The Angkor
Sanctuary
A Writing Retreat in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Dedicated time to write, in a place alive with history, culture and story.
August 10 – 22 2027 at Angkor Privilege Resort
12 days. A small community of only 12 writers.
An extraordinary place in which to write.
For more information and to secure your place
at this retreat email: Betty.Oneill@uts.edu.au
Join us in Siem Reap
Twelve spacious days devoted to your writing, with time to think, explore, experiment, receive individual mentoring and make real progress on the story you want to write.
Set in our own private resort close to the ancient landscapes and temples of Angkor, this is a retreat designed to nourish both the writer and the writing.
Just imagine
Imagine waking each morning knowing that the day ahead belongs totally to you and your writing.
Breakfast in the garden. A short morning gathering to spark ideas and set intentions. Then hours of uninterrupted time to write beside the pool, under a shady tree, in your own room or wherever you find your rhythm.
There will be individual mentoring when you need another pair of eyes, optional workshops when you want fresh inspiration, and other writers nearby when you want company.
And beyond our sanctuary lies Siem Reap and the extraordinary world of Angkor - temples, forests, villages, food, history and stories accumulated across centuries.
What makes Angkor different?
Great writing retreats create space. Angkor gives us something more: a landscape that invites curiosity.
During our twelve days together, there will be opportunities to step away from the page and experience some of the places, people and traditions of Cambodia and then return to our writing refreshed.
You won’t be hurried from temple to temple. Nor will every hour be programmed. We want to preserve the spaciousness that writers need while making the most of being somewhere remarkable.
Your home: Angkor Privilege Resort. Our own private sanctuary
For the duration of the retreat, all 14 rooms and the facilities (pool, restaurant, workshop space, gardens) covering 2 hectares at Angkor Privilege Resort will be exclusively ours.
That means no other hotel guests coming and going: the resort becomes our writing home. You’ll have your own private room and ensuite, with writing desk and good WiFi.
Write alone when you want solitude. Find another writer for coffee when you need company. Take a swim. Read. Rest. Think. Or simply stare into space for a while - an underrated part of the writing process.
A Typical Day
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Breakfast together, followed by a short creative warm-up and intention-setting.
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Protected writing time, individual mentoring and plenty of freedom to establish your own writing rhythm.
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Optional workshops, conversations or sharing sessions.
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Some evenings will be ours to share; others will be entirely free.
Some days we’ll exchange our usual rhythm for an excursion or experience beyond the resort. The retreat is deliberately spacious enough for both.
Testimonials
"There are moments in time that feel like a crossroad. The Bali Story Sanctuary Retreat has proven to be one of those for me. Betty and Steve created a space filled with stimulating teachings, beautiful villas, detailed organisation, great company and a week to write, think and be."
Tina H, Feb 2026 Retreat
“Thank you so very much for a fabulous week. My writers’ group at home are all envious - as they should be! The exercises you led us through really opened my creativity faucet and I intend to keep twisting the tap-handle in the right direction”
Jo Callaghan, 2025 Retreat
“My heartfelt thanks to Betty and Steve for their guidance, thoughtful feedback, and endless patience throughout the writing retreat. They create a truly inspiring and nurturing space that supports writers of all levels, no matter where you are in your creative journey.”
Raymond B, 2025 Retreat
“The retreat was a timely catalyst to reconnect with my project after months of stagnation. Within a day of joining the retreat, I felt my ‘writing mojo’ resurfacing”
Annie Stewart, 2024 Retreat
What’s included
12 nights’ private accommodation at Angkor Privilege Resort, exclusively reserved for our group
Daily breakfast and lunch
Dedicated writing time and spaces
High speed WiFi
Morning creative sessions
Optional writing workshops
Individual mentoring
Regular group check-ins
Welcome and farewell gatherings and one dinner by the pool
Angkor Wat and temples three-day pass
Phare Cambodian Circus – a social enterprise honouring Khmer culture
Shuttle service to and from Pub Street
Pre-retreat Zoom gathering
Airport transfers
What’s not
included
Airfares, passport valid for six months from arrival date, and visa fees
Travel & health Insurance (mandatory)
Alcohol
Additional activities, treatments and meals not listed
Beyond the page experiences
From the temples of Angkor at first light to encounters with Cambodian food, arts and contemporary life, we’ll occasionally step away from our writing to experience the place around us. These aren’t simply excursions. They’re opportunities to replenish the imagination, awaken the senses and return to the page seeing differently.
