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.

It's easy to see why the Phnom Penh-based Australian founders of Song Saa, Rory and Melita Hunter, were thus inspired when they first set eyes on this spot five years ago. Unlike neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia's island outcrops are relatively undiscovered in tourism terms.

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.

Sourced: stuff