Song Saa Islands: A country for sale ... one island at a time

Cambodia’s Song Saa Islands: An Isolated Eden


April 16, 2012
Newsweek

A few nautical miles from the scabrous Cambodian port of Sihanoukville lies a little pair of islands known in Khmer as Song Saa, “the sweethearts.” Among the 60 islands of Cambodia (/newsweek/2012/02/19/lawrence-osbborne-reflects-on-phnom-penh-cambodia.html) ’s secretive coastline, they are, as brochures put it, lost. No one would know they were there were it not for the motor launch that leaves in the afternoons from the Sihanoukville port laden with the odd solitary millionaire in a linen hat and Prada espadrilles.

The sweethearts are uninhabited. They are Koh Ouen and Koh Bong, now occupied by a single “resort”—though the word seems over-hustled for a place that remains quietly separated from a coast that war and civil war have preserved in a state of beautiful ruin. A place made beautiful, if you like, by failure.

Extreme luxury in Cambodia comes at a price [-Love nest for the rich and infamous?]

September 27th, 2011
By Pauline Chiou

(CNN) – You're starting your holiday and you get on a chartered plane that brings you to a private island. Then you check into your private villa with an endless view of the ocean. If you choose, your only visitor can be the gourmet chef who comes over to cook your meals every day. This is not the Seychelles. This is Cambodia.

That's the vision Rory and Melita Hunter have for anyone dreaming of the ultimate luxury experience. They plan to open Song Saa resort on December 31. It will be the first luxury resort on a private island in Cambodia.

The construction of 27 one- and two-bedroom villas are near completion. They will cost upwards of $2,000 per night.

"In many respects, it's an out of body experience," says Rory Hunter, referring to the ongoing construction. "You dream about something for a long time and you plan for it for such a long time."

The Hunters' story goes back six years.

Rory is a former advertising executive and Melita is a former set designer. Originally from Australia, they came to Phnom Penh and set up a business renovating old French colonial apartments and leasing them to expats. They never planned to become developers until they stumbled upon two small islands in southern Cambodia while on an excursion. The islands are called Song Saa which means "Sweethearts" in Khmer.

They bought the local land rights to the islands for $15,000 from two families living there. The Hunters knew they didn't really "own" the islands because in Cambodia, foreigners are not able to own land outright. They negotiated with the Cambodian government to lease the islands for 99 years.

Private Island Cambodia Set to Soar for Investors

By Liam Bailey

(OPENPRESS) June 23, 2009 -- In Cambodia’s untouched Koh Rong Archipelago, an Australian company is setting a new standard for environmentally sensitive luxury resorts in what’s been described as one of the world’s last true tropical paradises.

The resort, when complete in 2010, will be located on Koh Ouen and Koh Bong - two pristine islands off the coast of Sihanoukville. The islands lie side by side and are known affectionately as Song Saa, which is Khmer for ‘The Sweethearts’.

Song Saa Island Resort was launched today and has five luxury two-bedroom villas on offer to likeminded investors seeking their own rare piece of paradise.

“Song Saa will really be at the top end of the market for luxury resorts in Cambodia and will offer the unique experience of an exclusive private island hideaway,” said Martin Foster Investment Risk Analyst for DSR Asset Management Ltd

DSR Asset Management , the company behind the resort, is showing how private operators can play a critical role in the protection of important marine environments.

DSR has established Cambodia’s first fully policed and privately funded marine protected area around the islands’ reefs . The area, protected since 2007, covers 1,000,000 square metres and takes in important coral species and habitat for a number of critically endangered sea horses, turtles, stingrays, anemones, giant clams, countless reef fish and many other marine species.

The resort has also employed a full-time marine biologist to monitor the health of the reefs and to help teach local communities more sustainable fishing methods.

“This has been great for both the environment and the community but also provides the added attraction of having an expert on hand to take guests and villa owners out diving or snorkelling on the resort’s own reef,” Mr Foster said.

“The knowledge that the waters around the island are protected from fishing adds to the magic of this unique location. Guests and villa owners have their own thriving reef to explore literally right on their doorstep,” he said.

Unlike the islands of Thailand, which have seen rapid development over the past decade, Cambodia’s islands remain largely undeveloped. Many are deserted, offering stunning scenery, abundant marine life and secluded white sandy beaches.

With the recent opening of the international airport at Sihanoukville, well-managed tourism in this tropical paradise offers tremendous potential for investors. “Imagine Thailand 40 years ago and you get an idea of the potential of Cambodia’s islands,” Mr Foster said.

“But we can learn from the Thai experience, and ensure this region never loses its incredible appeal through irresponsible development.

“Song Saa is a tremendous opportunity to secure a piece of this unspoiled paradise on a 99-year lease while contributing meaningfully to its protection.”

The villas are being built with a strong focus on sustainable construction materials, low emissions and waste management systems, including a water recycling system to ensure nothing harmful ever reaches the ocean.