Overwater villas, private pools, and a marine reserve focus
Koh Ouen Private Island, Koh Rong Archipelago, Near Sihanoukville, Cambodia Get directions
"Located on two tiny islands connected by a footbridge in the Koh Rong archipelago, this eco-conscious hideaway sits over the country’s first marine reserve and protects turtles, seahorses and tropical fish. The 24 villas are crafted from reclaimed timber and feature canopy beds, driftwood furnishings, sunken bathtubs and private infinity pools. Through the resort’s foundation, guests can visit local villages, help establish coral nurseries or snorkel with marine scientists; after dark, guided night swims reveal bioluminescent plankton, and the open-air spa offers therapies inspired by Buddhist principles." - Laura Begley Bloom, Devorah Lev-Tov
"Song Saa Private Island in Cambodia is certified by Regenerative Travel, an eco-collective that requires members submit data annually to keep their status."
"Located in a marine reserve within Cambodia’s Koh Rong archipelago, the 27 open-plan overwater villas are built from sustainable materials and designed to blur indoor and outdoor living (indoor-outdoor showers, shaded daybeds, airy thatched ceilings). The marine-rich surroundings offer snorkeling encounters with seahorses, turtles, and octopuses, and guests can engage with the Song Saa Foundation’s conservation and marine-preservation programs." - Annie Fitzsimmons
"Before visiting Cambodia’s Koh Rong Archipelago for a stay at Song Saa Private Island with the chance to experience its 'spa with no walls.'" - Travel + Leisure Editors
"Like many of the world’s greatest private island retreats, southern Cambodia’s Song Saa has all the trimmings of a tropical fantasy: there are stilted wooden pathways snaking to overwater villas, and private-pooled hideaways burrowed in the thick jungle cloaking the island’s hilly spine. At breakfast, shoals of silvery fish shimmer like fine jewels in the glassy swell below my feet. And when the sun beams overhead, skinny palms leave shadowy patterns on the talcum-white sand hemming the snug, lounger-dotted bay. There’s only so much pool-lolling and beach-lazing I can handle, which can make castaway islands sometimes feel like a gilded cage. But Song Saa is different. A short boat-hop to nearby Koh Rong, the largest island in the eponymous archipelago, drops guests right into coastal Cambodian life for a fix of bustling fishing hamlets, coconut farms draped over low-slung hills and Buddhist temples with kaleidoscopic interiors. The Song Saa Foundation, which established the country’s first protected marine reserve in the coral-rich waters surrounding the island, is missioned to keep it that way: community outreach projects and a dedication to maintaining the environmental footprint at a minimum earned the island a B Corp certification in 2023. Cambodia’s coastal regions might be plagued by overdevelopment, but Song Saa’s blueprint for mindful hospitality delivers a glimmer of hope. From $1,022. —Chris Schalkx" - CNT Editors
