Living the suite life in Siem Reap

Manila, Philippines – DURING a recent trip to Cambodia for our weekly TV show Biyaheng Langit, we met Sarah Moya, Director for Sales and Marketing of soonto-be-opened Park Hyatt Siem Reap. As you may know, we feature stories of successful Filipinos abroad in our show Biyaheng Langit and Sarah is one of the Filipinos working in Cambodia who has a thriving career in the Southeast Asian nation.

Sarah, who has a degree in Tourism, had been working in Hyatt Hotel in the Philippines before she first came to Cambodia in 2004. Sarah recounted that she instantly fell in love with Siem Reap when she first set foot in the small city, the site of the world-famous Angkor Wat. Aside from the charming and quaint atmosphere of the city, she said that what struck her was the kindness of Cambodians.

Since then, she has been living in and out of Cambodia, leaving when her contract would expire and coming back to work for another hotel. She is currently on her third post. She said that she keeps coming back not only for the better pay ­ she gets a salary over twice what she would in the Philippines for the same kind of work ­ but also because of the people she works with. Sarah said that Cambodians hold Filipinos in high regard especially as Cambodians’ experience of Filipinos have been largely pleasant. Many Filipinos work in NGOs in Phnom Penh, helping rehabilitate the war-torn nation and reverse war’s effects on its people. Sarah said that her Cambodian co-workers have always been happy to learn from her. This makes her work even more rewarding because she is able to see the difference she makes in the lives of other people.

Sarah said that life in Cambodia, and in tourist city Siem Reap in particular, remains very simple, with the absence of malls and other diversions present in other cities like Manila. If one wishes to save money, Cambodia would be the place to do it, according to Sarah. Because of the lack of commercial establishments, she is able to live frugally, only going out in the evenings to eat. This is not to say that she is devoid of options to spend her leisure time. On her days off, she can either go to the many spas in Siem Reap for some downtime or explore nearby Thailand and Laos if she wishes.

Sarah has found her niche in Cambodia and has also found herself grow, an effect of dealing with people from different nationalities. “I guess travel affects you that way. You learn new things. Adapting can be a challenge but it can be also very fulfilling,“ Sarah concluded.

Sourced: tempo