Song Saa Private Island, Sihanoukville Cambodia, Phnom Penh and The South

Song Saa Private Island is a super exclusive resort built in the pristine Koh Rong archipelago covering two islands connected by a footbridge and surrounded by a marine reserve. The name ‘Song Saa’ itself means ‘Sweethearts’ in Khmer, and the resort is thus perfectly set up as one of Cambodia’s best luxury destinations for honeymooners and couples alike.

The hotel features 27 villas, all with their own infinity pool. Room categories include Maldives-style overwater bungalows, as well as jungle and beachfront villas. All guests have access to deserted white sandy beaches and tropical palm rainforests.

Song Saa has been designed and realised with the greatest care and attention paid to preserving the paradise-like natural environment in which it is built. All of the villas have been built from sustainable materials with minimum impact to the island’s ecology, and the surrounding oceans are filled with a diverse range of exotic fish and marine species. The people behind the resort have gone to great lengths to work with the local community, taking advice on local fishing techniques to avoid further damage and provide a better living as well as looking to employ locals where possible. This is extremely important in an environment as pristine and un-touched as this.

The resort offers a whole range of facilities, an infinity pool, gym, spa, meditation platform and both a yoga and a water sports area offering sailing, diving, kayaking and snorkeling. They have some seriously well thought out local excursions and activities such as the ‘Bioluminescence swim’ – an after dark boat trip, kayaking in local mangrove swamps and the superb Song Saa nature safari.

Due to the nature of island life and remote location Song Saa has an ‘always included’ policy in relation to food and drink. So be it a cocktail at the sunset bar, a rib eye steak in your room with a glass of prosecco or an evening at the beautiful vista restaurant with a tasting menu of Cambodia inspired cuisine on a par with Michelin star standards, everything consumed on the island is included in your room rate.

Until now, Cambodia has been lacking in the right beach resort to make it a complete luxury holiday destination but there is no doubt that Song Saa has changed this.