Song Saa Private Island

Very nice private island and unique, the service is very good 👍 all they are very helpful, the food was excellent 👍

We spent four days on this private island off the southern coast of Cambodia. Privacy is the key term for understanding this experience. While the accommodations are luxurious (with a large private plunge pool, indoor and outdoor showers, and a giant soaking tub), it is important to keep in mind the remote location when considering what “luxury” means. The resort is in the middle of a jungle, and 45 minutes by speedboat away from the nearest major city. They have done an excellent job creating luxury while also remaining conscious of the local ecosystem and the nature preserve in which the island sits. Sometimes this means you wake up to find a gecko in your villa. Personally, we thought this was a bonus (we named ours Gary), but your mileage may differ. The iconic pictures of the island show the aerial view of the “over the water” villas that jut out on stilts from the main island. These all have decks and stairs that allow you to enter the water right from your villa’s backdoor. That being said, they are very close together and anyone boating or kayaking nearby can see straight into the villa. We chose to stay in a jungle villa with an ocean view that was much more secluded and private, while still offering easy access to the ocean (right down the hill). The jungle villas are up a pretty steep hill, so that’s something to keep in mind, although you can always ask for a ride down the mountain if the walk is too much. The staff was excellent and extremely responsive to our needs and requests. I am a vegetarian, while my husband is not, and the restaurant staff accommodated both of our preferences at every meal. The goal of this resort is to provide you with a private personalized experience. While there are some small group activities each day, the staff will arrange private excursions for you as well. We chose the “accommodation and breakfast” option rather than the “all-inclusive” option, and are glad we did so. We are not big drinkers or eaters, so the all-inclusive option was not worth the price from our perspective. It is also good to keep in mind that you are vacationing on a small island, so you are somewhat at the mercy of the weather. Most of the activities are designed around water sports or involve boat rides, so if the weather is not cooperating (as it didn’t for part of our trip), a lot of these activities are not doable, so it’s best to consider this a relaxing vacation with the activities as a bonus if the weather permits. That being said, I took advantage of an absolutely beautiful moonless night to go swimming with bioluminescent plankton, and it was one of the highlights of my (rather extensive) traveling experience. We also slapped on some anti-sea-sickness patches before the speedboat ride to and from the island and were very glad we did. The water can be a bit rough, although the boat captain was excellent, and we felt completely safe in his highly competent hands. This resort delivers on the unique, pri