Angkor & Yoga Wellness Escape in Siem Reap: Temples, Pools & Daily Yoga

A stay at Navutu Dreams is built around the resort's grounds, which are the largest green space of any hotel in Siem Reap. Three outdoor pools — two of them saltwater — sit among the gardens, along with the restaurant, the spa and two yoga shalas. Rooms and suites are dotted through the one-hectare property so that each has garden privacy and its own terrace. There are 28 rooms and suites in total, decorated with Southeast Asian tribal art and textiles and colour schemes borrowed from the Mediterranean, a nod to the Italian owners.

Yoga runs twice daily in the resort's shalas, with a rotating roster of teachers from different countries. The schedule is set week to week rather than fixed in advance, so you check the current timetable on arrival. Alongside group classes, the resort offers private yoga and meditation sessions, Qigong, pranayama, Reiki and shamanic breathwork, plus sound bowl classes. This is a working wellness resort rather than a one-off retreat week, so you can join as much or as little as you want — nobody is checking whether you turn up.

The temple side of a stay here is the other half of the draw. Angkor's ticket office is on the route from the resort to the park, so a guide can pick you up and handle the stop. Navutu arranges one-, two- and three-day Angkor itineraries covering Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm, and can also organise a sunrise meditation at an Angkorian temple, an ox cart ride, or a sunset stop over the rice paddies.

The spa is a serious part of the operation, with a team of masseuses and therapists, and massages are included in several of the resort's set packages. Packages on offer include a 3-night Angkor Discovery & Yoga package, a 3-night Angkor Discovery & Spa Relaxation package covering full board, a 2-night Meditation & Mindfulness retreat, a 2-night Serenity Springs yoga retreat, a couples' retreat, a family wellness getaway and a shamanic retreat built around breathwork, healing and a cacao ceremony. There's also a one-day Navutu Experience for people passing through.

For food, the restaurant serves a broad menu with a strong vegetarian and vegan section — guests consistently single it out, as they do the breakfast spread. The resort is plastic-free and the kitchen leans on local suppliers. If you want to add Siem Reap itself to the trip, the town is a short tuk-tuk ride away, and the staff will point you toward the plastic-recycling social enterprises, the demining rats, and the art studios of Khmer artists.

What separates Navutu from a standard Siem Reap hotel is the combination: you get a genuine wellness programme, two yoga shalas and daily classes on the same property where you sleep, and Angkor is 25 minutes away. Families, couples and solo travellers all turn up here, and there's enough variation in the room types — including two-bedroom suites — to make all three work.

What's included

- Accommodation in one of 28 rooms and suites (Grand Suite, Grand Tour Family, Grand Tour, Explorer Room) - Private furnished terrace with every room - Access to three outdoor pools, two of them saltwater - Access to the resort's two yoga shalas - Twice-daily group yoga classes on schedule - Free Wi-Fi throughout the resort - Access to the restaurant and bar - Access to Navutu Spa and its team of therapists - Package inclusions vary — many packages add spa treatments, holistic healing sessions, wellness consultations and temple visits

What's not included

- International flights - Cambodian visa fees - Travel insurance - Airport or town transfers unless arranged in advance - Angkor Archaeological Park entrance tickets - Meals and drinks outside your package inclusions - Spa treatments not listed in your chosen package - Optional excursions such as ox cart rides and additional temple tours - Personal expenses and gratuities