Navutu Dreams

Navutu Dreams is located on the outskirts of central Siem Reap and is the only resort and wellness retreat in town. Guests can expect tranquil surroundings and a staff team that are always on hand to ensure your stay is special. All of this is on offer just 20 minutes from Siem Reap International Airport and a similar distance to the remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can explore the temples of Angkor.
The toughest thing about checking in to this peaceful oasis will be leaving. With an extensive programme of wellness activities, including multiple daily yoga classes, delicious and healthy vegan food, beautifully designed guest rooms and 3 pools to choose from; why would you want to leave?

The resort has a lush tropical garden feel with giant green plants and pretty colourful flowers everywhere. There was a sense of peace and calm at every turn; add all this to the friendly and welcoming service and you have the perfect recipe for relaxation. The use of products made from recycled plastic bags, crafted by local, planet saving social enterprise Rehash Trash (find them in the restaurant) and an awesome Refill not Landfill reusable water bottle available in your room add an additional feel-good factor to your stay. Take the opportunity to learn more about these excellent local initiatives , supported by the resort, during your stay.

Our Grand Tour room was spacious and bright with floor to ceiling glass double doors which opened onto a private seating overlooking the lap pool. The room was complete with a large soaking tub (filled with tropical flower petals for our arrival) and comfortable seating area to lounge in; relaxation and comfort was a major theme here. There was a light and airy rain shower with an interesting pebble floor resulting in a kind of a mini reflexology treatment with every shower. The design and size of our room made it feel more like a suite and we instantly felt at home.

The Vegan Food

There are some great options for vegans at Navutu Dreams, especially for those looking for something healthy and nutritionally balanced. The Executive Chef and his team were also more than happy to get creative and adapt dishes other on the menu to make them suitable for vegan guests.
Breakfast is served buffet style and vegan guests will find a good selection of fruit as well as a fresh salad bar. We sipped tea, coffee and juice and soaked up the good morning vibes.

As our choices from the buffet were limited the staff presented us with a choice of vegan dishes from the main menu. We enjoyed ‘traditional, stir fried, flat rice noodles with garden vegetables’, delicious with garlic, vegetables and fried tofu throughout. We were also served a platter of ‘chargrilled mixed vegetables’, full of Mediterranean herbed grilled vegetables, seasoned and cooked to perfection. Our final breakfast choice was an abundant plate of vegetable tofu fried rice, made with healthy red rice upon our request; a delicious and filling start to the day. The staff were also kind enough to prepare some breakfast to go for us to eat after the morning yoga class finished; the kind of flexible and generous service that is definitely heart-winning.

Lunch included a selection of dishes from the existing menu and a vegan friendly dessert from the specials board. We opted for a wellness salad with a tasty and intriguing young coconut and lemon dressing, followed by the ‘Sunshine Lentil Soup’. This nourishing bowl of lentil goodness with pumpkin and citrus was full of soft red lentils and a beautiful, tasty and heathy broth; sunshine in a bowl indeed.  Served with a garnish of edible flowers and organic brown rice topped with crispy zesty orange stands, it was a stand out dish that we would love to eat again. Our dessert from the daily specials board consited of purple sweet potato dumplings with ginger sauce and coconut sorbet; we loved this dish which is inspired by a local Cambodian sweet snack. A totally divine end to a deliicously light and healthy vegan meal.

For dinner we got to indulge in more beautiful food with the ‘Detox Salad’ (‘A Nourishing Combination of the Crunchiest, Healthiest Greens and Beetroot, Mixed with Cherry Tomato, Avocado, Clementine and Almond with Light Balsamic Dressing’). Served in a ceramic stone bowl and topped with pretty edible flowers, it was a huge serving of fresh, green goodness. We highly recommend this fresh and vibrant sald for those looking for a healthy option.

For our main course we tried our very first Macrobiotic meal, the ‘Macrobiotic Platter’. This ‘Mindful Mix Meant for a Heathier You of Select Grains and Vegetables with Broccoli, Chickpeas and Cumin Salad, Sesamed Wakame, Mix of Seeds, Served with Organic Brown Rice’ was a wonderful surprise for us. It had very subtle flavours but was full of nutrients and health boosting goodness and we actually felt really good after eating it. Definitely something we’d order again.

Our dessert option abandoned the healthy concept and was a super sweet and fun combination of bananas with crunchy burnt sugar, caramel sauce, fresh passion fruit and a passion fruit sorbet, all sprinkled with playful (and colourful) hundreds and thousands. A super sweet sugar hit but we have to admit it was super yummy too.

The Vegan Essentials

The bedding was feather-free so suitable for vegans who want to enjoy their sleep in an environment free from animal based products. The bathroom amenities were in refillable ceramic pots so no single use plastic containers (hooray) but at this stage we are unable to confirm if the products were free from animal derived ingredients. There is an excellent selection of different yoga classes available with high quality teaching in a beautiful yoga shala. This is one of the highlights of  staying at Navutu Dreams and the daily schedule offers a good variety of yoga styles and classes suitable for absolute beginners to more experienced yogis.

The Vegan Food Quest Verdict

Feel Healthy. Feel Relaxed. Feel Good.

Check in to Navutu Dreams to feel all of the above and much, much more. It is a true retreat and provides the perfect option for those who wish to unwind after long days exploring the famous temple ruins of Angkor. Alternatively, check in to join one of the many wellness retreats on offer at this beautiful property. The vegan food won’t dissapoint and it’s likely you’ll leave feeling more than just a little rejuvenated by your stay at this beautiful Siem Reap property.

We were guests of Navutu Dreams but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views.

Navutu Dreams
Navutu Rd
Siem Reap
Cambodia

Telephone: +855 (0)63 964 864
Email: reservations@navutudreams.com
Cost From: From £90 / $125 per night (December 2017)