The Quieter Sibling of the East

Rice fields, riverbanks, and rituals — a Roaming with RUSKIN story close to our hearts.

In a region that often serges ahead in bursts of neon light and economic crescendos, Cambodia sits with the serenity of a sibling who does not need to scramble for attention. While Bangkok thrums with urban symphony and Ho Chi Minh City reconfigures itself daily, Cambodia is unhurried and offers an invitation to pause.

This isn’t the Cambodia of headlines or hurried itineraries. This is a place where soft power is practiced not in diplomacy but in daily life. In the capital, Phnom Penh and the gateway city of Siem Reap, we found tree-shaded boulevards unfolding like a French novella, remnants of colonial elegance brushing shoulders with a new, self-assured design language. Morning vendors offered us iced coffee thick with condensed milk beneath frangipani trees, while hidden ateliers hand-stitched garments for local creatives and global boutiques alike.

For decades, Cambodia has been defined by a single monumental image: the lotus-crowned towers of Angkor Wat, and there is a temptation, even among seasoned travellers, to let Cambodia begin and end with this incredible network of ancient temples. But the country; gentle, complex, and increasingly confident offers far more than its stone-set legacy. Today, the story that is unfolding is one shaped by returnees rebuilding old homes, by chefs reinterpreting Khmer cuisine, by designers and hoteliers who believe in staying small and true. By chance, we happened to arrive in Cambodia during New Year — a time when the country seemed to collectively exhale. It was a festival of water and warmth, of laughter and quiet rituals, unfolding not for tourists but for one another. Across streets and villages a riot of joy and reconnection threaded families, neighbours, and generations together. Most noticable was the unrestrained happiness of the people, contagious and deeply moving in its sincerity.

The capital city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh retains an old soul. It is a relatively quiet city, marked by the absence of noisy car horns, yet beneath the surface we could sense a subtle renaissance taking shape. As we roamed further into the countryside and the quiet deepened, so much felt unchanged - as if the past had settled in and stayed.Here, heritage doesn’t live in museums but in conversations, gestures, and the quiet rhythm of daily life. In the spaces between coastal towns, pepper farms, forested hills, Cambodia is charting a path that favours depth over scale, and tactility over polish. What we experienced was a soft-footed, culturally rooted Cambodia that is quietly reasserting itself with self-awareness.

Even Cambodia’s approach to development feels nuanced. Where others chase the skyline, this kingdom keeps its gaze horizontal—on rice fields, riverbanks, and rituals. There is dignity in the way the great Mekong river is respected, not conquered; in how local craftsmen refuse mass production for the sake of pace; and in the country’s evolving luxury sector, which leans into tactility, provenance and pause.In the northwestern city of Siem Reap, long the gateway to the temple complex of Angkor Wat, the creator class is emerging, transforming the city into a hub of contemporary Khmer art, boutique hospitality, slow food, and thoughtful design. It felt like a sanctuary for the thoughtful traveller where a new generation of hoteliers, chefs, and curators are shaping an aesthetic that is restrained, rooted, and refreshingly devoid of performative trendiness. We found concept spaces nestled into former colonial homes, studios filled with the sound of chisels on reclaimed wood and stone and hear playlists drift toward easy chill inviting calm and contemplation.

Cambodia is a country that bears the weight of history with quiet resolve. It does not clamour. It composes. It does not seek to catch up, but to hold on to memory, to rhythm, to self. Beneath the surface of stillness lies a slow, deliberate momentum. In its art studios, family-run farms, and riverside cafés, a new way of living and working is beginning to take shape—rooted in heritage and looking ahead.

In a time when much of the world seems to shy away from stillness, perhaps the most radical thing a nation can do is remain quiet - and be heard all the more clearly for it.

Versatile companions for those who move through the world with purpose and restraint.

When we planned our journey through Cambodia we chose to travel lightly, but with purpose. A small capsule collection of RUSKIN designs came with us: a few considered pieces crafted to move fluidly across moments, climates, and contexts.

Cambodia doesn’t demand much of you, sartorially or otherwise. But it rewards those who pay attention. It invites softness, both in manner and in material. The RUSKIN capsule that we took with us reflected that - a kind of sartorial listening, designed for the rhythm of roaming. Not loud. Not hurried. Just right. 

Above: We chose to roam with Kepler Backpack to deliver style, comfort and lightweight durability, in equal measure and the Clutch Con Cinta crossbody belt bag for carrying essentials close to the body: both designs shown here in Bracken.

We also took the Quentin Weekender with us  - a timeless design with material integrity ideal for those who prefer slow departures and well-chosen destinations.