About Us

Meet Your Hostess

Dary Saing

Dary was born and grew up here in Rokakandal, at a time long before the village had mains water and electricity. Her family home is just behind our guesthouse. She’ll be pleased to tell you stories from those times in Cambodia! Dary began her career in hospitality in the Santepheap Hotel in Kratie Town in 2001. In 2012 she moved to Kampong Cham and ran the ‘Lazy Mekong Daze’ bar, restaurant and pizzeria on the riverside there for 10 years, in support of her three stepchildren. Dary moved back to Rokakandal in 2023. ‘Dary’s Village Guesthouse & Restaurant’ was built in 2023-2024 on a plot of land bought from her grandmother. The business opened in August 2024 and has earned top guest ratings since then.

Gordon is an engineer, born in London, UK. He left his homeland in 1991, going wherever his job contracts took him: Germany, UAE, China, Nicaragua, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. He began work in Cambodia in 2016, managing the building projects of the Kampong Cham based NGO ‘Buddhism for Social Development Action’. Gordon and Dary were married in 2020.

Dary’s long-held dream was to run her own guesthouse and restaurant. We had already bought a plot of land in Rokakandal, but it was too small. When, several years later, we were offered and bought the neighbouring plot, Dary’s dream began to really take shape.

The design work for our guesthouse began in 2022; it took over a year, we weren’t in a hurry. Design team was Dary and Gordon, architectural, technical, design and construction drawings and documentation by Gordon.

The design work included fixtures, fittings and furniture: everything made from wood here is custom-built! Rokakandal has several carpenter shops, all of our furniture and the doors were made in the village.

By early 2023 everything had fallen into place, building permission granted and contractors signed up for the job. We broke earth in April 2023. Our first guests arrived in August 2024.

Our aim was for simplicity, inspiring colours and high quality finishes throughout. Light, airy and easy to clean. Bathrooms where taking a shower is a joy. Bed linens that feel good on the skin, sprung mattresses, AC in all rooms: Comfort!