Some people do good and some people change the world.

Hannes Schmid, the Swiss founder of Smiling Gecko in Cambodia, is such a person, having made the impossible come true. Some readers will know him as the photographer of some of the most famous rock bands on earth and also as the artist who photographed the iconic Marlboro Man.

To me, Hannes is a man with an incredible passion not just for helping the poorest of the poor, but for changing their lives. Literally.

It is hard to believe that before starting his Smiling Gecko project, Hannes lived in the slums of Phnom Penh, where the most deprived live from hand to mouth. He saw what misery really means and learned that to help these people, more than charity is needed.

Hence, he embarked on a journey through the Cambodian countryside and found land and a rural community northwest of Phnom Penh, where he laid the foundation in 2014 to start one of the most extraordinary projects in South-East Asia: the Smiling Gecko Campus and Farmhouse Resort.

The complex features charming Khmer-style bungalows that evoke the feeling of staying in a traditional Cambodian village, alongside a selection of elegant suites. Set amid lush tropical vegetation are not one but two inviting swimming pools, complemented by a bar and lounge, a gym and a serene spa. The restaurant serves both classic Khmer specialties and international cuisine.

UN, the fine-dining restaurant, serves a tasting menu of Cambodian gourmet dishes lovingly prepared by Chef Mariya. Her culinary explorations are amazing and would earn her a Michelin star if this accolade existed in Cambodia. Hannes Schmid is not just about doing the impossible; he is about finding the right partners and talent who, together with the management team, make it all happen.

But a stay at the Farmhouse Resort is not just about enjoying a quiet and unique resort in Cambodia’s idyllic countryside. It is about seeing how to change people’s lives.

At the heart of Smiling Gecko are the school and kindergarten, which today provide an education to more than 500 pupils. It’s not just a school; it’s a little universe of its own.

Since many of the students have no running water at home and parents can hardly afford two meals a day, the school provides showers and toothbrushes and the canteen serves two nutritious meals a day. Uniforms are washed in the on-site laundry. There is also a medical centre for health checks and treatments, as well as dentists to look after the kids’ teeth.

Hannes believes that the start to a better life and a stable livelihood is education, with the proviso that education should be fun and develop youngsters’ senses and creativity. Going down memory lane, where in Switzerland every child has access to a musical education, Hannes started a music school.

But that was not enough. Smiling Gecko opened a cultural centre last year called ‘The Gong’ with the aim of reviving Cambodian culture and music, which in its troubled past suffered tremendously and was partially lost.

With The Gong also comes an event space for small-scale meetings and events. Hannes’ rock band photography days must have inspired him to build a recording studio as part of The Gong and I could not believe my eyes when I saw it.

It reminded me of a movie where the rock band Queen recorded an album somewhere in a countryside farmhouse a very long time ago. Maybe one day a famous record will be made at Smiling Gecko?

Clients staying at the Farmhouse Resort have the chance to visit the school, including the music school, early in the mornings. While visitors are not permitted during class hours, the early morning visits are arranged on school days, offering the opportunity to see the facilities and organisation, watch the children arrive and meet the local or international teachers.

Agriculture and the rural community are at the core of Smiling Gecko. The staff grow vegetables for the school, the community and the resort, with any surplus sold locally. Livestock farming also takes place, including a very impressive fish farm. Many hotels and restaurants have become customers of this healthy organic produce.

In the spirit of being as self-contained as possible, there is a carpentry workshop, a metal workshop and a sewing factory. This is not only a workplace for the local community to earn a living, but it also enables young people to learn a handicraft of their choice – vocational education at its very best.

Visitors can join daily tours guided by the community, as well as by managers and staff. Smiling Gecko is about immersing oneself in a local community, learning about rural life in Cambodia and understanding how vision, perseverance, guidance and hard work make the impossible come true.

The resort is less than a two-hour drive from Phnom Penh. A stay can easily be combined with other visits and overland journeys to Battambang or Siem Reap, all off the beaten track. All revenue generated by Smiling Gecko and the Farmhouse Resort remains within the project and donations are warmly welcomed to support its ongoing development.

Asian Trails Cambodia will be pleased to arrange your stay at the Farmhouse Resort and design your own personal journey. For further details, please contact Asian Trails Cambodia.

Laurent Kuenzle
CEO, Asian Trails