I feel like I am on a covert mission, slipping quietly through the darkness. Perched on the side of a zodiac, with only the stars for light, I am heading out into the inky waters surrounding Song Saa Private Island in search of bioluminescent plankton.
My guide, Sol, sweeps his torch across the surface of the sea. Fish scatter and leap, briefly illuminated before disappearing back into blackness. The plankton reveals itself only when the water is disturbed. In our wake, the sea ignites. Molten silver shimmers and fades.
When we finally turn back towards the jetty, the night feels impossibly still, the darkness no longer empty but alive.
Song Saa reveals itself slowly. It is not one island but two – Koh Ouen and Koh Bong. Known in the local Khmer dialect as girl and boy islands, they are joined by a timber footbridge skimming the water. Together, the islands are called Song Saa – sweethearts. It’s a romantic name but the deeper romance lies in what this place has chosen to become.
The story begins in 2006 when founder Melita Koulmandas was exploring the Koh Rong Archipelago in Cambodia on an old fishing boat. She stopped beside a reef in decline, its shoreline choked with rubbish. Rather than turning away, she stayed. That moment sparked a long-term commitment to restoring the coral-rich waters and to protecting the communities that depend on them.
Song Saa Private Island opened in 2012, introducing Cambodia’s first overwater bungalows. More than a decade later, it has become the country’s most awarded luxury resort, achieving B Corp status in 2023 – formal recognition of values that are quietly embedded throughout the guest experience.
Beautiful and purposeful design
The twenty-four large villas, designed by Melita herself, are hand-built from reclaimed timber and appear to have grown organically from the jungle. Interiors favour driftwood, thatch and natural textures that cool and calm. Expansive terraces open to infinity pools, sunken bathtubs and open-air showers, blurring the line between inside and out.
My one-bedroom Jungle Villa feels like a luxury treehouse. Soft lamps glow as daylight fades, the jungle pressing close on all sides. A romantic four-poster canopy bed anchors the space whilst, beyond the terrace, my private infinity pool disappears into treetops and sea. It’s a room designed to exhale.
The details reveal themselves slowly. A tree trunk forms my bedside table. At Vista Restaurant & Lounge, tables are crafted from upcycled fishing boats, their bright former lives still visible. Community-made products are used wherever possible – timber platters, hand-thrown ceramics, locally grown tea, coconut oil in the Spa.
Food here is guided by restraint rather than excess. Menus are deliberately limited so ingredients can be fresh, seasonal and thoughtfully sourced.
My culinary highlight is lunch in the Chef’s Garden where plate after plate of beautifully composed dishes is created behind me. With the exception of the protein, I am quite literally sitting amongst everything I’m eating, butterflies flitting past as Oriental pied hornbills and kingfishers dart overhead.
Community-led regeneration
Before any villas were built, Song Saa worked alongside local communities to clean up the islands – a programme which continues today and extends to neighbouring villages. The Song Saa Foundation, established in 2013, went on to create Cambodia’s first marine-protected area and the first waste management initiative in the Koh Rong Archipelago. Education remains at its core, from boosting literacy and environmental awareness to teaching children to swim and snorkel.
Waste management here is ongoing and evolving. The resort’s General Manager, Manish Sharma, aims to become plastic-free whilst maximising recycling. “Waste to wealth,” he says, a phrase which lingers long after the conversation ends.
On Koh Bong, where development is deliberately minimal, I walk through the jungle with resident botanist, Vichea Sok. His name translates to “knowledge” and, with Song Saa’s support, he is writing a book identifying the island’s flora and fauna, distinguishing what is indigenous from what has been introduced. We follow a sandy path where tree roots form natural staircases beneath a dense canopy. Pigeons coo overhead.
Nourishing my soul
I experience a sound bath healing ceremony overlooking the sea, guided by Mana Kannoi, whose background is in ancient musical instruments. Wearing a weighted eye mask, I lie beneath a blanket unable to see what is being played; only to feel it. Notes rise and fall, woven with the rhythm of the waves. Tension loosens. Breath deepens. It feels like music made solely for this moment.
On another afternoon, I sink into an outdoor massage at the ocean’s edge. It begins with a cold towel and an incense stick. I am invited to make a wish and to place it in the shrine. Beneath a canopy fashioned from driftwood, the massage unfolds to the steady percussion of the sea. Afterwards, I am served tropical fruit with lemon and ginger tea and gifted a red string bracelet threaded with a small green Buddha for good luck.
Sweethearts
Song Saa is a place for sweethearts. Couples certainly, but also a place for families, solo travellers and anyone seeking reconnection – with nature, with stillness, with themselves.
On my final evening, I walk along the timber footbridge towards sunset cocktails. The sun dips low, casting orange shadows across the water. Fishing boats hum softly. I close my eyes and take it all in.
Here, luxury doesn’t shout. It listens. And in doing so, it leaves something that lingers long after you’ve gone.
To book your stay at Song Saa Private Island, visit their website. To learn more about Song Saa Foundation, including how you can support their work, visit here.
The writer of this article was hosted by Song Saa Private Island for a complimentary stay. All opinions expressed are based on the author’s personal experience.
