Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort

Opened in 2000, Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort is a picturesque property on the northern outskirts of Siem Reap. With 238 rooms and suites set among low-rise, colonial-style buildings and palm-filled gardens, anchored by a meandering lagoon pool and lily-pad-covered ponds, it's a veritable oasis from the active streets outside.

A wonderful base from which to explore Angkor Wat, just a 10-minute drive directly north on the Rue Charles de Gaulle, the hotel kickstarts your day with a sumptuous buffet of Western breakfast classics, local fresh fruits and a range of noodles and dim sum at The Citadel restaurant that’s a must before heading north to Angkor or south into the city for a morning's excursion.

After returning to the hotel, splash in the largest free-form pool in Cambodia and order a cocktail from the poolside Serpent Bar; or drive west to play a round on the emerald greens of the 18-hole Phokeethra Country Club. Then as the sun sets, settle into a lakeside seat at Mouhot's Dream, where superlative French dishes — like 55-degree-cooked cod and the chef's signature braised beef cheek in red wine sauce — are served atop white linen by candlelight, a suitably romantic ode to the legend of Henri Mouhot, the famous 19th-century French explorer who “discovered” the ruins of Angkor.