshopper Adventures run both guided and non-guided excursions to Kulen Mountain and Beng Melea temple. Alternatively, they offer combined countryside bike rides and kayak trips through small floating communities on the Tonle Sap Lake.
The Shinta Mani Resort (head photo) is a newly renovated Bensley-designed boutique property centrally located in the leafy French Quartier between The Royal Gardens and the Old Market Area. The 62-room property is within walking distance of the city’s downtown area and a stone’s throw from riverfront. Meeting facilities are offered at nearby Shanti Mani Club, and include a 47 sqm meeting room.
