MENTION Siem Reap and the first thing that comes to your mind would be the dozens of temple across this historical city.
One such heritage is the Roluos Group of temples site where the Wat Athvea temple is also located, according to the Phnom Penh Post.
This is a medium-sized temple that most people do not notice as it is often overshadowed by the likes of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Bayon, Bakheng and Bakong.
This ancient Hindu temple is about 6km south from Siem Reap and features a distinctive design and style of devata (sacred female images).
The Phnom Penh Post said the temple was probably built during the reign of King Suryavarman II (circa 1115-1150 AD) – the monarch who also built Angkor Wat.
Another reason to visit this temple would be because tourists have the option of stay at the eco-friendly resort - Sister’s Farm Bungalow.
This resort only opened its doors to the public in August this year and is surrounded by nature.
It has 12 straw hut bedrooms with no air conditioning, no lock and not even a private bathroom.
Sister’s Farm Bungalow co-founder Van Srey Thom, 45, told the Phnom Penh Post that since they were children, she and her sister dreamt of building a natural resort.
They had initially planned to build a campsite, but they changed the plan and built straw huts instead.
Srey Thom, an orphan from Kampong Cham province, moved to Siem Reap in 1999 and worked for an NGO for more than a year.
She made enough money to buy an old motorbike and began selling fish at Phsar Chas market.
Her business blossomed and she managed to save enough money to buy the plot of land in 2004 where the bungalow now sits.
Srey Thom furthered her studies as a marketing major in Melbourne, Australia and after she graduated, she came back to Phnom Penh where she worked as a sales manager until 2018.
“Then, I asked my sister to move back to Siem Reap and developed her property as Sister’s Farm.”
The resort’s design is more about the use of natural space as opposed to an enclosed design.
Sister’s Farm has three styles of straw hut: A room with a single bed, a larger bed next to a natural pond and a room with two beds.
None of the huts have a private bathroom, with guests allowed to choose between a bathroom built entirely out of beer bottles and two outdoor bathing areas concealed by a straw screen.
“We want to start small without investing a huge amount of money at one time.
“But we are planning to build more modern houses equipped with a private bathroom and an area for a living room."
Sister’s Farm Bungalow is located about 4km from Siem Reap town’s Pub Street on Wat Athvea road, less than 1km from Wat Athvea temple.
For more information, one can visit the resort’s Facebook page (@sistersfarmbungalow).