Cambodian sanctuary

Somewhere out there, in the backpacker beach town of Sihanoukville, there's serious partying going on: dance tunes, fire displays and fluorescent glow sticks are accompanied by hangover-inducing Mekong whisky, a rocket fuel served in plastic buckets and drunk communally from straws.

The scene at Song Saa, a private island resort about 40 minutes by speedboat from the mainland, couldn't be more of a contrast. The only music is the soft lull of waves nudging white-sand beaches. The fire displays come from candles floating in an infinity pool and lanterns lighting sandy trails. The fluorescence comes in the form of an electric-blue bioluminescence around my ankles, and drinks include a crisp sauvignon blanc served chilled in a long-stemmed glass.

If I did need a straw, there's no plastic to be found. Instead, dried water reeds, harvested locally, are the Robinson Crusoe-approved solution to the age-old ritual of slurping liquid through a tube, and one of the many aesthetic nods to the stunning natural surrounds. Song Saa, which opened late last year, is getting press as the first luxury resort of its kind in Cambodia, but is also making a name for itself as the blueprint for sustainable accommodation, both locally and globally.

The resort itself is made up of two tiny islands joined by a wooden footbridge that are easily traversable in a 20-minute amble. Koh Bong is the resort's own national park, covered in emergent rainforest, with a bird (and bat) viewing platform and flat-as-a-pancake waterside rocks for meditation. Koh Ouen, despite hosting the majority of infrastructure, is also a natural oasis, with every attempt made at preserving the deserted island feel. Fences are made from driftwood washed up on the islands' western shores, palms and pandanus trees have been retained and the tropical flowers are an extension of naturally occurring flora.

An over-water open-air restaurant accessed by another footbridge echoes the look of an old fishing pier, if you can ignore three swinging double-bed hammocks, couches with inviting plump pillows, backgammon boards and Khmer staff handing you a cocktail.

Song Saa's 27 villas, which fall into jungle, sea-view and over-water categories, have thatched pitched roofs, exterior walls fashioned from bamboo and local timbers, and outdoor showers that spray hot water from hollowed-out logs.

A tad Gilligan's Island? Perish the thought. Melita is an interior designer by profession. The resort's slate-grey, brown and green swimming pool tiles, for example, have a walk-in wardrobe of moods and colours, somehow reflecting blue skies in the morning then storm clouds in the afternoon.

Interior dry stonewalls, polished tree stump bedside tables and handcrafted pottery sit beside each villa's Aesop bath products and iPod dock. The wine fridge is sinfully stocked with our pre-arranged choice of beverages.

Song Saa's other side, however, is sustainability. The first step was to gain approval for a marine park that stretches 200 metres out from both islands, a process that required government approval and consent from fishermen who had to agree to stop fishing within the zone. Remarkably in these parts, the long-term view won out over short-term gain.

"It's a win-win," says Song Saa's head of conservation and trained marine biologist Barnaby Olsen, whose enviable "office" and research hub is an open-air hut. "After four years we're seeing bigger schools of fish and bigger fish in general. And, key to any marine environment, bigger fish spawn more fish, which will eventually find their way out of the marine park into the nets of the local community."

Whether you're kayaking a figure-eight around the islands, taking a snorkelling tour or swimming, there's more for guests to see now, including octopuses, rare species of seahorse, giant clams and gobies and alpheid shrimps. The sustainability push includes monitoring sites to produce Cambodia's only scientific marine data.

With just nine villas occupied during my stay, I monopolise Olsen's time. We paddle kayaks through a nearby mangrove forest littered with exotic leaves, furry branches and feathery friends of varieties that only local textbooks can explain. And we visit Prek Svay village on nearby Koh Rong, an island about the size of Hong Kong but with a population of just 2000. The fishermen who gave the nod to the marine park live here with their families in traditional two-storey open-air wooden houses. We walk barefoot through the main street accompanied by straggly chickens and hyperactive dogs, reciprocating waves from villagers.

The same dialogue that motivated the marine park also kicked Koh Rong's sustainability program into play - the villagers have upgraded waste management, freshwater fish farming, organic agriculture and animal husbandry. Crucially, the villagers are taught to run and contribute to the programs themselves. "We are not suggesting new laws or imposing new ideas, just giving inspiration and encouragement to follow their own mandate," Olsen says.

Back at Song Saa, the executive chef, Neil Wager, suggests a Khmer-inspired six-course degustation dinner. So far we've enjoyed a poolside seafood barbecue, a fireside pizza on the beach and an in-villa feast delivered in traditional over-shoulder hanging baskets - all experiences that highlight the island's many "dining rooms".

Not wanting to deviate from the relaxed pace, and conscious the kitchen team has worked in some of the world's best restaurants, I ask how formal the dinner will be. "Treat this place like a rich uncle's island," Wager says. "Come in bare feet."

FAST FACTS

Getting there Malaysia Airlines has a fare from Sydney and Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur (8hr 20min), with connections to Phnom Penh (1hr 50min), from $1450 low-season return, including tax. See malaysiaairlines.com. Cambodia Angkor Air flies to Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Song Saa staff can also arrange transfer by car from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville port. The island is a 40-minute boat ride from the port.

Staying there Song Saa jungle villas cost from $US1336 ($1292) a night in the low season. Price includes meals and beverages. See songsaa.com.