From the moment we arrived at the River garden in Siem Reap we were absolutely charmed. Having spent 6 hours on a crowded bus from Phnom Penh it was a pleasure to find ourselves surrounded by twinkling candlelight and attentive staff.

The River Garden has recently been taken over by an Australian couple who have decided to undergo something of a sea change in their lives. Theproperty currently has 9 lovely, spacious rooms, but they are planning to add another 10 or so in the next few months.

Our room which cost $US66 per night, was just beautiful. It had a big, comfy bed and, best of all, a massive balcony which overlooked the tropical gardens.

The property has a nice pool and a really sweet restaurant. We liked the food and the ambience there so much we ate there all three nights! (Try the pineapple chilli margharita and the beef lok lak).

The new owners, Deb and Glenn, are doing a really god job of stamping their personal style onto the hotel whilst maintaining an authentic, Cambodian experience. They helped us with all manner of things - organising drivers for temple excursions, in-room massages and they'll even prepare a pre-packed temple lunch takeaway in a little eski.

It's not exactly a luxury resort but in our opinion it was much better - we had all thecomforts we needed on a holiday without feeling alienated from the town we were staying in.

The only downside was that we had to leave after 3 days!

We were originally supposed to stay at The Villa in Siem Reap, which was highly recommended to us by friends. However, our reservation at The Villa got messed up, and we were transferred to The River Garden at no extra cost (the owners of the two places are related, though the guest houses are not officially affiliated with each other).

We loved the River Garden! It was so peaceful - a little oasis in a somewhat chaotic and dusty town. There are only nine rooms which are nicely if simply appointed. The garden and pool were so refreshing, especially after a long hot day at the temples.

The owner made sure that we were taken care of even though we were not technically her responsibility. We were greeted with a complimentary bottle of wine and some chocolates, and she provided us with a temple lunch pack on a day that The Villa was not able to send one over.

Breakfast (which was included) was delicious, as was dinner and dessert. The staff is adorable, very friendly, and helpful (since there wasn't a phone in the room, we got a wake up "knock" from the gardener at 5:30 a.m.!) even though their English can be a little rusty.

The only downside (which was not at all a negative for us, but might be for some) is that it is not located in downtown Siem Reap. If you want to eat or hang out on Pub Street or therabouts, you absolutely need a tuk-tuk.

We wholeheartedly recommend The River Garden, especially if you want a clean, quiet, peaceful atmosphere with very personal and friendly service.

Stayed here after it recently opened for a special price of $25 for a room. It was still under construction, so there was a little bit of construction noise. I think it will be nicer once they put in their pool and finish the landscaping. I think the normal prices are a little higher too.

The place was super clean and the restaurant was simple but quite nice. The place is run by an Australian couple and staffed by locals, who are all friendly and offer good service.

They arranged a great tuk tuk driver for me for the three days I spent there who was extremely friendly and courteous. They arranged for the driver to meet me at the airport with cold drinks and towels, which was a nice touch. They offered a number of other tour packages, which looked like pretty good deals.

The location is a little far from the central business district with restaurants and bars. However, it's only a ten minute ride for a dollar into town. Frankly, the town didn't seem to offer much other than noise and other tourists, so I found the quieter location farther out to be more pleasant.

Oh, and free wifi too.

We wanted a quiet clean and comfortable guest house to stay at during our visit and this is exactly what we found here. The River Garden was the right balance in Siem Reap.

The staff was very helpful and friendly, the room we stayed in was spacious and super clean. From our room we looked out to the garden which was lit up with candles during the evening. The restaurant served a yummy breakfast, delicious bread and tropical fruit.

The driver that they had assigned to us was friendly and safe, and we loved that he met us at the airport with a cold drink and cool face cloth before taking us to the guest house. He was also on the ball at all the temples and whenever we came out to find him he found us first, he was great.

This place made our stay comfortable and I would recommend it to our friends. The new pool will be a great addition.