LIKE A BOSS

This next place is somewhere I definitely plan on returning to. It's one of the few holidays where I've done a whole lot of nothing. I admit, I get a little restless on flop 'n drop style holidays as I prefer to get amongst it during the day and the relax in the evenings. However, I can make an exception for this next place.

When you think of over water villas, destinations like the Maldives and Seychelles generally spring to mind. Well, did you know there's 5* over water luxury much, much closer...in beautiful Cambodia!

Song Saa (5*) ~ approx USD$2300 / overwater pool villa / night including all meals and drinks http://songsaa.com
Meaning 'the sweethearts', this property is a private island off the coast of Sihanoukville, offering overwater pool villas and 'luxury that treads lightly' with a focus on eco-tourism and sustainable management and practices.

 

For my HK-readers, it's only a short 2.5 hour direct flight to Phnom Penh, then you take a 2 hour car transfer (depending on traffic) up north to Sihanoukville port where you are met by a luxury speedboat transfer to take you on a 30 min ride to the island. Alternatively, for the real ballers, they can arrange a 1 hour helicopter for you from the Sofitel in Phnom Penh straight to Sihanoukville. So, whether it's a flight+car+boat or 2-flights+boat, you do spend half a day traveling each side, so not somewhere you'd go for less than 4 nights. I'm not a very good boat person as I get seasick very easily, however, there's a reason places like this are so hard to get to. There are very few beach resorts left in Asia that still give that feeling of  complete exclusivity and calmness like this. With only 27 villas on the island, we were lucky enough to be the only guests up until our final night there, so had the whole island to ourselves.

If like me, there's only so much sunbaking you can do in a day before you get restless, there are plenty of motorised and unmotorised water sports.

For the foodies, get to know your chef and the delicious local dishes through a cooking class. Fresh ingredients and commonly-used flavours, like fresh coconut milk, black pepper and bitter lemon, offer not only delicious but light dishes. Bordered by Thailand and Vietnam, there are definitely similar flavours running through all 3 countries' cuisines, each with their own defining twist.

We got the low-down on the fish amok and beef lok lak, both very fragrant and flavourful Khmer cuisine staples. 

Hey good lookin', whatcha got cooking?

Attracting lovers from all over the world, the hosts of this stunning private island know how to make your stay extra memorable and uber romantic. On request, they can arrange a magnificent seafood spread as a 'destination dining' experience - a candlelit banquet set up just for the two of us at the end of the jetty. 

Sleep in until midday then enjoy breakfast in your villa...

Sunsets with a bottomless glass of bubbles...

                       

      

...and a mini-bar that gets stocked and re-stocked twice a day...

Aside from the sustainable day-to-day management of the property, the owners vowed to do what they can to help improve the local villages, their economy and the environment. They manage Cambodia's first marine reserve, fund a solid waste management facility in the neighboring village, where they also run a sustainability centre and training program. 

If you have the time, visit the neighbouring village of Prek Sway where you can see these research programs in action and get a better understanding of what this means to the local villagers and their economic future. This isn't about throwing money at the problem, so no one speaks out against the development, this is about giving them the tools, education and training thereby creating opportunity to live sustainably and widen their skills.

This gentlemen worked on the island and had the most contagious, brilliant smile I've ever seen, from ear-to-ear...a real pleasure to have met. I wish I remembered his name...

It's not every day you get to live the life of a baller, with your own private island all to yourself, a chef at-the-ready and free-flow everything. But, if the occasion calls for this sort of thing, perhaps an anniversary or honeymoon, this really is the perfect place to celebrate!