Sponsored | Kampot’s Le Bokor Palace renovated for re-opening

| Publication date 09 February 2018 | 10:28 ICT

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Le Bokor Palace, located between the tropical forest and the “Opal Coast” in Preah Monivong Bokor National Park near Kampot, was inaugurated on 14 February 1925 to host royalty and elites. The hotel was revived in 1962 by Preah Karuna Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk and served high-ranking officials and wealthy business people, and used to be Preah Karuna Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk’s favourite vacation retreat.

Perched on a cliff at the top of Bokor Mountain, this historical hotel commands breathtaking views of what the French once called the Opal Coast.

The weather on top of Bokor Mountain ranges between 17°C–24°C (62.6°F -75.2°F) for the whole year round.

Bokor Mountain is not just a tourist destination, but also a health resort with natural health treatments that have positive effects on the lungs, breathe, nutrition and nervous system, and enable blood regeneration and restore strength. Le Bokor Palace is a four-storey building, toughly and neatly designed, and has a powerful presence, embellished with decks and Italian-style pergolas.

Mr. Philippe F. Frugerge, General Manager of Le Bokor Palace

Today, Le Bokor Palace has been restored by Sokha Hotels & Resorts. “Le Bokor Palace is a historic hotel that is a national treasure, our company has fully refurbished the building, preserving the original features and recreating its colonial interior design, with bathroom fixtures imported from Italy and ornate floor tiles from Spain. After extensive renovation of this grand colonial building for opening, Le Bokor Palace includes 36 tastefully appointed luxurious rooms and suites.

Its two restaurants capture the elegance of the hotel’s historic past, with Swiss and Cambodian chefs preparing both its original menu and Royal Khmer cuisine using the freshest ingredients, including organic vegetables grown on a nearby organic farm. Le Bokor Palace has been restored to preserve the legacy of its French colonial past and Preah Karuna Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk,” commented Mr. Philippe F. Frugere, General Manager of Le Bokor Palace.

The remains of the colonial settlement – which included a Japanese house, Catholic Church, Wat Sampov Pram, Domnak Sla Kmao, Damnak Sdech, City Hall and other colonial buildings – can still be seen today, spread out across a plateau and often shrouded in mist.

Visitors staying at Le Bokor Palace, which is renowned as a natural health resort, can also visit the spectacular Mountain Lake, beautiful Popokvil Waterfall, rock formations in various shapes at the 100 Rice Fields, and a uniquely shaped rock that symbolises a gate between heaven and earth. Meditation is recommended on Bokor Mountain, especially at the 500 Rice Fields. Bokor Mountain is the only place in Cambodia that has Nepenthes flowers; the locals use these flowers for medicine.