Phare Cambodian CircusTimothy Gibson

By Ann Abel
29 August 2019

Angkor Wat is still a magnificent sight, but for someone who has already been, there are many more interesting ways to spend a few days.

As the actual foreign correspondents club, it was a popular meeting point for international journalists, celebrities and historical figures. As a hotel, it kept the tropical clubhouse feel in the Scribe bar and dining room, and played with its history in the 51 rooms (and soon 29 suites), decorating them with framed front pages of old regional newspapers, rotary phones and vintage typewriters.

The high-profile residencies are a way to keep the gallery going so that it can be a home for Cambodian artists. The day I visited was the first day there for Open Studio Cambodia, a top-floor workspace and collaborative project between resident American artist Lauren Iida and Khmer artists Long Lavy, Morn Chear and Chan Phoun. Because of factory accidents and the like, some of them are missing arms

The head chef at Haven is a professional who came from the old FCC; his grandmother had been a cook in an orphanage and he felt a kinship. Nearly everyone else in the kitchen and in the dining room is a graduate of an orphanage. They receive 12 months of training here, along with housing, English education and life skills, then are placed in four- and five-star hotels (including the FCC) for internships.

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