I want to improve and do not want to be rich

Despite a booming tourism industry, Siem Reap province remains one of the poorest in Cambodia with negligible amounts of economic prosperity reaching those in the countryside. Jasmine Lodge has attempted to rectify this where possible with its ‘pro-poor’ employment, tour and food policies. Kunn employs eight permanent

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Jasmine Family Hostel-Siem reap-Cambodia

Along with it's long-running and very popular sister property, Jasmine Lodge, Jasmine Family Hostel is a local family-run guesthouse managed by Mr Kunn and his wife Mrs Jasmine's extended family.

Chab Vann Kunn has always been motivated to give something back to his home village to enable poverty stricken neighbours increase their education level and employment opportunities.

Kunn’s father has donated his own father’s house (hence the name of the school) to accommodate the school and activity centre. The historic structure has been renovated cleaned and painted to provide, in the first instance, two classrooms and one library/activity room. Its goal is simply to build education and capacity to the local children of Sampov Lourn village providing additional Khmer, Math and recreational activity.

Kunn runs a locally owned guesthouse in Siem Reap which is the main tourirst town servicing the magnificent Angkor Arecheological park. Despite a booming tourism industry, Siem Reap province remains one of the poorest in Cambodia
with little economic prosperity reaching those in the countryside. Jasmine Lodge  and jasmine family hostel has attempted to remedy this where possible with its employment, tour and food policies.

Kunn employs eight permanent members of staff (6 general, 1 cook and 1 laundry) and all have been recruited from villages outside of Siem Reap (Kunn: “Tourism does not reach there”). All eight employees receive accommodation and training, and can go to school locally. They also receive a small salary. These staff benefit from on-the-job English language training, through
interaction with guests. Click here for more information on how Kunn’s efforts on running a responsible tourism has been recognised by PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association).

This is Kunn’s story (in his own words!)

In 1999 i was the motor bike driver in Apsara angkor guesthouse and doing all the work as ( waiter,receptionist,cook and coffee maker) all these job working was free of charge just get only tourists from this guesthouse to drive out to Angkor wat temples and get some foods to eat  from customers have eaten left on the plate. I was passionate to do myself just only for meeting and practising my English because when I was in my country. it was hard to find foreigners to improve my English and you can see my photos was taken along time with clients his name Mr.Wada from Japan infront of that guesthouse, morever,in  that time i was really hard to find money while i was studying .I always  brought my school book with me for reading when my customers was going to visit inside temple and tangibly of new key vacabulary or i could ask many other tourists was visiting the temples and also i was the one of people thought  crazy  person because one step of my work with tourists is not looking money, for instance ,there is one old man gave me one word( you raise the crodile sank in the water) meaned that tourist is crocodile.

My full name is chab vannkunn mostly people call me kunn I was born in sampov lourn village, kralanh district, communce, Siem reap province 54 km away from siem reap on the way to Thailand border (poipet ).I still have 5 people in my family one younger brother and one the youngest of family is sister and my parent  and me. I have learned my English knowledge from Backpackers tourists on the way from Thailand border crossing through Cambodian border (poipet) in 1998 used to be stuck all tourist cars on the way to Siem reap Angkor wat and then I brought them to stay at my local house in my home village and then I  could practice  my English that  I have learned from private school it was hard to understand in speaking but easy  to understand in writing at firstly of my conversation.1999 I and my younger brother moved to live in siem reap. For me going to live there for graduation one more year in senior high school and my younger brother was going tobe the apprentice of mechanic in my uncle garage because he said school is making him tired. While I was studying I seized the the chance to work in one guesthouse for fill my stomach as cook and serving food in that time too I could use my English improvement get better and better even experienced as well, unfornately after access of my senior highschool for one year I have to carry on in university more in campital in phnom penh I really did not have ability I went back home to ask my parent sell my bull as the cattle and buy me motor bike for driving tourists to Angkor wat and then they did .and then come back to live with my brother’s garage luckily I have known one Nowegian guy and he is one part of the owner of earthwalkers gueshouse in siem reap .He was kind  and really helpful giving me many works to do with his customers doing tour as motor bike dirver and one year later in 2001 I apply for English speaking tour guide and I was access in that exam and become the official English speaking tour guide and motor bike driver until I have some money and look to myself was lonely.did not have house and family and going to stay everywhere and sometime have foods and most of the times i did not eat regular. better I think going to get married with one daughter the owner of one guesthouse where Thomas Holdo Hansen used to rend rooms there before .

In 21th of june 2003 I got married with Miss jasmine call vandy and I managed this local guesthouse tobe tourists guesthouse and right now i am the proprietor of Jasminelodge and so I have to suspend my official English speaking tour guide and catch the guesthouse business instead at first we got only 14 rooms and 2008 we build more 13 rooms, evenmore I have to go to border nearly 2 times a week for dealing with travel agency and brought tourists to our guesthoue but likely too much pressure hassle as tourists fell some of custmers did not stay and a few of them stay but feel like annoying just only stay not doing conversation and relationship to our family and use our guesthouse’s service so I was feel boring everyday but one day I mailed to my Norwegian friend and he give me advice.

In 2004 I had one daughter name Malis mean Jasmine and she did not breath feed always need only poweder milk and cost too much money some diapers as well and one week later I got my own website and my tourists was staying in my guethouse highly recommended each other by words of mouth and got highly in author’s choice of independent lonely planet and so many tourists looking for my jasminelodge but some of them can stay in our lodge but some of them could not come because I got competition of taxi and tuk tuk driver kidnapped thme away from our guesthouse to other guesthouse with commission.

In 2006 I got one more son name Sunlin as mini kunn being well-known of Mr john and Mrs phillipa in England and right now I managed jasmienlodge with my wife’s grand mother in law and my parent in law together it is family business and my father in law is well experienced of electricity, crocodile farm and guesthouse maintainer. 

Mr kunn’s 3rd son was born on the 3rd of january.2010.He was born in provincila hospital at 12h30 am in middnight.He was 3 and 50 kg and back to home at 5 am in morning with me and Mrs jasmine lodge.

Jasmine family hostel is build in october .2010 and finished in january .2011 and mostly volunteers staying here for helping Mr kunn project in isloted village like education,sports,agriculture programme and jasmine family hostel provide free kitchen and fridge for doing your ownself cooking.

 

 

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Facilities and What's FREE!

We throw in more free things than anyone else! We have recently added free wireless internet in the entire building, adding to our list of free stuff:

  • Free coffee and tea between 12 pm & 4 pm
  • Free swimming pool
  • Daily cleaning the rooms
  • Free BBQ grill and parties
  • Free highspeed wifi internet
  • Free huge breakfast
  • bags storage room 
  • Free  DVD Movie in rooms
  • Free cold water on arrival
  • Free refill drinking water
  • Free books exchange
  • Free daily Newspaper
  • Free Guesthouse kitchen
  • Free Angkor guide books, Map
  • Emergency medical assistance service





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