Soria Moria

Soria Moria Travel Competition 2013

kristin — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:19:30 +0000

Creating richer and more authentic travel experiences, generating real connections with the local people, understanding the culture and protecting the environment were all common factors highlighted as to why Responsible Travel enhances people’s travel experiences.

With a simplistic, but yet direct and honest approach to some of the benefits of Responsible Travel, the jury decided on Audrey Tangonan’s entry as the winner of Soria Moria’s Travel Competition 2013.

Why Responsible Tourism enhances my travel experience. Audrey Tangonan

Bubbly and to-the-point, the jury noted that the entry shows an enthusiastic approach to Responsible Travel and enraptures the viewer with some clear examples which are easy to relate to and straightforward to carry out. The team at Soria Moria look forward to showing Audrey some of the sights, sounds and scenes in and around Siem Reap during her stay…!!

With the help from votes from the public, the management and staff at Soria Moria also look forward to welcoming Georgina Paraskevaidou and Roxanne Therese Delay to a three-night stay at Soria Moria Boutique Hotel including breakfast and complimentary two-way airport transfers.

Why Responsible travel enhances my travel experience. Georgina Paraskevaidou

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Why Responsible Travel enhances my travel experience. Roxanne Therese Delay

The other finalists; Nikolaos Karamoutisos, Ulpiano Edubos and Robbie Bonoan will receive a complimentary dinner for two at Soria Moria’s Fusion Kitchen.

Once again, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who submitted their entries and posted comments, and we hope the entries will encourages more people to travel responsibly!

The Colors of Khmer

kristin — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:46:30 +0000

We are proud to present The Colors of Khmer photo exhibition by Ron Gresham in Soria Moria Boutique Hotel.

Artistry and Form: A fisherman along the Siem Reap river shows how it’s done.

The exhibition showcase daily life in Cambodia. A4 size prints of each photo is available for sale in the lobby, where all proceeds go to support university education through Soria Moria Educational Development Program.

About Ron Gresham

Ron Gresham

My name is Ron Gresham. I’ve been living in Siem Reap, Cambodia since February 2011. Like many foreigners who live here, I came to Cambodia for vacation. A twist of fate caused my departing flight out of Cambodia to be cancelled at the last minute. While all of the other passengers were grumbling about the inconvenience, I found myself sitting in the airport with a big smile. I decided to stay longer.

I work as a lecturer at the university now. I think it is one of the best jobs in the world. I get to meet some of the most outstanding young people in the area. In my free time, I like to get on my bicycle and take my camera out into the countryside. Often I go with a small group of friends and we stop somewhere to rest or eat along the way. Some of my best memories of my time here come from those moments. If this is your first time in Cambodia, I hope that you get the chance to get away from the city and temples to enjoy some time in the countryside.

When people ask me about my photos, I always try to emphasize the fact that I don’t really know much about photography. I just try to document what I see. The photos in this exhibit were taken with a Canon 600D camera or, sometimes, a small point-and-shoot Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS. As anyone who has ever visited Cambodia knows, it is a photographer’s dream.

When the Soria Moria hotel approached me about this project, I was honored and thrilled about the possibility of doing something meaningful with the photos. If you see any photos you’d like to have, there are smaller prints of the photos available in the hotel lobby. All proceeds from the sale of the photos will benefit the scholarship fund of the Soria Moria Educational Development Program, which sponsors many young people to attend university here in Siem Reap.

Travel Competition! Tell us why Responsible Travel enhance your travel experience, and win a trip to Cambodia!

kristin — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 07:31:57 +0000

Happy New Year!!! 2012 has been a great year for Soria Moria, and we are excited to enter into a new year filled with new opportunities. One of our goals for 2013 is to create more awareness amongst travellers about the real benefits of Responsible Travel – not only for the host destination, but also for the visitors. With this in mind, we are excited to launch a travel competition, with amazing prizes to be won!

COMPETITION

We challenge you to tell us, in a 60 second video, why Responsible Travel enhance your travel experience.

The winner will receive a 5 day all inclusive trip to Cambodia, including a return flight from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Saigon, Bangkok or Manila, airport transfers, 5 nights accommodation in Soria Moria Boutique Hotel, daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, a personal tuk-tuk driver available from 7am-7pm within Siem Reap Town during your stay, and a full day tour in Angkor Archaeological park with a certified English speaking guide.

In addition to the grand winner, the second and third place of the competition will win 3 nights accommodation in Soria MoriaBoutique Hotel, including daily breakfast & complimentary airport transfers.

