To describe the location of Smiling Gecko Farmhouse as being “in the middle of nowhere” would be unfair to the people and animals who call Samaki Meanchey District in Kampong Chhnang home. And to call it a farmhouse understates just how lovely these boutique bungalows, surrounded by tropical gardens, are. So let’s call it an “approachably posh” resort in a “remote bucolic locale.”

Some might call this the middle of nowhere, but really it’s just a question of semantics.
Which is to say that the 35-odd traditionally-styled wooden houses, the expansive — and mostly organic farm — possibly the nicest hotel pool in Cambodia, and the friendly staff combine to create a charming and quiet nature-filled escape from Phnom Penh, with plenty for adults and kids to enjoy (and maybe even learn from, fancy that!). Continue reading