​New Representation: The Farmhouse Resort & Spa Cambodia

  

Located in rural Cambodia and off the usually tourist track about 65km northwest from Phnom Penh, the Farmhouse is located on the 150-hectare grounds of the NGO Smiling Gecko Cambodia (SGC), a non-profit organisation. Founded by Dr. Hannes Schmid, together with his founding partner Mr Sokleap Ngon guests will experience an amazing project setup to support and educate the local community by providing school access and vocational training.   Hannes Shmidt had humble beginnings and after his career as a successful photographer for Rock Bands and celebrities ( he toured with Queen, Abba, Status Quo and many other A list bands and was also creator of the Marlboro Man) has now donated his wealth and devoted his life to providing education for poverty stricken rural children and their families.  His NGO Foundation has now built a school where 560 children are currently taught.

 

As a proud NGO project, SGC reinvests all profits into supporting the education of Cambodia’s future leaders. By staying at Farmhouse, guests enjoy luxurious facilities while contributing to the growth and empowerment of the local community. Together, we believe in a brighter future for Cambodia. 

      

At the Farmhouse, meals play an important role with its Farm-to-Table concept where organic ingredients from the SGC farm make the difference and deliver highest quality. The Farmhouse Restaurant well known for its delicious selection of dishes is where guests are introduced to the little know Cambodia cuisine. For guests who wish to have a fine dining culinary experience the Restaurant UN caters for exactly this. The “Modern Khmer Cuisine” crafter by Mariya Oun Un and her team provide a symphony of taste, a journey through Cambodian cuisine and its wonders in form of a tasting menu that will be a culinary experience delivering memories lasting forever. 

 

 

Always an advocate of experiencing new destinations and experiences, I was keen to visit the Farmhouse and Smiling Gecko as it had been recommended to me a few times.  

 

On arriving at The Farmhouse, we were met by the lovely Swiss GM Daniel – a delightful man with whom I connected with instantly and who gave me an overview of the Farmhouse and the incredible work that Hannes is now devoting his life to. Shortly after, I met Hannes – a wonderful man of such a cheerful and happy disposition. He was having a meeting with Mariya – the young girl from the slums that was destined for a life of poverty and slave labour in Phnom Penh.  Hannes employed Mariya as a maid in his home in Phnom Penh and very soon it was evident that Mariya had an exception skill for cooking/taste and flavour. Recognising her talent, Hannes sent Mariya off to Switzerland for some hospitality training. Soon she was working alongside Michelin Star chefs and also worked in the prestigious Hotel Widder in Zurich and the Chedi in Andermatt.  

 

After her time in Switzerland, Mariya wanted to return to Cambodia to pursue her career and work alongside Hannes. She started cooking at the Farmhouse and now, other young aspiring chefs from poor backgrounds are being trained by her. Alongside this, there is a team of young adults now learning the hospitality industry at the Farmhouse. Hannes’ vision is for them to learn their skills for a couple of years and then they can leave and go fly their wings and work for well-established luxury brand hotels in Cambodia and overseas, thus making way for the next generation of hospitality trainees. In Hannes’ own words, once they have done this, his work is done. They have a future and a career and will never experience poverty again.    

 

Hannes’ humanitarian journey started after he had made a success of his work as a world class photographer (not to mention his 12 months in captivity in Papua, Indonesia with the Dani cannibals). He was travelling in Thailand, and he met a young girl begging – her head was covered in a scarf. He bent down to give her a few baht and then realised that she was in fact only a child and her face was terribly disformed. At that point she ran away. Hannes tried to find the girl again and eventually he did. It turned out that this young girl of 11 has had her face burnt by a blow torch by her father in Cambodia when she was 3 years old in order that she could be sold into a Thai begging gang. Hannes bought the girl for $500 and smuggled her back into Cambodia.  With her deformity brought a whole host of medical issues and so Hannes paid for over a dozen operations and then he put her through school and university where she studied law. She is now working as a top lawyer in Phnom Penh. 

 

Spending time in Cambodia, Hannes realised that for many impoverished children, school was something that some children never got to experience or in a very limited way, especially in some of the rural towns and villages.  Together with his partner, Sokleap, they decided to set up the Smiling Gecko Foundation and build a school for the most impoverished children in the area. Currently, around 560 children are now having an education at SGC. In addition, they are provided with clean school uniforms every day, meals, a shower and a toothbrush. Something they would probably not have otherwise.  The facilities at the school are impressive and include a library and a medical centre.        

 

As a result of the atrocities and genocide carried out by the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia has had years of trying to rebuild.  In addition to teachers and anyone appearing educated being murdered, books, musical instruments and art were also destroyed and as a result, this knowledge has not been passed down through the generations. Hannes recognised that Cambodian children need to have the opportunity to discover these skills and so as part of the curriculum, the children are given the opportunity to learn music and the arts. As a result, SGC have now created the Gong which is a part of the school where children can learn a musical instrument. Hannes quickly reached out to some of his music industry contacts and managed to get an impressive collection of instruments donated including a Grand Piano, guitars, brass instruments – quite an impressive collection of instruments I have to say. There is also a recording studio, auditorium, podcast studio so that young people can learn about what we all take for granted back here in Europe.  I am sure that these children have probably never heard about Ed Sheeran or Lady Gaga before Hannes got involved….

 

During my stay, I was invited to see performance by some of these children singing. Quite impressive and some real talent for sure! 

       

For young people, most opportunities for a job would be in one of the sweat shop textile factories that line the roads in and out of Phnom Penh. SGC then decided to go beyond providing opportunities for just children and also provide opportunities for their families to learn sustainable skills that would give them and their families a better future. 

 

Also on the Smiling Gecko village, there is a large sustainable fish farm, a farm producing organic produce with chickens and other livestock, a carpentry and engineering centre where vocational training is provided for young people and thus providing an opportunity for a better life and for their families.

      

Outside of the Smiling Gecko site, it is very rural and a real opportunity to experience rural Cambodia. I took a bike out one day and just meandered through the dusty country roads and villages. I was greeted with so many smiles and children and adults of all ages wanting to say hello or give me a bottle of water or seat in shade.  At one point, I was invited to have a water with a stall holder and next things I was surrounded by about 20 smiling and chattering children from the school opposite. I didn’t see a single foreigner.  Ironically, I think I was the tourist attraction that day as I am sure that these families don’t see many foreigners.  For me, this was the heart of Cambodia and such an authentic experience. It was special.

    

I can honestly say that as lucky as I have been with all my wonderful travel experiences,  staying at the Farmhouse and experiencing some of the projects at the Smiling Gecko was an experience that I would never forget and boy was I pleased that I decided to visit this wonderful place! I can't believe that I have never done it before as I think it should be an integral part of a Cambodia visit.

 

For me, this is right up there in terms of my best ever travel experiences and has made a lasting impact on me in every sense which is something that a real travel experience should be about…. I was quite simply blown away by it all and overwhelmed how one man has made so much difference to a country!

 

I am so excited to be working with the Farmhouse, Smiling Gecko and of course the wonderful Hannes and his team and can only recommend that a minimum of 3 nights here should be included for anyone wanting to have a true experience of Cambodia…

 

For more info, please email: lisa@ljrconsultancy.co.uk