With this we hope to be able connect with more travellers from around the world – hear different opinions – spread the word – and hopefully we can inspire more travellers to make responsible choices during their travels and at the same time have an enhanced travel experience.

To participate in the competition is simple, just follow the 4 steps below:

Prepare a short video (max 6o seconds) that tells us why you think Responsible Travel enhance your travel experience.
Save the video as “Responsible Travel enhance your travel experience, Soria Moria Travel Competition 2013, [YOUR NAME]”
Log on to Facebook and follow our page: Soria Moria Boutique Hotel. Open the Travel Competition Event, RSVP to the event and share your video with us.
Share the link with your friends.

How do we pick a winner?
You do not need to be an expert in movie making, or have a degree in tourism to be able to win…. This is for everyone with a passion for Responsible Travel! We are looking for inspiration!

Deadline for submissions is on 28^th February 2013.
A team of 4 judges will review all the entrants and select 5 finalists, to be disclosed on 15^st March 2013.
We will publish the 5 finalist videos, and let feedback from the public help us to decide the winner.
In addition to the winner, the 2 videos with most likes will receive 3 nights accommodation in Soria Moria, complimentary airport transfers & daily breakfast.
The winner will be announced on the ^1stApril 2013.

Terms & conditions

We welcome any nationality to participate in the competition, but we only accept entrants in English language.
The video must be maximum 60 seconds long, and should be inspiring for others to watch.
You may use photos, video clips, sound, speech, animation – be creative!
We do not accept the use of promotional material for any specific organisation or project.
Soria Moria holds the rights to remove any inappropriate entries.
Travel dates for the winners are flexible, and can be used between 1^st May and 31^st September 2013. Bookings must be made in advance, and are subject to availability
Soria Moria will handle the reservation of the flight ticket, and the ticket is subject to airline rules and regulations. To ensure availability on your preferred dates we recommend the booking to be made minimum one month in advance.
The prize can not be be exchanged with cash.
The winner is responsible to obtain a Cambodian visa at own expense.

Please do not hesitate to contact via mail@thesoriamoria.com for more information.

We look forward to hear from you!

Best wishes from the Soria Moria Team!

Scandinavian Christmas in Soria Moria

kristin — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 09:51:04 +0000

In the tropical climate of Siem Reap, with temperatures over 30 degrees, lush vegetation, coconut palms and other exotic fruit trees, very little resembles a Scandinavian white Christmas and it’s easy to forget that Christmas is just around the corner. But rest assure, we haven’t forgotten. Following the tradition, for the 9th year in a row, Christmas Eve will be celebrated in Siem Reap with traditional Scandinavian fare.

We invite you to celebrate a traditional Scandinavian Christmas with us in Soria Moria

The evening will start at 18.00 on 24th December, and the price per person is USD 29. The price includes buffet dinner, performance, free flow of beverages, Christmas gift & a donation to the Sangkheum Center for Children). Children under 4 is free of charge (with parents), and children under 12 is half price.

Menu:

This year we will serve a hearty buffet of Roasted Pork Belly, Swedish Meatball, Sour Kraut, Scramble Egg, Salmon, Cheese and Cold Cuts, Garden Salad, Carrot Salad, Potatoes and Vegetables salad, and Coleslow. Dessert will be Rice cream, Gingerbread Cookies, Christmas Cake, and Candy Christmas. There will be free flow of Gløgg (Gluhwein/Mulled Wine), Soft Drinks, Beer and Wine.

There will be Christmas Carols Performance by 26 of the Children from Sangkheum Center, Games and even a visit from Julenissen (Santa Claus) who will come all the way from Norway.

Please RSVP by 20 December 2012 to mail@thesoriamoria.com.
All nationalities are off course welcome to join!

Scandinavian Christmas Traditions:
December is the darkest time of year in Scandinavia. Located at the “top of Europe” in the northern hemisphere, the countries of Denmark, Norway and Sweden experience the darkest time of the year during the Christmas season when the nights are longest and the greater part of winter is still ahead. The snow lies deep in the countryside, and the temperatures are often below minus 20 degrees, and it’s only a few hours of daylight every day.

“Jul” or Yule, was celebrated long before Christianity came to Scandinavia. At that time it was an observation of the winter solstice, that from then on the days would become longer and darkness gradually recede. It was a celebration of light returning. The word “Jul” or Yule means “the change” or “the feast of feasts”, with reference to midwinter reveries celebrated around new years. There was plenty of mead and plenty of food, indulging in a sort of magic of plenty. It was believed that it would ensure prosperity and plenty for the coming year.

