Draw up a checklist of everything a secluded island retreat should offer and Song Saa Private Island hotel will come up trumps on every item. Infinity pools, shaded daybeds on quiet sandy beaches, private villas with four-poster beds, and a bar and restaurant with 360-degree ocean views; it’s all here.
This small resort in the undeveloped Koh Rong Archipelago, is on an island connected to a marine reserve established by The Song Saa Foundation. It was founded by Australian couple Rory and Melita Hunter, who stumbled on the area after hiring a boat to explore. They are the first to build a hotel here, and have worked hard to preserve the environment they fell in love with - it’s like you’d imagine Thailand was 40 years ago, before tourism boomed. The result is a seriously relaxed - and relaxing - place. Some of the 25 1 and 2 bedroom villas are wrapped around trees in the jungle, others are suspended above the sea with steps down to the water, and all have private decks and plunge pools. Water-ski or snorkel, trek with a conservation expert and take a boat trip to the local village, then kick back on the beach with a cocktail, happy in the knowledge that the chef has dinner at the ready whenever you feel like eating.
Highs
- Island living doesn't come more blissful than this. There’s nothing to disturb the peace other than the sound of lapping waves and the odd boat
- The food, a mix of traditional Cambodian and sophisticated international cuisine, is spectacular. Meals can be served overlooking the ocean, by your pool, even on the beach
- Ideal for honeymooners, but surprisingly family-friendly, too: staff can set up treasure hunts and there are plenty of other activities to keep them entertained
- Rates include speedboat transfers (45 minutes) from the mainland
- A commendable commitment to the environment: Rory and Melita have set up a marine reserve around the islands and employ 6 conservation staff
Lows
- It’s a bit of a trek to get here - you’ll need to take an internal flight from Siem Reap, international flights from Kuala Lumpur or Saigon, or a 4-hour road trip from Phnom Penh, followed by the resort's speedboat, or book a helicopter transfer direct to Song Saa
- It’s very expensive but all-inclusive rates are available. For all inclusive bookings, you receive inclusions such as non-motorized watersports, spa experience, destination dining, cultural excursion, daily yoga, and more
- Some villas are less private than others. If the idea of passing boats disturbs you, opt for a Jungle Villa or Ocean View Villa
- You can walk around the resort in 10-15 minutes and everything else is a boat trip away, so it’s not for those craving wild nights out
Best rooms for families
The 2-bedroom villas provide plenty of space, though note that both bedrooms are doubles. A rollaway bed or baby cot can be added to any villa on request.
- Baby cot
- Highchair
Some equipment may need to be requested in advance
Staff can be booked to look after children, subject to availability, but they are not trained babysitters.
There are children’s menus in the restaurant, and the Driftwood Bar and room service menus have plenty of kid-pleasing options, including pizza, spaghetti and gourmet burgers. Puréed baby food is available on request, and family picnics can be set up around the resort or on the neighbouring island of Koh Rong
- Swimming lessons
- Educational treasure hunts around the island; look out for hidden Robinson Crusoe messages in a bottle too
- Guided snorkelling tours of the reef (children must be accompanied by at least 1 adult)
- Sunset outdoor cinema or in-villa movie experience
- Children’s cooking lessons including pizza making
- Water-skiing and sailing (older children only)
- Kids yoga & stretching classes
- Spa treatments such as hair braiding, face painting and mani/pedi sessions
- Family tree planting
- The team can organise a children\'s nature trail on certain days
- Playhouse with toys and games open daily
- Board games to borrow
- Island clean ups, nature trails or plant coconut palms in nearby Prek Svay community with the conservation team
- Kayaking through the mangroves
- Family picnics on Koh Rong
- Luxury Resort
- 25 villas
- Restaurant and bars (open daily)
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Outdoor Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Babysitting
- Creche / Kids Club
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Concierge Service
- Watersports centre
- Daily yoga classes
Rooms
The 24 palm-roofed villas, all with private decks and plunge pools, are dotted around the resort. They are near identical in terms of décor and layout, with gleaming wooden floors, exposed sandstone walls, four-posters swathed in mosquito nets, and indoor and outdoor sitting areas with smart white daybeds. Ensuite bathrooms have double sinks, vast sunken bathtubs (some looking out over the ocean) and spacious open-air rain showers. The overall feel is sleek and sophisticated, but wherever possible Rory and Melita have used recycled timber or driftwood from old fishing boats to create rustic tables, chairs and wall hangings.
The stilted Overwater Villas have steps straight down into the ocean, plus a small glass floor where you can watch fish swimming beneath your feet. Ocean View Villas are set on the shoreline, with sea-facing windows, a small patch of private beach, and a little alfresco dining area jutting out over the water. Jungle Villas are perched in the rainforest above and come with a choice of sunrise or sunset ocean views; some have been built around trees, which now grow up through their decks.
There are also 5 palatial 2-bedroom villas for families or friends travelling together. Each has 2 bedrooms, 2 ensuite bathrooms, a large living area with sofas and a dining table, and a bigger pool flanked by a table and several daybeds. Two are set in the jungle, 2 sit over the water, and the most luxurious of all, the Royal Villa, is hidden away in a secluded corner of the resort, complete with a private jetty; guests staying here have the option to hire their own chef and longtail boat if they want.
All villas have minibars (some are free, depending on your rates), a selection of carefully chosen wines (extra charge), Bose sound systems with iPod docks, and satellite TVs with a small selection of films on demand.
Features include:
- Bathrobes
- Hairdryer
- Minibar
- Mosquito net
- Safe box
- WiFi
Eating
The Vista Restaurant & Lounge sits on stilts above the ocean, with a sofa’d deck for cocktails and open-air tables for meals under the stars. You're in good hands: the executive chef has worked in some of the world’s top resorts.
