Hotel Review: Golden Dynasty, Siam Reap

Our crib during our short stay at Siam Reap.

Golden Dynasty Hotel
3 Star

Address: Street #20, Junction Wat Bo Road, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Phone:+855 63 965 626

Rate: RM150 and above

It's look like a big 5 storey bungalow from the outside. Located near the main road behind the supermarket. Pic of supermarket - see last photo here.

Receptionist area

Welcome drink

Our room being upgraded from normal twin deluxe room to apartment style with separate bedroom, living hall and a kitchen as well as a balcony.

Wardrobe and mirror

Living Hall with kitchen area and a dining table. We barely use it since we spent most of our time outdoor. 

Behind the curtain is the door to the balcony. Nothing spectacular since this hotel was built next to houses and apartments.

Deco

Kitchenet. Free mineral water, coffee and tea

Very very comfy and clean bed. Make us overslept that night. haha. was late to siam reap morning sun rise moment

Toiletries

Pool in front of the entrance

Scented water with flower 

They offered alcoholic drink to the guest.

Supermarket near the main road and located in front of the hotel block. Find this supermarket to locate the hotel.

Extracted below my review in trip advisor. So, i just copy and paste here.

“value for money”

Reviewed 23 August 2013

superb hotel. upgrade our deluxe room to apartment type. really spacious. with living room, balcony and kitchen area. bathroom is occupied with bath tub, 2 big beds, table, cabinet with mirror. Just dont have a lift to get to our room at 5th floor. also got swimming pool and mini bar. free wifi

Price: Very reasonable

Location: Quite convenient. Most of the hotels are located near the main road. 

Hospitality: Great. Was greet by the owner himself. He and his wife were really helpful to help us to find the halal restaurant. 

Service and cleanliness: staff was friendly, everything is clean and they got free wifi.

Verdict: Might consider to stay here again.

Lunch @ D'Wau Restaurant, Siam Reap

Our next visit to this restaurant was a moment before we left to the airport. We were really starving after almost a day touring Angkor Wat and some bitter experience at Tonle Sap Lake. But tummy still need to be fulfilled. 

Since, the first meal we had here were kinda so-so, so we decided to opt for light meal. Just a fried rice. Some pic taken below:

I ordered Soda Gembira aka Air Bandung with Soda water (Syrup + condensed milk+ soda water + ice)

5 stars. A cool drink during the hottest day in my life

Chicken fried rice.

Immediately after meal, i had a panadol. getting sick already. Cant wait to leave this place at that time. 

Dinner @ D'Wau Restaurant, Siam Reap

There were plenty of halal restaurant in Cambodia and some are operated by our Malaysian fellow. 

This is the famous D'Wau restaurant, operated at both Siam Reap and Phnom Penh. Apparently, the one in Siam Reap was relocated from the old location which near the hotel to a new business /shoplot area.

Very challenging for us to find this restaurant. We make a phone call to their HO at Phnom Penh and this has cost us high telephone bill. At the end, we managed to relocate the restaurant. 

Generally, you need to drive or ask the tuk tuk to drive you along the main road ahead to the airport direction. Keep to the left but look at right side for a sign of Ford showroom shop. Right after that, ready to turn left to the row of shoplot/ business area which located almost opposite to the Ford showroom. 

Enter the business area via the main entrance/gate and then drive straight until the end of the row. The restaurant is at the end of the row.

Address: Angkor Shoppong Arcade

#E09 National Road No 6

Siam Reap, Cambodia

(you might want to email or fb them to confirm on the location before heading to Cambodia)

picture taken from the restaurant

The menu

We ordered Cambodian Nasi Lock Lack. As recommended by other blogger.

Price shown in Riel but they accept USD too.

The coffee

Nasi Lock Lak served with red fried rice + red beef, salad, egg, blackpepper and lime

The beef was quite hard. Rice was just so-so. We finished our food because we were really hungry. The taste cant match our local taste in Malaysia. 

Price: Ok

Tastewise: Average

Location: Quite inconvenient to find

Service: Friendly and helpful, can speak Malay and got free wifi

Cleanliness: Very clean.

Siam Reap: Part 3: Tonle Sap Lake - UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

The finale at Siam Reap and our last Unesco site visit. Tonle Sap under the category of Biosphere Reserve. ergg, why i am writing about Unesco.. i am not even their big fan. just someone who luckily had a chance to visit all this places. Alhamdulillah.

We were looking forward for this trip, initially. But, it turned up to be the less memorable one. Hate to talk about it but still need to say it here as a precaution to other traveler who plan to visit Tonle Sap.

Here, the Tonle Sap cruise service offered various types of trips. Some trips that we managed to identify:
1- The official trip (pack with tourist and packaged with lunch/hi tea at the ship restaurant float near the lake.
    The official one is expensive and usually offered by tourist agent at establish company as well as at the        walk-in counter.
2- The unofficial one (cheaper but might try to scam you. They used the official brochure to attract traveler and their price can be negotiated. You wont share the boat with other traveler. The boat is quite okay. No lunch  or tea provided.)

 We opted for the 2nd one since we had agreed earlier when we first arrived at Siam Reap.

At first, everything went smoothly, the guide was so entertaining. Very very fluent in english and japanese.

Cafe along the river

The counter. The ticket sold here is pricey than in town but this is the official one. About USD20 plus per trip

Souvenir shops. Toilet was clean too.

Our boat

Orphanage school as proclaimed by the guide

Floating restaurant

Expensive version

Dont know what it is, perhaps a floating hotel

The lake

The lake

They promised at least 1 and half hour trip. From one point to another. 

Drop by to fish pool. 

Throw some food

Crocodile farm

   The guide tried to pursuit us to visit the groceries, buy some food and donate to the orphanage. But we decline since we were on holiday trip not on charity trip. He seemed pissed off and started loosing his tongue. We just keep quite and hope they dont throw us into the river.

Even, the guide was so nasty towards us, we still gave some tips. USD2 for him and his partner. And he still behave ungrateful by asking for more tips. &*%$^...  straightly after we left the site, we told our tuk tuk guide for what had happened on the boat. huhu.. he felt sorry for us. But not his fault.

We left this place feeling angry and hungry. The weather was extremely hot, humid, dusty. 

Moral of the story: 

Opt for the official tourist agent even it a bit expensive than this one.