Crab festival

Following up on its recent innovative Durian Festival, Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor will host the Cambodian Crab Festival from August 16 to 22.

The hotel has created an interesting menu with about 25 different items featuring crab meat in its many forms. The “Crab Cheese Cake”, for example, sounds intriguing, as does the notion of “Crabmeat Grain Bread”.

The highlight of the menu is “Steamed Crab by the Bucket”.

On the Thursday before the Crab Festival starts, hotel staff and management will descend on the Siem Reap River – but not to catch crabs. Instead, it is part of the hotel’s Clean River Campaign to “preserve the environment in the community where we live”.

CNN hero

Siem Reap’s high profile deminer, Aki Ra, leader of the non-profit Cambodian Self Help Demining Team, has been nominated as a CNN Hero.

In June, CNN staffers were busily phoning people around town checking Akira Ra’s credentials, and it seems they found what they were looking for.

A promotion that “honours individuals who make extraordinary contributions to helping others”, November will see the CNN Hero winner “receive a large sum of money to continue his/her work”. Good luck to Aki Ra.

Amateur Open tees off

The Angkor Amateur Open will tee off today at the Angkor Golf Resort.

The resort’s manager, Adam Robertson, reports that 45 golfers have signed up including 21 players who teed off in last year’s inaugural Open.

The three division winners from last year have also returned to the contest.

Robertson is particularly pleased with the Cambodian contingent that’s set to play, including luminaries such as His Excellency Sou Phirin, Governor of Siem Reap province; Kouson Sareuth, Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism; Okhna Seng Chhay Our; and Okhna Suong Heng. The Open will come to a conclusion on Sunday.

Boutique hotel opening

Another upscale boutique hotel has opened in Siem Reap with a launch dinner held last Saturday night.

The über-stylish hotel, Karavansara Retreat and Residences, is an extension of The Butterfly Apartments, located across the road from the new development. And, like the apartment complex, the new hotel is owned by the Frangipani Property Group based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Partner Simon Barstow oversaw the compelling design, and Luon Thea has been installed as general manager. He was formerly with La Residence d’Angkor.