The whole of December, the “advent” period leading up to Christmas in Scandinavia is a magical time of warmth and candlelight. Of all Europeans Norwegians are the most enthusiastic users of candles and candlelight – they call it “levende lys” meaning “living lights”. Evenings are dark, but the houses are ablaze with light. Nowhere else in the world is it celebrated quite so warmly – or with so much candlelight and food – as in this northern corner of Europe.

Christmas Eve is the highlight of a Scandinavian Christmas – an evening filled with magic for every child and remembered ever after. The table set with an abundance of food and decorated with cut flowers under the copper glow of candle light. This evening all the traditional delicacies are offered – this is when the big meal of the year is eaten.

The Christmas tree is not an artificial tree, it is a tree fresh from the forest, decorated with ornaments, lights and garlands of tiny flags. Joining hands, forming a circle, and walking around the Christmas tree singing Christmas carols is often a part of the celebration. And after dinner is the joy of handing over gifts (often accompanied by a poem with hints for the receiver to guess what’s inside)

Traditional Scandinavian Christmas food varies, not only in the different countries, but also in the different regions in each of the Scandinavian countries. And the Christmas feast does by no means end with this important evening. The next day there is cold buffet – and on the 26th and 27th when calls are made on friends, it will be more food. The enjoyment can go on as long as the season lasts – and to many in Scandinavia, Christmas is not over until well into January.

From various sources. For more information about Scandinavian Christmas Traditions see http://www.scandinavianchristmastraditions.com

World Responsible Tourism Day Event in Soria Moria – November 2012

kristin — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 23:14:35 +0000

WTM World Responsible Tourism Day is a global day of action, encouraging to help drive change by educating more responsible behaviour with the travel and tourism industry and travelling public.

SIEM REAP, 8th November 2012.

For the fourth consecutive year World Responsible Tourism Day was celebrated in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Hosted at Soria Moria Boutique Hotel in co-operation with ConCERT and Harnessing Opportunities through Play and Education (HOPE). the event coincided with the WTM World Responsible Tourism Day events in London and aimed to showcase examples of Responsible Tourism practices and encourage positive change.

After a short welcome note by Kristin Holdø Hansen, representatives from ten local businesses and organisations from the Travel & Tourism-, Education-, Environment- and Health-sector gave short, inspiring and motivational presentations about their excellent work.

With more than 70 people in the audience, Responsible Tourism is certainly on the agenda in Siem Reap.

“We are absolutely thrilled to experience such a big interest for the World Responsible Tourism Day event this year, and next year it looks like we will have to look for a bigger venue” said Ms. Hansen in her welcome note.

Responsible Tourism in Siem Reap

Welcome & Introduction by Kristin Holdø Hansen

Presentation by Ms. Ra Nari, ConCERT Cambodia.

Presentation by Ms. Sam Sokha, Soria Moria Educational Development Program

Presentation by Ms. Anna Baranova & Mr. Chor Choch, PEPY Tours

Presentation by Ms. Rachel Band, Rosy Guesthouse

Presentation by Mr. Tim Waterfield, Naga Biofuels

Presentation by Rin Vibol, APLE

Presentation by Ms. Sinketh Arun, Angkor Hospital for Children

Presentation by Mr. Fernando Abreu Hdez, Travel Loops.

Presentation Ms. Rong Molyka, Friends International.

Presentation by Ms. Fiona Jaensch, Sojourn Boutique Villa

Each presentation added significant value to the programme, and after the formal part of the event, there was an open forum on Soria Moria’s rooftop terrace. This was a great opportunity for the different actors on the ground to discuss how the tourism and travel industry, in collaboration with the local development organisations can have a positive impact on the local communities and environment.

To round of the very event, Soria Moria offered light snack and Norwegian singer & songwriter, Hilde Marie, performed live music.

Hilde Marie performs at Soria Moria’s Rooftop Terrace

World Travel Market & WTM World Responsible Tourism Day in London

Cambodia was also represented and made a big impact at the Wold Travel Market in London. Michael Horton, Founder and CEO of ConCERT presented about Tourism and Child Protection and HOPE Trustee Jo Hansen did an interesting talk on how ‘Good communication bringing key community benefits in Siem Reap at the new Speaker’s Corner at the World Travel Market.

