Let’s face it,  it’s not too hard to keep Aussie travellers happy – a cool pool and cheap, cold beer. Throw in an ancient temple or 2, and the job’s done!

The magnifique swimming pool at the Sofitel Angkor, in Cambodia’s Siem Reap

A few hiccups at check-in but once settled in, Accor’s Sofitel Angkor, in Cambodia’s tourism city Siem Reap, is French quality as expected.

The rooms are impeccable, the breakfast buffet caters for all nationalities – just how do they source fresh milk here in upper Cambodia? A jersey cow tied up out the back? – and then there is the swimming pool…
The Sofitel Angkor was built by its Thai owner in the year 2,000. Many of the cast and crew of the movie Tomb Raider stayed here during filming at the nearby ancient temples, the most famous being Angkor wat.

Maintaining the remarkable condition of the rooms and surroundings, in the middle of a humid, monsoonal jungle, would be no easy task for Accor, which manages the property.

The hotel’s Food & Beverage manager, Melanie Canou, says a constant maintenance program, and regular “refreshing” of the rooms and features, are the key.

Melanie says Australians rank among the most regular visitors, along with Chinese, Japanese and Americans.

Let’s face it,  it’s not too hard to keep Aussies happy – a cool pool and cheap, cold beer. Throw in an ancient temple or 2, and the job’s done!

An early(ish) view of the swimming pool and lush gardens of the Sofitel Angkor, in Cambodia’s Siem Reap

Oh, what to munch on for lunch by the pool (prices are in $US plus 17% taxes)… at the Sofitel Angkor, in Cambodia’s Siem Reap

The central area of the breakfast buffet, which is extensive and comprehensive. The Sofitel Angkor, at Siem Reap

Author Greg Hackett (right) and Port Melbourne traveller and Bon vivant-at-large, Steve Reichelt, sample the local beer on tap in the bar at the Sofitel Angkor, Siem Reap

The beverages menu does not lie… The local draught beer, $US3.50 a large glass, is cheaper than the bottled water, $US4.50. Cheers! Sofitel Angkor, Siem Reap