His lunch and dinner menus take their cue from contemporary Cambodian cuisine and European fine dining. Every artfully decorated course comes with an amuse-bouche, and our dishes were filled with imaginative ingredients and tricks - freshly shucked oysters with flavoured salt and dipping sauce, salt-baked fish with 'foamed' cubes of tomatoes, Tom Yum soup with prawns and fried frogs legs. Our desserts - sweet Cambodian rice dumplings with sesame praline and red-bean sauce, and banana terrine with lemon and peppercorn ice cream - were served on lightboxes. Illuminated by moonlight, it was unquestionably a meal to remember.
If you fancy something more informal, you can grab a pizza and a cold beer at the beachside Driftwood Bar, or order from the room service menu, which offers a variety of Western food and rustic Cambodian fare, delivered to your villa in traditional baskets. Everything is here, from amok (the national dish of curried steamed fish) to steak and chips, spaghetti and sinful puddings like dark chocolate and peanut torte with marmalade ice cream. Tables can also be set up by the main pool, on the beach or at any number of secluded spots around the resort.
For breakfast, served by your pool or in the restaurant, you can choose from fruit, smoothies, pastries, meat platters, or decedent eggs Benedict, bacon and sausages. And every morning a hand-written note from the manager is delivered to your villa with a suggestion for eating that day - perhaps an invitation to join other guests for tapas or sample freshly caught fish grilled on the barbecue.
Features include:
- All meals included
- Bar
- Coffee maker
- Kids' meals
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Vegetarian options
Activities
- Lounge on the powdery white-sand beach, then take your pick from sailing, water-skiing or diving at the watersports centre
- Catch some rays on your private deck, or join other guests by the communal infinity pool
- Take part in the poolside morning yoga class (you’ll find a yoga mat in your villa wardrobe)
- Get pampered in one of the open-air treatment rooms. There’s a wide range of massages, facials and rituals to choose from, including Himalayan salt scrubs, anti-jet lag wraps and Buddhism-inspired treatments
- Join the resort’s marine experts for a guided snorkelling tour of Coral Reef Island, where seahorses and parrotfish dart among vibrant corals
- Book a speedboat or a traditional longtail boat and head off for a private picnic on one of the beaches fringing the neighbouring island of Koh Rong with a gourmet hamper prepared by the chefs
- Kayak through Koh Rong’s mangrove forests, which provide shelter for kingfishers, hornbills and other colourful birdlife, as well as rare lizards and orchids. Afterwards, enjoy lunch and an afternoon of sunbathing on the vast Five Mile Beach
- Trek through the rainforest with one of the resort’s conservation experts, who will teach you about the local ecosystem and measures being taken to protect it
- Take a trip by traditional buffalo cart to a local farm and fishing village, where you’ll learn about Khmer agriculture and culture. Browse the market and enjoy a blessing at the Buddhist pagoda while you’re there
- Join the resort's chefs for a Cambodian cooking class. These can be tailored to children, too
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Birdwatching
- Boat trips
- Cooking classes
- Hiking
- Kayaking
- Plantlife / flora
- Private guided tours
- Sailing
- Scuba diving
- Shopping / markets
- Snorkelling
- Swimming
- Traditional cultures
- Well being
- Wildlife
- Yoga
Best Time to go
The resort is open all year round. October to April offers the best weather, with dry, clear days and balmy moonlit evenings. Christmas and New Year are the most popular times and the villas are invariably booked up early. May to September brings the wet season, when storms and rain are interspersed with sunny spells. If you don’t mind the showers, it’s a great time to spot wildlife in the lush rainforest.
Our Top Tips
Don’t be surprised to find clocks throughout the resort running an hour ahead of the mainland. Cambodia sits close to the equator, so the sun rises early and sets around 6pm. To provide extra daylight and maximise sunset and sunrise views, Song Saa has established its own time zone, jokingly referred to as ‘island time’!
Location
The resort is on an island connected to a marine reserve in the Koh Rong Archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand, just off the Cambodian coast. It’s 45 minutes by speedboat from the nearest mainland town (and airport), Sihanoukville.
Guests are advised to overnight stay at Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville if they are not able to catch the speed boat as per the schedule:
Sihanoukville Port to Song Saa Island: 1.30pm and 4pm( mainland time)
Song Saa Island to Sihanoukville Port: 10.30am and 3.30pm (island time: +1hr)
By Air:
Sihanoukville Airport is served by domestic flights from Siem Reap; these operate on certain days of the week only, so check schedules carefully. International flights to Cambodia land also land at Sihanoukville, Siem Reap or Phnom Penh; if you come via the latter, it’s a 4.5 hour drive to the meeting point for boat transfers to the island (45 mins)
Click on the links below for more information on airlines serving Cambodia.
From the Airport
Boat transfers from Sihanoukville are included in the all-inclusive rates. The boats depart at 1.30pm and 4pm each day (mainland time and subject to change, guests will be updated accordingly); if you're flying to Sihanoukville, car and van transfers can be arranged for the 20-minute drive tot he port (see Rates).
Song Saa can also arrange car transfers from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville (4.5 hour), and helicopter transfers from Phnom Penh direct to the resort, but these cost extra - see Rates.
By Car:
The resort is only accessible by boat. However if you want to hire a car and driver for your entire trip to Cambodia, ending in Sihanoukville, contact our Tailormade Tour Operator.
Detailed arrival information will be provided when you confirm a booking through i-escape.com. 
More on getting to Cambodia and getting around
Airports:
- Sihanoukville 18.0 km KOS
- Phnom Penh 230.0 km PNH
Other:
- Beach 0.1 km
- Shops 3.0 km
- Restaurant 3.0 km