Golden Silk Pheach

Golden Silk Pheach is a working silk farm near Banteay Srei with a boutique selling beautiful clothes and textiles woven on the farm. Having left Cambodia to study in France, founder Sophea Pheach returned to her country to volunteer in refugee camps on the Thai border and soon after opened a village for orphans of the war. Pheach established Golden Silk Pheach as an NGO in 2002 to provide employment for the former orphans and other disadvantaged women from surrounding villages. Pheach calls the silk farm a Preservation Center, because her aim is to safeguard the traditional silk production process and Golden Silk Pheach is one of only a few farms where the process is fully integrated in one location, from raising the increasingly rare yellow silk worms to hand-weaving the silk on traditional wooden looms. Boasting 12 hectares of mulberry trees, the silk farm is home to numerous workshops where you can learn about the process, watch the women at work, and try your hand at weaving on a loom. The boutique sells silk and other textile products, all hand-woven and dyed with natural pigments. A visit is by appointment only, best made 48 hours in advance. It's not far from Banteay Srei and the Landmine Museum, however, the farm is tricky to find so make sure your driver phones ahead for directions. Backyard Travel also offers excellent tours that take in all three sights, and can be combined with a cooking class with Chef Kethana.