About Me

The Karavansara Retreat, Residences and Machiya are unparalleled boutique hotels. Our vision is to provide our guests with a authentic environments in world cultural heritage destinations. The ethos of Karavansara is founded in the sophisticated luxury that is afforded by attention to the smallest details. Come join us for an enriching, enlightening and rewarding 'lifestyle' experience that will make this the holiday you will always cherish.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Ha Long Bay Cruise, Vietnam

Karavansara Retreat and Residences
Siem Reap, Cambodia

15 July 2011

As many people come to both Cambodia and Vietnam I thought that they might enjoy learning a bit about our experience in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.  Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO world heritage site located in Northern Vietnam.



After years of waiting I finally had a chance to take a Ha Long Bay cruise. I have to say that I was expecting something overrun and cheesy but much to my surprise it was great. First the cliffs are spectacular. The voyage of the ship thru the cliffs is like moving through a living classical Chinese painting…the misty it got and the more the receding cliffs disappeared into the distance the more scenic it became.  The cliffs seem to appear from nowhere and jut vertically and dramatically out of the water freezing in form the violence of some  catastrophic geological event. Next, we were lucky to have been invited onto one of the private ships of the Tuan Chau group who run the Paradise Cruise line. The ship, the food, the service, everything was amazing and very well done. Most importantly, the company was superb. On the ship was an English property developer with 20 years of experience in Asia and two female architects from Brazil who brought their own music!



The first meal we had on the ship was a never ending BBQ of shrimp, crabs, squids, chicken, fish with all the fixings….one of those food coma meals where you can’t quite get away from the table. Dinner was another spectacular effort. I brought two bottles of Ginjo Junmai sake from Kyoto so we were well feed and our thirsts were properly quenched. Breakfast the next morning was equally impressive.



What did we do?


Eating. Drinking.

Swimming. But you must be a bit careful. There are jellyfish in the water and one of the girls got mildly stung on the back.

Splunking. There is an interesting and very large cave located on one of the islands. It seems to be a popular spot that everyone visits.

Sleeping. The beds on the boat very so comfortable and the light movements of the boat put me out quickly and soundly.

Laughing. A lot.

To get to Ha Long Bay I flew into Hai Phong airport. From there is was about a 1 ½ hour drive to Tuan Chau Island. On the way back to HCMC I flew threw Hanoi which is a long 3 hours drive from Ha Long on a very crowded and nerve racking Vietnamese highway.


The Karavarsara Retreat and Residence is perfect for that romantic weekend away or a cultural trip with the family.  We offer both classic hotel rooms and a full service apartments to meet your vacation needs.
Arashiyama Swim, Kyoto

Karavansara Gosho Machiya
Kyoto, Japan

24 July 2011


Hot. Hot. Hot.

It has been ridiculously hot and humid the last week so the kids and I decided to make a wild dash to Arashiyama to swim in the Hozu River about 500m north of Togetsu-kyo Bridge. We have been to this spot a few times to go swimming and it is a beautiful location to float in the river and take in the surround flora and fauna.

On this day were we treated to a performance by a woman practicing a traditional Japanese flute just next to us on the riverbank.  It was like slipping in and out of a Kurosawa movies alternatively surreally beautiful and shockingly shrill. Too good!



On the way home we stopped by our favorite soft-serve ice cream shop which is located inside the entrance to the Arashiyama train terminal. At this shop they have super delicious White Peach and Mango flavors. The kids talked me into letting them try a soda flavored Ramune (ラメネ) cone…but it was terribly sweet and not good….stick to the classics.



The Karavansara Gosho Machiya is a traditional Japanese house directly adjacent to the Imperial Palace in central Kyoto.  It is available for vacation rentals and short term rentals.  Please contact us for further information
Siem Reap Cooking Classes

Karavansara Retreat and Residences
Siem Reap, Cambodia

23 July 2011


At the Karavansara Retreat and Residences many of our guests would like to try the hand at Khmer cooking. Below is a small introduction and blog from our Executive Chef Bunna.
Some guide books say that Cambodia's cuisine is nothing to write home about and a poorer cousin to Thai and Vietnamese cuisines. Whoever wrote this has obviously never eaten traditional Khmer cuisine. A thousand years ago the Khmer Kingdom, which centered on Angkor, ruled an empire that included most of south-east Asia. Hence, many of the Thai and other regional dishes have their roots in Khmer cooking from that time.
While there are similarities, Cambodian cuisine should be taken in its own right. Khmer recipes go back to the days before the introduction of the chili, so are consequently much milder than most Asian food.
In our cooking lesson the guests learn how to prepare traditional, delicious Khmer dishes under the guidance of expert chef Bunna who is friendly and experienced English speaking chef with global experience.
He will take you to the market, explain everything about Cambodian vegetables, herbs, spices and other ingredients and teach you the art of Khmer Cuisine.
Moreover, he has a good sense of humor and will make your day of cooking a fun experience!
Hands-on
Hands-on action in our cooking school.  You will explore traditional methods of food preparation, particularly the use of mortar and pestle to pound and grind herbs and spices to enhance their flavors and nutrition.
You'll make everything from scratch with the freshest ingredients.
Every participated can practice by own while after Chef demonstrates and troubleshoots.
Not only will you prepare delicious meals, but you'll have a great time as well. Have fun, learn, relax and enjoy eating your owned cooking dishes.



The Karavarsara Retreat and Residence is perfect for that romantic weekend away or a cultural trip with the family.  We offer both classic hotel rooms and a full service apartments to meet your vacation needs.