Song Saa Private Island

CAMBODIA

PERSONALITIES

Slow travelers. Ocean lovers. Eco-conscious explorers. Mindful adventurers. Story collectors.

MOMENTS

Bioluminescent waves beneath your feet. Yoga at sunrise. Sea breeze and lemongrass. A silent paddle through mangroves. Stars scattered across the sea.

BEST VISITING MONTHS

From November to April, calm seas and golden skies make this the most idyllic time to visit. The monsoon season (May to October) brings lush greenery, warm rains, and solitude — ideal for travelers seeking stillness and the deep green beauty of Cambodia in bloom.

COST

WHY STAY

Song Saa Private Island is not simply a place to stay — it’s a way of seeing the world differently. Conceived by founders Rory and Melita Hunter, this eco-luxury sanctuary was born from a vision of living lightly and beautifully in one of Southeast Asia’s most biodiverse regions. Every villa, whether perched over turquoise shallows or hidden within the jungle, is built from reclaimed materials gathered from old fishing boats and local communities — a love letter to Cambodia’s land and sea.

Here, days unfold with a natural ease. You wake to the hush of waves beneath your villa, move slowly through moments of meditation, or set out across the reef with conservationists who have made this marine park their life’s work. It’s a place where luxury doesn’t mean excess, but awareness — a reminder that beauty, when rooted in purpose, becomes even more profound.

At night, the island glows. Bioluminescent plankton shimmer beneath the jetty, stars scatter across the sky, and the air carries the scent of frangipani and sea salt. Song Saa feels less like a hotel and more like a return — to the self, to the natural world, and to a sense of balance that modern life often forgets.

WHY WANDER

Song Saa lies within the Koh Rong Archipelago, a pocket of wild serenity in the Gulf of Thailand. Once a cluster of untouched fishing isles, these waters are now protected as Cambodia’s first marine reserve — a living testament to how mindful travel can preserve paradise. Guests can snorkel through coral gardens, kayak through mangrove forests, or join guided eco-expeditions that reveal the fragile ecosystems beneath the surface.

Beyond the water, Song Saa Foundation invites travelers into the heart of community-led conservation. Visit nearby villages to learn about reef restoration, plastic recycling initiatives, and education programs that empower local families. Here, exploration is both outward and inward — a chance to witness regeneration in motion, and to understand the impact of one’s presence.

Whether you choose to wander barefoot along the low-tide sandbar or meditate at dawn with the sound of waves as your metronome, the island’s rhythm becomes your own — slow, grounding, elemental.

INDULGE IN

Dining at Song Saa is a sensory translation of its philosophy: natural, nourishing, and deeply local. The overwater restaurant and lounge serve coastal Cambodian cuisine inspired by the seasons — seafood caught by village fishermen, vegetables grown in the island’s gardens, and fruit ripened under the equatorial sun. Evenings often begin with cocktails crafted from island herbs and end with candlelit meals under a wide, wild sky.

The Song Saa Spa Sanctuary follows the Buddhist principle of Metta — loving-kindness. Treatments draw from ancient Khmer wisdom and the island’s natural elements, offering open-air therapies with ocean views, forest rituals infused with local oils, and meditative sound baths designed to restore body and spirit.

GETTING THERE

Fly to Sihanoukville International Airport, followed by a 45-minute private speedboat journey to Song Saa. Charter flights and helicopter transfers can be arranged from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap for a seamless arrival.

GET INVOLVED

“The Song Saa Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 2013 to protect the habitats of the Koh Rong Archipelago and improve the welfare of its communities. The Foundation continues the conservation work we began in 2006, when we first came to Koh Ouen, and at present, we are proud to have launched a broad range of conservation and humanitarian initiatives that go well beyond the borders of the archipelago. From establishing the kingdom’s first marine reserve, we have grown to become a preeminent coastal marine NGO, helping improve the lives of local people and promoting the protection of the environment wherever our work takes us.”

*Images property of Song Saa Private Island, Elise Hassey