June 22, 2023 12:12

Bokor hill Station

Bokor hill station the highlight of this place is definitely Le Bokor Palace. If this place could tell us its own story… they would be screaming about the past. grandeur, luxury, decadence, death, destruction, and resurrection.

A hilltop paradise of unrivaled luxury and hospitality. Getting here is a difficult journey. After decades of war and uncertainty. It is now a jewel on the Cambodian skyline.

glorious debut

The story begins a century ago in 1919 on the mist-shrouded Mount Bogor of Cambodia. To create a resort for French people living in the French colony to escape the sweltering heat of Cambodia.

A highlight is the Bokor Palace Hotel, which opened on Valentine's Day in 1925. Built with Palladian architecture Embellished with Italian style Inside the room welcomes guests with a large fireplace. Luxurious lounge and large dining room There are also 18 large rooms with bathrooms and electric heating. Exit to the large veranda to find a pergola garden with sweeping views of the 'Opal Coast'.

When the chosen guests sit down for a sumptuous six-course meal. which includes gazpacho American-style shrimp Strong foie gras flavor and strawberries served with chantilly cream. The last guest didn't leave until 5 am and that was just the beginning! Over the next 20 years, local elites, foreigners, and even the royal family endured rough-and-tumble drives to their lavish retreats along mountain roads built by convicts.

black fog covered

But then the fun ended in 1946 when the First Indochina War broke out. The hotel was closed and was used as a military hospital for a short period of time, and of course, there were people who died, maimed, and amputated, so it was not strange that the courtyard in front of the hotel could be used as a necessary cemetery. This too was abandoned. The hotel was left unattended.

resurrect

In the early 1960s, the hill station was reopened. The hotel has been refurbished and restored to its former glory and grandeur. This time with a luxurious casino. Wealthy Khmers flock to hotels to party and gamble.

Instead, there are myths and rumors associated with gruesome stories of gambling-related suicides. Many unlucky players are said to have jumped off the dramatic cliff behind the hotel after losing their money gambling.

Become a ghost town

However, after the overthrow of Sihanouk in 1972, the site was closed again. When the Khmer Rouge took control of Mount Bogor where they had been based for months And in the early 1990s, Mount Bogor remained one of the last Khmer Rouge strongholds.

After the war, all of this mountain site was forgotten - the hotel, the Catholic Church, and the temples and pagodas were abandoned - the terrible sight of the abandoned hotel. Including stories of secret things passing by many curious backpackers Be mesmerized by the crumbling walls covered in red lichen. and abandoned corridors lined with graffiti The hilltop site became known among Cambodians as the 'Ghost City', haunting the spirits of the soldiers who died there.

during this time The mountain resort was the filming location for the 2004 movie R-Point. https://youtu.be/mh4Mz5oukJE

Revive again...

And in 2018, after decades of slumber, The old hotel is back open again. Which is more luxurious and bigger than ever Lovingly restored by Sokha Hotels & Resorts, the elegance of the hotel's pristine past is preserved with many original elements. Great colonial atmosphere And, of course, sweeping views over the coastline.

Guests are welcomed to elegant rooms with handcrafted furniture and fine Italian ornaments. The Thansur restaurant evokes the French colonial era with a menu that harks back to the hotel's early days, albeit with a modern twist.

and the Ghost of War that has long rested Then come back to dance, laugh, and have fun with the guests of this hotel again.