Angkor Wat displayed at the Cambodia stand at World Travel Market in London

Micheal Horton and Professor Harold Goodwin at World Travel Market

Jo talks about how ‘Good communication bringing key community benefits in Siem Reap’ at the new Speaker’s Corner on World Responsible Tourism Day at the World Travel Market in London

The highlight was, however, probably the presentation of the Virgin Holiday Responsible Tourism Awards 2012. With more than 1600 nominations, it is an impressive feat that Cambodia produced two winners and shows that a lot of progress is being made in this field.

Soria Moria Boutique Hotel; Best Accommodation for Local Communities
Songsaa Private Island; Best Accommodation for the Environment

Just to be a finalist in the Responsible Tourism Awards is a great achievement and there were many inspiring projects amongst the finalists, so we would like to extend many congratulations to all the inspiring winners and finalists.

Thomas Holdø Hansen receives the prestigious Responsible Tourism Award on behalf of Soria Moria on World Responsible Tourism Day in London.

Highlights from the Responsible Tourism Awards and World Travel Market can be seen in the video below.

Related Links:

Angkor Hospital for Children

APLE

ConCERT Cambodia

Friends International

Harnessing Opportunities through Play and Education (HOPE)

Naga Biofuels

PEPY Tours

Rosy Guesthouse

Sojourn Boutique Villa

Soria Moria Boutique Hotel

Travel Loops

Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2012

Best Accomodation for Local Communities

Best Accomodation for the Environment

WTM World Responsible Tourism Day

World Travel Market

Soria Moria wins Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards – Best in Community Engagement and Development

kristin — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:34:39 +0000

Marina Bay Sands , Singapore, Friday 19th October.

The winners of Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards 2012 were announced today at ITB Asia. ITB Asia is the leading travel and tourism trade show for Asia and also hosts the exciting Responsible Tourism Forum and Clinics.

We at Soria Moria Boutique Hotel were absolutely thrilled to be named the winner of the category Best in Community Engagement and Development.

This award recognizes exceptional commitment to supporting the local community and economy in which the business operates.

Wild Asia’s Responsible Tourism Awards is one of the first tourism awards in Asia specifically focused on sustainable tourism best practices. Established by Wild Asia in 2006, this annual award aims to recognize accommodation operators who are making a positive difference in the destination where they operate by adopting sustainable management practices. Each year, Wild Asia invites tourism operators from across Asia to enter their awards. Judged by a team of industry professionals and experts, the application process is based upon the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Criteria.

Yin Sochen represented Soria Moria at the awards presentation. This was his first time ever outside Cambodia, and a great experience for him. Sochen has been working with Soria Moria since the opening in 2007. He came to Soria Moria through Salabai Hotel School, as a waiter, and through the Employee Elevator program, he has step by step advanced his career to become our Assistant Manager. At the same time he has been sponsored through Soria Moria Higher Education Program, and is just about to complete an MBA at Build Bright University. He is a living example of how responsible tourism practices can create positive change. You can watch his thank you speech below:

Virgin Holiday Responsible Tourism Awards 2012

kristin — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:37:42 +0000

The shortlist for Virgin Holiday Responsible Tourism Awards 2012 is now published and what can we say….? WOW!!! We are so excited, honored and humble to be shortlisted for such a prestigious award… The awards presentation will take place at The World Travel Market in London on 7 November in conjunction with World Responsible Tourism Day.

What a year this has been for Soria Moria. First being recognized as a finalists in the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, then nominated as finalists in the Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards (the winner will be presented at the ITB Asia in Singapore on the 19 October, so stay tuned…), and now this. Being a small, independent 38-bedroom hotel, it makes us humble to get all this recognition…

“Being shortlisted in the Virgin Holiday Responsible Tourism Awards is a great acknowledgement of all the hard work put down by the local staff and management. The whole team is very proud and excited about this opportunity to showcase the profound potential a small hotel has to play a part, and contribute towards positive change in the local community of which we operate”

Thanks a million to all our valued guests, partners and friends for all your continuous support and encouragement…!!

About the Responsible Tourism Awards
(Source: http://www.responsibletravel.com/awards/about/)

The Responsible Tourism Awards are organised by founder responsibletravel.com, with support from media partners Metro, Geographical Magazine (the magazine of the Royal Geographical Society), and World Travel Market, where the Awards are given out. The judging process is designed and organised in partnership with the International Centre for Responsible Tourism, and Virgin Holidays have supported the Awards as headline sponsor since 2007.Since they were founded in 2004, the Awards have attracted over 10,000 nominations from members of the public, leading to 201 unique organisations Awarded from 51countries around the world.What are the Awards for?The Responsible Tourism Awards were founded in 2004 to celebrate and inspire change in the tourism industry. The Awards rest on a simple principle – that all types of tourism, from niche to mainstream, can and should be organised in a way that preserves, respects and benefits destinations and local people.We want to celebrate the shining stars of responsible tourism – the individuals, organisations and destinations working innovatively with local cultures, communities and biodiversity.But more than that, we want their examples to inspire others. That’s why we’ve got the most rigorous judging process around, and work with the best partners in the industry to help us get the word out – to ensure that their stories provide an example to the industry.