Testimonials
“The Bali Story Sanctuary course was exactly what I needed to transform my travel blog writing into a book worth reading”
Teresa McCarthy, 2024 Retreat
"As a new writer I would highly recommend The Bali Story Sanctuary Retreat. Betty’s workshops were tailored to new and old writer’s alike, with lots of stimulating creative activities that brought out the best in all of us. Such a great opportunity to take the time to dedicate to writing, to spend time in tropical Bali and to meet new and interesting people"
Tina H, Feb 2026 Retreat
“The retreat was a smorgasbord of wonder for me. From the small details, I felt well cared for and could relax immediately. The structure was held with gentle commitment by Betty and Steve, and I valued the workshops for the clarity of information and the quality of teaching. There was always something helpful to be learnt, and connection with other participants about the writing as a part of group check-ins and socially over dinner was delightful”
Katherine Howard, 2024 Retreat
“Our small group had time to write together, to share our writing, to get to know each other, and to retreat to our villa and write or have Balinese massages on-site or explore”
Moira Nolan, 2024 Retreat
Testimonials
“I appreciate the care you put into preparation and delivery Betty, and the generosity with which you shared your experience and made yourself and your villa available. Steve and his staff made me feel very spoilt, and Penestanan is a perfect location.”
Deborah, 2025 Retreat
“At Bali Story Sanctuary Betty and Steve offer a rare combination of generous skills and capacities. Steve is a highly responsive host in all aspects of accommodation and travel. Betty holds the writing workshops with experience, wisdom and knowhow that draws the best from people and brings new learning edges. She also offers invaluable one-on-one reading and consultation. The week offers the delights of good teaching, beautiful accommodation, solo time and group feasting. What’s not to love?”
Julie P, Feb 2026 Retreat
“Taking time to dedicate to our writing is a choice, but an easy one when it involves a trip to Bali and the chance to engage in Betty’s teachings, and Steve’s organisation. I couldn’t recommend The Bali Story Sanctuary Retreat enough. A friendly, small group of other writers, beautiful villas in a tropical setting, lots of stimulating activities and time to concentrate on one’s own project. A perfect combination."
Tina H, Feb 2026 Retreat
Who is this retreat for?
This retreat is for writers who crave something increasingly difficult to find in everyday life: uninterrupted time.
You may be an experienced writer or relatively new to writing. What matters is that you have a story, idea or project you’d genuinely like to spend time with and that you’re open to sharing the experience with a small, supportive community of other writers.
You might come because you’ve stalled on a manuscript; life keeps interrupting your writing; you need distance to see a project differently; you want guidance without enrolling in a formal course; or you simply want to give yourself permission to take your writing seriously.
Your hosts
Immerse yourself in the magical environment of Siem Reap Cambodia, where, ensconced in a private villa, you can escape daily chores and the demands of everyday life and devote yourself to your writing. You’ll be supported by like-minded creatives and our creative facilitators, Dr Betty O’Neill and Steve Castley.
Enter a welcoming, safe space for laughter and learning where you can enliven your creativity with innovative tools, techniques and practices and build confidence to play with ideas, deeply engage with your work and open up to new possibilities for your writing.
Acclaimed author, creative writing teacher and professional workshop facilitator
See more here.
Writer, reader, painter, traveller, dreamer, villa manager extraordinaire and Penestanan local
See more here.
For further information and to secure your place at this retreat email: Betty.Oneill@uts.edu.au