Australian Gourmet Traveller - (02)February 2020 (1)

(Comicgek) #1
announceda newsustainable-tourismventure,Song
SaaReserve,neartheAngkortempleofBanteay
Srei,withhotels,villas,educationcentresand
naturereservesplannedarounda 35-hectarelake.
AnothertwoglamorousislandresortsinKoh
Ronghaveopenedrecently:SixSensesKrabeyIsland,
with 40 poolvillasona 12-hectarejungleisland
withrockycoastline;andAlilaVillasKoh
Russey,wheremysuitelooksovera beach.
Thetwoislandsareaccessiblein 10 minutes
byspeedboatfromprivatejettiesonthe
outskirtsofSihanoukville.Theregionis
beingpromotedas “thenewCambodian
Riviera”,a referencetotheFrenchcolonial
élite,thentheinternationaljetset,who
oncepartiedinbeachfrontvillasalong
thecoast,andtoa newjetsetdrawntothe
laid-back islandvibeofKohRong.Mostwill
use Sihanoukville as their gateway – Thai

AirAsiarecentlylauncheddirectflightsfromBangkok,
andBangkokAirwayslaunchedinJanuary– though
thecity’sreputationasanoverdevelopedenclaveof
Chinesecasinosandindustrialzonesmeansmany
travellerswillheadoffshorequickly.
AlilaVillasKohRusseyis a sereneparalleluniverse.
Thetransitfromthemainlandtobarefootlunchat The
BeachShackis swift,theeffectofsand,sunandcoconut
palmsimmediatelysoothing.Thegeometricwood
panellingintheloftylobbypavilionexemplifiesthe
resort’sstyle:sleek,contemporaryandinfluencedby
Cambodiancrafttraditions,inthiscasethechequered
patternofa traditionalcottonkramascarf.The
mainrestaurant,facingtheshowpiecelagoonpool
andthebeachbeyond,hassimilarDNA,itshuge
featurewallstuddedbyrecycledoffcutsoftimber.
CertifiedbyEarthCheck,a Brisbane-basedtourism
advisorybody,theresortoccupiesa beachfrontplot
surroundedbybambooforestonthe24-hectareisland
ofKohRussey.Its 50 pavilionsand 13
two-andfour-bedroompoolvillasare
spaciousandprivate.Guestscanpractise
morningyogabeneatha banyantree,head
toa privatecovefora beachpicnic,and
arrangedaytripstoKep,knownforitscrab
market,andthepepperfarmsofKampot.
I catcha longtailboatfromKoh
Russey’sjettyonesultryafternoonand
hopbetweenneighbouringislands– tiny,
bristlingwithjungleand,likeCambodia
itself, adventures waiting to happen.l

LuxurytravelcompanyLightfootTravel
arrangesbespoketripsthroughouttheworld.
LightfootarrangedGT’s traveltoCambodia,
includingstaysatBensleyCollection- Shinta
ManiWildandAlilaVillasKohRussey.A
seven-nightitinerarycostsfrom$8500per
personincludingreturnflightsbetweenSydney
andPhnomPenh,accommodation,transfers
andexperiences.Extensionstovisitthe
templesofAngkorandnearbySiemReapare
highly recommended.lightfoottravel.com/en

Getting
there

124 GOURMET TRAVELLER


DiningatAlila
VillasKohRussey.
Below,fromleft:
thearrivaljettyat
KohRussey;
geometricwood
panellinginthe
lobbyofAlila
Villas Koh Russey.
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