About Bohemiaz resort & spa
Our story… Bohemiaz resort & spa, a labor of love,10 years in the making!
I was living in England in 2013, and as much as I had a good life, I just had this feeling like maybe there was something more? Having one of those reflective conversations with one of my friends the next week she said I should just move my serviced apartment company abroad and it was like a lightbulb moment…a hospitality business but with fun travelers rather than business people, YES!!!…but where?
I knew through my travels that one of my favorite places...
...in the world was South East Asia. I then started really thinking and getting a bit pragmatic about it all. Cambodia was an excellent option. I’d been there before, I loved the people, and it was cheap, and running a business seemed much easier than in some of the other countries with visa restrictions or requirements to have a national be a majority share holder (No thanks!)I told my not so traditional dad (Brian) that I was going to move to Cambodia and open up a hotel, and he thought it was a great idea and wanted to come along too!
Later that year we came to have a look around...
...at some different areas and we fell in love with Kampot, not only that but we found this beautiful piece of land and put a deposit down on the spot, 3 months later the land was ours! In May 2014 we arrived in Cambodia with 3 cats and all our possessions were in a shipping container on their way. It was the hottest month of the year and as we sat there with sweat pouring off us we thought…OMG what have we done!
We began building...
...as we started adjusting to the heat, rainy season came and saved us! We opened the bar & restaurant on 3rd August 2014, and then opened 6 bungalows that October. It was basic, rustic, but beautiful and we loved it! I later found out that many of the expats that were around back then thought we were both absolutely crazy as it seemed so far from town back then. It turned out to be the best decision we could have ever made!
Over the last 9 years we have added to,
...developed and gone from a 6 bungalow mini resort to 20 rooms with a spa complex. We’ve had lots of fun and laughter and challenges (especially throughout covid times - but we managed to stay open throughout!). We’ve made lifelong friends in this amazing community that has sprung up around us, and we have also built something we love and are both incredibly proud of.
One day in the near future,
... Bohemiaz will find a new owner, it’s been one of our greatest achievements and a place I love dearly, but after 10 years of developing and building this dream it’ll soon be time for someone else to see what they can do here and for us to look for our next adventure (I’m not leaving Cambodia, this is my home now, it’s just time for a change!). I don’t know why, but I’ve always really believed that one day someone would come into Bohemiaz and love it as I do and want to take it on. I am writing this in part because people always ask me about my story, but also to let that person/ guest know that we are ready too!
If you want to have a chat to me about Bohemiaz ...
...or even about moving to or setting up a business in Cambodia at any time, just come and visit us and say hi. I had a lot of help when I first came to Cambodia from other expats and I’m happy to pass on what I know to those thinking about a change. It was the best decision of my life to date!