Situated in a town seeped in the ancient history of Angkor Wat and Khmer culture and Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel pays homage to the elephant. Read on to learn some of the background and story of our new Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel name and the Cambodian artist behind the incredible illustration.
Planning to stay with us at Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel? The secret when booking is to book direct! Book your stay at Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel direct on our website and enjoy:
- The best deals on tours and transport
- Savings on extra services
- The best prices on room rates
We look forward to seeing you soon! Or kun cheran.
Watch Ranon Phal drawing the Baby Elephant Logo
Coming Up With Our Name:
Quite simply, we love elephants and see them as a strong symbol of Southeast Asia. When visiting Cambodia, specifically the Angkor Archaelogical Park, you can visit the Terrace of the Elephants, part of the walled city of Angkor Thom. This incredible platform was used by Angkor’s King Jayavarman VII to view his victorious returning army after battles. You will also find the 12th century temple Bayon has elephant bas-reliefs carved along all four of its walls. There are still elephants living in captivity and still working today around Angkor Wat. While you can still ride captive elephants near the temples, you shouldn’t. We firmly support retirement for these majestic creatures, so that they can live out the remainder of their lives in the jungles of Mondulkiri protecting our forests.
What the name Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel represents:
- Elephants are an important part of the iconography of the ancient Khmer Empire and Cambodian culture.
- We pay tribute to our love of music by referencing the famous song The Baby Elephant Walk by Henry Mancini. On our pool bar playlist we play classic, mid-century music from around the world, mixed with some modern chill and a bit of quirkiness. We also feature a lot of Cambodian music. By celebrating this powerful music, Cambodia’s musical heyday emerges from the shadows of tragedy into the light of history.
- We LOVE baby animals. Our hotel is situated on a small Khmer lane with ducklings, chickens and children all around us, so we think it fits! We support Cambodian families and love our local community.
- By focusing on elephants we aim to raise awareness about these magnificent creatures in Cambodia, and we recommend people visit the Elephant Valley Project in Mondulkiri.
- Baby Elephant easily translates between Khmer and English. The name កូនដំរី (Khoun Demrai) is easily recognisable for Cambodians, and it is easy to remember in English too.
The Artist Behind Our Logo & Artwork:
Our logo was created by Ranon Phal. Ranon is a renowned young Cambodian illustrator and street artist. He is currently studying Fine Arts in Milan, Italy.
Watch Ranon Phal drawing the Baby Elephant Logo
We were introduced to Ranon by inspiring designer Douglas from Siem Reap homewares and fashion store Trunkh.
Ranon then came up with this amazing artwork in his signature style, which evolved later into our logo.
What do you love about elephants? Did you enjoy the video of Ranon Phal drawing our baby elephant? Let us know in the comments section below.