Thanks for the memories…

Miranda tags along with the Journeys Within team as they work to make one lucky couple’s dream-date come true…

Few people would describe me as a romantic. I love the idea of love as much as the next girl, but my practical nature usual keeps life’s mushier feelings at bay. Recently however, I witnessed a day so enchanting it reduced me to likes of a love-sick teen.

Part of a special Conde Nast Dream Trip, the Journeys Within team was tasked with arranging an unforgettable day for a couple looking to commemorate their commitment to each other.

Starting early, the ground team and I headed about 125 km outside of Siem Reap; our destination was Prasat Banteay Ampil to arrange a private lunch at this very remote and untouched temple. After arriving in a neighboring village, we moved all the necessary equipment – gas burners, food, drinks, cooking utensils and a table and chairs among other things – into a cart, for transport us further off the beaten path.

While ours was a bumpy and dusty ride, one that made me nostalgic for fall and Christmas wagon rides back home, I was told the guests would sadly miss out on this portion of the journey as they were arriving by helicopter.

Isolated from the crowds that Angkor draws, this crumbling temple fits the bill of what is envisioned when you hear the phrase ‘ancient ruins.’ While the beautiful stones structures at the site are intact enough to be recognizable, nature has reclaimed Banteay Ampril enough to give it a wild and undiscovered feel.

Part of the appeal of lunching at a location that takes great effort or helicopter to see is that few other will get to venture there.  There is not a person for miles save a dozen locals and their children using the temple as a jungle-gym, adding to the mystery and romantic feel of setting.

With coconut chicken curry, chicken and cashews, mango salad, friend spring rolls and a dessert of sticky rice with mangoes all on the menu for the luncheon, Chef  Touch and her helpers quickly got to business. With stunning efficiency they made cooking in the jungle look like, well, a piece of cake.

Soon enough, the chopper arrived and the guests were left to enjoy their gourmet lunch in peace and quiet, serenaded only by the sounds of nearby cicadas. After the pair had finished, graciously thanked the staff and flown the coop, the gang and I washed up and reloaded the carts for the trip home. And while the lunch was over, I learned the dream-date was far from it.

In the evening it was arranged that Sofitel would be catering a private affair at Thommanon in Angkor for the couple. One of the smaller, but well loved Hindu temples in Angkor, Thommanon was decorated with hundreds of candles and flood lights in honour of the evening, giving the already impressive locale an even more majestic atmosphere.

Venturing over the Thommanon I was blown away sheer grandeur of the gesture. Standing in the shadow of the 900-year-old temple it was impossible to feel anything but joy — and the slightest touch of envy — for the couple who had the pleasure of enjoying the evening prepared for them.

Driving out of Angkor back home, my eyes were brimming with tears and I was giddy with idea of such a romantic notion — exactly the reaction that pushes our planners to go the extra mile for guests, Narla, our Cambodian director informed me.

While the dream date I witnessed may be over-the-top and out of reach for many – helicopters don’t come cheap — it showed the caliber of experience that can be made with the care and detail of a good team, regardless of scale.

With a little help from your friends, or the hardworking Journeys With crew, our guest make moments that I can assure you, will never be forgotten.