practicallydefinedtheAsian-resortstyle– butpossibly
he’sneverhadmorefunthaninthispassionproject.
Nota singletreewascutdown,Choegyalinsists,during
theconstructionof 15 guesttentsspacedforprivacy
andraisedforoverwaterambiencealonga 1.5-kilometre
stretchoftheTmorRungriver.TheRagingBigSister
Fallsthunderupstream,thesoundtracktodrinksin
theLandingZonebaranddipsinthelongridgetop
swimmingpool,paintedblacklikea reflectivejungle
waterhole.Thetentsarebuiltforgoodtimes– over-river
decks,curtain-swathedlivingroomswithoverstuffed
sofas,fullystockedice-chests, old-fashioned oscillating
fans– andfor
meditation.Soak
outdoorsina showpiece
hammered-metal
bathtubat dusk,
orwatchbutterflies
(orstars)fromthe
hammock-netssuspendedthrillinglyfromtherailing-free
deckedge.IntheCambodianRoyaltytent,I wakeon
a campaignbedbeneathgoldenumbrellas,surrounded
byvintageluggage,anexquisitesilverKhmerheaddress,
hand-paintedfrescoesandleatherstuddedmirrors- maybenotimperial,butcertainlyfabulous.
Untilrecently,themajestic12th-centurytemple-
complexat Angkor,ontheoutskirtsofSiemReap,
wasthesinglemostpopularattractionfortravellersto
Cambodia.In2018,2.6millionvisitorsmarvelledat
its remarkable bas-reliefs and monuments. A fraction
wouldheadtotheriversidecapitalPhnomPenhtosee
TuolSlengPrisonandtheKillingFields,monuments
tothegenocideinflictedbytheKhmerRougein
the1970s;sometwomillionpeopleweremurdered
ordiedofstarvationintheregime’sfour-yearrule.
Cambodiaremainsoneofthepoorestnationsin
SoutheastAsia,withthreadbareinfrastructure.
Untilrecently,therewerefewotherreasonsfor
mosttravellerstolingerbeforeheadingtothebeaches
ofThailand.Itinerariesarebeingrewritten,however,
asnewbarsandboutiquehotelsopeninPhnomPenh,
notably the Rosewood PhnomPenh,andthegame-
changingShintaMani
Wildanda handful
ofnewluxuryisland
resortsinthesouth-west.
In 2006 former
SydneycoupleRory
andMelitaHunterwere
sailingintheKohRongarchipelago,offthesouth-
westportcityofSihanoukville,whentheynoticedan
islandforsaleandboughtit onimpulse.In 2012 they
openedthenation’sfirstprivate-islandresort,Song
Saa.Barefootluxuryin 27 villasis deliveredwitha
pioneeringethosofsustainabilityandcommunity
collaboration,underpinnedbya charitablefoundation.
“Wedidn’tsetouttobuytheisland...ortobuild
a hotel,”Rorytoldmea fewyearsago.“Wewerejust
asexcitedaboutthephilanthropicopportunitiesas
the commercial ones.” In late 2018, the Hunters➤I wakeona campaignbedbeneathgolden
umbrellas, surroundedbyvintageluggage
and an exquisite silver Khmer headdress.PHOTOGRAPHY ELISE HASSEY (BONG DET).