How do the Awards work?

Rather than handpick our nominees, we rely on travellers and the industry to nominate those tourism ventures with exciting stories to share. This makes our Awards unique – we don’t pre-decide the winners, we let you tell us who should be in the running. Every year we team up with our media partners to invite the public to make their nominations, and every year this process yields hundreds of unique nominees.

All it takes for someone to be considered for an Award is one nomination in any of our 13 categories. It isn’t a popularity contest; one nomination is enough to be entered.

Once all the nominations are received the judging process really begins – several stages designed with the International Centre for Responsible Tourism to put our nominees through their paces. At each stage the list gets shorter, until our expert panel of judges are ready to combine their knowledge to debate the winners on our annual Judging Day. Read more about the Judging process.

What does it mean to be a winner?

Finalists of the Awards are invited to a prestigious ceremony hosted as part of World Responsible Tourism Day at the World Travel Market in London, where the winners are announced to an audience of tourism ministers, destination managers, industry professionals and media. We work with a variety of media partners to share the stories of our winners with the public – including Metro, and Geographical magazine.

Soria Moria Boutique Hotel – Winner – Certificate of Excellenece by Tripadvisor

kristin — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:12:23 +0000

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our guests who have taken their valuable time to write their candid reviews of their stay with us on Tripadvisor. Because of you we have received a Certificate of Excellence from Tripadvisor. This means a lot to us, as Tripadvisor has become one of the most popular places for travelers to research and plan their accommodation. Having a high rating on Tripadvisor can make all the difference for a business. THANK YOU!!!

We are also very excited to learn that our restaurant, Soria Moria Fusion Kitchen, received it’s own Certificate of Excellence from Tripadvisor. Thanks again to all our restaurant guests who ave written their reviews!

To write a review after your stay or dining with us, go to www.tripadvisor.com/reviewit
Your honest feedback will help other travellers plan their holiday!

Soria Moria nominated as a finalist in Wild Asia’s 2012 Responsible Tourism Awards

kristin — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:24:43 +0000

Wild Asia’s Responsible Tourism Awards is one of the first tourism award in Asia specifically focused on sustainable tourism best practices. Established by Wild Asia in 2006, this annual award aims to recognize accommodation operators who are making a positive difference in the destination where they operate by adopting sustainable management practices.

The Judging Advisory Panel, made up of influential experts in the field from across the globe, has been busy collating all of the applications. This year, applications flooded in from all across Asia with excellent examples from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

We at Soria Moria Boutique Hotel are very proud and excited to have been selected as 1 of 2 finalists in the category “Best in Community Engagement and Development” .

Over the next few months, Finalists will undergo further assessment whilst the judges delve deeper into the businesses’ practices to ensure they’re worthy of this international accolade.

Being recognised as a Winner of the Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards validates the applicant’s efforts in responsible business and gives them the platform to showcase its achievements of environment best practice and support for local communities, revealing to the world that that business cares. Wild Asia advocates that tourism can be a force for good and reward businesses that are making a difference.

The 2012 Winners will receive recognition at the ceremony staged as part of ITB Asia in Singapore, this October 19th. ITB Asia is the leading travel and tourism trade show for Asia and also hosts the exciting Responsible Tourism Forum and Clinics.

For More information about Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards and the Finalists, click here.

Soria Moria featuerd on National Geographic Channel

kristin — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:39:23 +0000

Below you can watch an interview with Kristin Holdø Hansen, founder of Soria Moria Boutique Hotel & Soria Moria Educational Development Program, by Costas Christ, National Geographic Channel. The interview is a part of a series of interviews with the finalist in World Travel & Tourism Council’s Tourism For Tomorrow Awards that took place at the Global Summit in Japan in April 2012, which will be featured on National Geographic Channel this August.

In the interview Kristin talks about the philosophy behind Soria Moria, empowerment of the local community through its pioneering employee ownership model, importance of interaction between travelers and the host community, and how a business case that is based on sustainability can create a win-win-win situation that can benefits all parties involved. She also encourages the industry, including travelers, to demand more sustainability from hotels and tour operators during their travels in order to push more businesses to operate with best business practices.