Farmhouse Resort & Spa
Purposeful farm-stay luxury. Traditional Khmer stilt-house architecture meets serious farm-to-table hospitality. Think lush tropical garden, wooden bungalows with free-standing bathtubs, and sunsets watched from a 500-year-old temple hill. Social impact and genuine comfort in one package.
Restaurant Un is only open Tuesday–Saturday evenings and requires 24-hour advance reservations — book before you arrive, not on arrival
Why It Matters
Listed on both Tablet Hotels and the Michelin Guide. All profits fund the Smiling Gecko NGO's schools, vocational training, and rural development projects. Head chef Mariya Un Noun — who grew up in Phnom Penh's slums and trained under Swiss star chef Andreas Caminada — runs what is considered one of the best restaurants in Cambodia. The resort is also its own functioning farm, carpentry workshop, bakery, fish farm, and hospitality school.
On a 150-hectare working campus run by the Swiss-founded Smiling Gecko NGO, Farmhouse Resort is one of those rare places where every dollar you spend on a room goes directly back into rural Cambodian education and community development. The property sits between the Aoral Wildlife Sanctuary and Tonle Sap Lake, surrounded by paddy fields — about 65 km north of Phnom Penh along National Highway 5. But the NGO mission isn't a guilt trip. The saltwater pool genuinely might be the nicest in Cambodia, Chef Mariya Un Noun's Nouvelle Khmer cuisine at Restaurant Un is cooking at a serious level, and the 34 bungalows are spacious, handsome, and built by the resort's own carpentry workshop.
Where You'll Stay
3 room types available
Deluxe Khmer Bungalow
Twelve rooms spread across 6 traditional Khmer-style stilt bungalows, each built and furnished by the resort's own carpentry workshop. Fully air-conditioned with Cambodian-style décor throughout. The bathroom has a free-standing bathtub and rain shower. Each bungalow has a private balcony with seating below. Great for couples.
Double · 66 sqmLuxury Suite Bungalow
Ten suites across 5 ground-level bungalows — the resort's top category at 97 sqm, which feels more like a private apartment. Built at ground level rather than on stilts, making them particularly good for families with young children or older guests. Original photo art by Smiling Gecko founder Hannes Schmid hangs on the walls. Private balcony and terrace.
Double · 97 sqmPremium Khmer Bungalow
Twelve rooms across 6 bungalows, stepping up in size and outdoor space. At 75 sqm, they're genuinely generous. The oversized balcony has a daybed plus table and four chairs — you'll spend hours out there. Same rain shower and free-standing bathtub setup as the Deluxe, just more room to breathe.
Double · 75 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
5 venues on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
Visit traditional craft villages in the Rolea Ba'ear district where multi-generational bamboo basket-weaving families work. A hands-on connection with rural Cambodian craft traditions.
On-site beach volleyball court available for guests.
Free bikes available for exploring the farm, local rice fields, palm tree paths, and surrounding countryside.
A 25 km drive west to a 500-year-old Buddhist monastery on a hilltop. Best at dusk when the sunset light is spectacular across the Cambodian countryside.
A 70 km drive to Chreav Waterfall on the slopes of Aural Mountain, with a hike through lush jungle to a multi-level waterfall with natural swimming basins. Views of the Cardamom mountain range along the way.
Join a local Cambodian family to harvest fire ant nests — a genuine rural delicacy. Unusual, memorable, and a rare glimpse into authentic countryside life.
Visit a local family near the campus to see how palm sugar is produced at 20 meters up in the trees — one of Cambodia's most important rural trades.
Boat excursion from Kampong Chhnang (about 1 hour from the resort) to the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve at Tonle Sap Lake, home to traditional floating villages. One of Cambodia's most memorable experiences.
Visit the former royal capital of Cambodia (17th century to 1866), with its monumental necropolis, stupas, and royal shrines. Popular with both local and international visitors.
Hands-on cooking lesson with Chef Mariya Un Noun inside the founder's private bungalow. Learn the techniques behind Restaurant Un's Nouvelle Khmer cuisine. Very educational, very tasty.
The definitive activity here. A guided walkthrough of the full 150-hectare NGO campus — kitchen garden, fruit orchards, vanilla project, fish farm, carpentry workshop, bakery, bilingual school, and kindergarten. Runs daily at 10am and typically lasts 1–2 hours.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
A 200 sqm air-conditioned conference room plus open-air meeting spaces. The resort has hosted multi-day corporate conferences and has full MICE capabilities.
Fully air-conditioned gym overlooking the Sanctuary Spa's saltwater pool. Open 24 hours.
The spa garden features rare native Cambodian plants sourced from across the country for conservation purposes. The broader resort grounds include working organic farm plots, fruit orchards, fish ponds, and palm tree pathways.
Adults-only saltwater pool inside the Sanctuary Spa, separate from the main resort pool. Reserved for hotel guests only.
The large outdoor saltwater pool is the social center of the resort. Widely cited as one of the most beautiful hotel pools in Cambodia, with a wooden deck built by the Smiling Gecko carpentry workshop, sunbathing areas, and attached pool bar and lounge.
Private transfers to and from Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and other major Cambodian cities can be arranged through the resort.
Three dedicated yoga shalas for classes, retreats, meditation workshops, and seminars. Regularly booked for group yoga retreats of up to 20 people.
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