The resort’s small shop elegantly squeezes in an array of stylish and philanthropic products, from wild Samlot honey from the Jolie-Pitt Foundation to hand woven ikat from Golden Silk, a Franco-Khmer NGO preserving an ancient local silk known for its gilded sheen.

Phnom Penh based Romyda Keth is one of Cambodia’s most talented fashion designers. The former dancer creates colorful and dramatic designs for day and evening. She favors vivid colors and body-hugging designs with elaborate hand embroidery on many pieces. With numerous boutiques in Asia now, she has a truly international following. The Indagare Souk has featured her fashions, many of which are one-of-a-kind at shows in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Greenwich. Her clothes have been carried at Khmer Attitude in Siem Reap but in 2013 she opened a freestanding boutique not far from the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor. Here she sells her men’s, women’s and children’s line of statement-making fashions.

Pack new purchases in a quirky carry-on satchel fashioned from recycled Khmer rice sacks sold at Bloom Cambodia, a corner store committed to “making trade fair – one bag at a time.” It was founded in 2006 as a social enterprise and the same ten sewers make all of the bags in the workshop in Phnom Penh. The motto is “Buy something beautiful, do something beautiful.”

If you don’t have time to visit Eric Raisina’s show-stopper of a main boutique and atelier in the Chamming City on the way to Angkor, he has a small but sleek boutique in the Foreign Correspondent’s Club, which is alongside the river, not far from the Amansara and the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor. Madagascar-born Eric Raisina trained in the Paris ateliers of Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Lacroix, then came as a tourist to Angkor Wat. He fell in love with the silk and the people and decided to stay. You’ll find a great selection of his Technicolor fashion and accessories from colorful, fluffy evening bags woven like those used by local fishermen to hold the day’s catch, tie-dye silk blouses, and his signature flowing silk scarves. This shop is a tease but for the greatest range of products head to his main shop and even visit the workrooms upstairs.

These two adjacent boutiques, curated by Nathalie Saphon Ridel the stylish owner of Maison Polanka, has attracted the attention of such visitors as Hillary Clinton (on her visit to Cambodia as Secretary of State). Surely part of the appeal is the fair-trade values at Gallery Cambodge, where all items originate in workshops that only use eco-friendly materials and techniques. The look here is global nomad, from the Panama hats and bamboo sunglasses down to the sustainable leather flip-flops. Next door, Khmer Attitude takes its inspiration from the swinging ‘60s, with festive Khmer silk cocktail dresses by Phnom Penh-based designer Romyda Keth of Ambre in bold, beautiful hues and shimmering silver bling things.

Louise Loubatieres, a graduate from London’s Royal College of Art, grew up watching her Franco-Vietnamese designer mother working with Indochinese hill tribes. Her eponymous boutique, opened in 2013, is filled with must-have homewares, like white-on-grey bird ikat cushions made by the Goel Community NGO, and Lo-Yuyu ceramics from Prolung Khmer Pottery and Weaving Training Centre. Other objects of desire include brightly colored lacquer bowls and trays, silk-covered, beaded necklaces in a rainbow of vibrant hues (made in the southwestern Takeo region) and organic tie-dye silk scarves. Louise picks up treasures on her travels around Southeast Asia and works with craftsmen to bring a more modern interpretation to traditional crafts so her stock is ever-changing.

On the first Saturday afternoon of the month, the street running perpendicular to the Siem Reap River in front of Shinta Mani hotel transforms into a festive fair. The vendors sell everything from boho-chic woven handbags, from marginalized communities in Ratankiri province to Sombai rice spirits, infused by the villagers of Salamkomreuk with anise, cinnamon or mangoes with red chilies. After watching the Phare circus performers and snacking on homemade sweet potato chips or crispy spring rolls, look for Eric Stocker’s finely lacquered Buddha statures, as well as handbags made from recycled Pirelli truck tires by KILT - Khmer Independent Life Team (www.kiltjewelry.weebly.com).

This simple silk tailor shop down the street from Louise Loubatieres sells silks and cottons by the meter. The owner will fashion tops and pants from what you choose or you can buy the gorgeous ikat silks for pillows or clothing that you have made at home. It is a shop frequented more by locals than tourists so don’t expect the staff to speak English. Note that the ikat silk weaves are not antique but new and soften with washing.

This boutique in the Old Market Area sells colorful handbags and home décor crafted from recycled source material, including motorcycle seats and milk cartons. If you can’t decide what to buy in town, you’ll have another chance as Smateria has just opened at the Siem Reap Airport.

Straight up the Siem Reap River from Amansara, this retro chic art space celebrates the 1960s, a golden age of Cambodia that coincided with the birth of modernism around the world. Interesting works by local and visiting artists fill the white walls. Co-owner Loven Ramos deserves his reputation as a creative innovator, and it is worth a peek inside to see what talents he’s spotted.

Raised in France, Theam returned to Cambodia to run Artisans d’Angkor, the government crafts center, before leaving to concentrate on his paintings (they sell for serious prices in local galleries). He also started an artisan training initiative. Young Khmer come here from the surrounding villages and learn to craft brightly lacquered ceramic elephants, bunnies and water buffaloes that make some of Siem Reap’s most charming souvenirs. The front series of rooms feature his iconic lacquerware designs as well as housewares like wooden tea spoons with bright lacquered handles, woven placemats in a range of colors, woven cotton and silk scarves and great carved and sandstone Buddha heads and elephant sculptures. Plan to hang out awhile in Theam's palm-fringed wooden house, browsing through rooms filled with Khmer sculpture, textiles, bronze and silver artisanal products. In the back rooms, you can visit the artisans at work who carve, paint, polish and lacquer on the premises. Indagare members can contact the Bookings Team to arrange a private visit or cocktail reception in the charming space.

In the Old Market look for Three Seasons where you will find ultra soft cotton tees and dresses block printed with local motifs like water lilies and fishing boats. See Shopping the Old Market for more shops in the area.

This gallery/concept store has two outlets in the FCC and one across the street from Shinta Mani. The work of edgy contemporary Vietnamese artists and craftsmen are on offer, so if you want a brightly colored Buddha head or funky ethnic jewelry, stingray bangles or horn rings, this is a bit like an Asian Conran shop.