People often ask me what I think makes for great travel and one of my answers often surprises them…sometimes it’s good to go back to the same place twice. We get so obsessed with how many countries we’ve been to, being the first person in a place, seeing new things, experiencing new cultures, that we miss the enjoyment of familiarity. Take this weekend for example, Couper, Mom and I were in Phnom Penh and the first night I booked the Amanjaya Hotel. This is my favorite hotel in Phnom Penh and it was a safe choice – I knew I would be taken care of, knew that the breakfast would be good, that the staff would all be happy to see me and that my room would be big, clean and the bed would be the perfect level of firm. Phnom Penh still feels like a travel experience to me, Siem Reap is home, not Phnom Penh, so it was a relief, especially after the bus ride to walk into Amanjaya and have that sense of belonging.
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So often in travel we are pushing our limits, stepping outside our comfort zone and always looking for the next big thing, that we forget the importance of being a regular. The front desk staff greeted me like a long lost friend, they gave me the Phnom Penh gossip and they made me feel like family, like I belonged. It seems that this is what we always wish for in travel, yet often we’re too busy getting to the next place to go back and revisit some of the old ones.
Amanjaya is an oldy, but a goody and I will continue to send my guests and stay when I can, feeling like you belong is a nice way to feel when you’re far from home.