Just like almost everyone else, we had to stay put through 2020! When the New Year came, it brought a lot of good cheer and so much hope for a better year! Although we survived the merry-go-round of the past year; foreign travel is still on hold as many countries are still in the grips of the pandemic. I won’t deny, though, that my family and I are itching to venture beyond Cambodia’s border again as soon as the restrictions ease, and fly swiftly back to the Philippines and France to reunite with our friends and families.
In spite of all these, we are fortunate enough to settle in a country where we can move quite easily – no lockdowns and no curfews – even during the raging pandemic. We still have the privilege of doing some wonderful COVID-safe day trips and we are keen to explore the nearby places that we have not seen yet.
So on January 3rd 2021, we decided to spend a day at Samathi Lake Resort, our first little escape of the year. My son and I hired a tuktuk while my husband followed us on his gigantic bike. It took us about 45 minutes to get there from the city center. As always we took precautions – wore our masks, and I brought 2 extra masks for each to change and 3 wee bottles of hand sanitizer in our cross body bags.
Samathi Lake Resort is a little hidden paradise, located in the northern part of Phnom Penh. The thing that we liked best about the place was the tranquility while we were there. There were only two groups of guests – my family and another family at the opposite side. We enjoyed relaxing in their outdoor restaurant – look at the view, enjoy the breeze, schmooze a little, read a book, eat (the food was just ok), drink, fish a while, etc – under a huge tree, facing towards the lovely lake and surrounded by a nice garden behind.
Besides the pool and the small gym, there was nothing else to do. However, we were lucky because one of their staff went fishing, so I asked her if we could rent the fishing equipment. It was nice of her to let me and my son enjoy fishing for free even for just a very short while. Husband was not really very interested because he got so caught up in reading his book while sipping a beer. It was fun when we caught the tiny fish. It would be nice though, if the resort could provide their guests with fishing equipment.
We stayed there until the stunning sun disappeared on the horizon. Then we drove back home. Overall, it was a nice little sweet escape to kick-start the New Year with new possibilities and opportunities around every corner.
Little Lilly Travel Tip:
- If you wish to do fishing, bring your own fishing gear as the resort doesn’t provide any even for rent.
Little Lilly Meets the World 