As the world edges closer towards an environmental tipping point, great strides have to be made towards the realisation of a more environmentally-conscious society. For Song Saa Private Island, the goal has always been to be the benchmark green resort. When the Song Saa concept was being devised, our master plan revolved around developing a sustainable, low impact, eco-friendly hotel. To this day, after being a premier sustainable tourist development for seven years, harmony, sustainability, and world-class luxury are still the core principles that underpin the design of Song Saa Private Island.
When guests step onto Song Saa lavish green resort, they are greeted by countless references to the colours and textures of Cambodia’s traditional fishing villages, with their pitched roofs and open living spaces. The vast majority of materials utilised in the building processes are recycled or locally and responsibly sourced. All the sandstone used to construct the villa foundations are local, thus minimising the carbon impact of shipping vast amounts of materials.
Each villa is built from recycled timber sourced from discarded shipping boats from a nearby estuary, while furniture is made from driftwood handpicked from local beaches. The entire flooring is also made of salvaged timber from defunct factories, warehouses, and demolition yards in Thailand and Cambodia.
Song Saa Private Island features countless art pieces throughout the sustainable hotel. All art pieces on green resort are bespoke, with the team going so far as to commission a professional photographer to capture the nature and personality of the islands through black and white images. Each image is then canvas-printed and framed with wood sourced from recycled fishing boats. Proving that sustainable art is a possibility, Song Saa even utilises the bases of old oil drums for wall-mounted art pieces, even making use of them for the villa chandeliers. Not stopping there, the vast majority of decorative and ornamental pieces throughout the green resort are made from natural materials by local artisans, primarily through the use of washed up bamboo root at neighbouring beaches.
When setting out to maximise efficiency and reduce wastage as much as possible, every process and service has to be scrutinised in excruciating detail. All furnishings are also fit with quick dry foam, allowing all outdoor soft furnishing to be in good condition for as long as a decade, up to five times longer than furnishing in most hotels and resorts.
A unique feature of Song Saa Private Island is its very own purpose-built sewage and irrigation system, primarily due to the remoteness of Cambodia’s islands and the lack of infrastructure. The entire island resort was fitted with a system that processes sewage waste and recycles non-sewage water, ensuring that absolutely nothing enters the sea, with 100% of the waste being recycled. The eco-friendly hotel has a custom-built wastewater treatment plant that cleans water to the stage of grey water, which is then used for irrigation and toilets. All organic waste is also run through a composting system, before being used in the gardens as fertiliser.
Song Saa Private Island devised a food concept based on innovative recipes that make use of locally sourced, locally produced raw ingredients, all without compromising on quality. While some high quality ingredients are only available through importing, all of Song Saa Private Island’s seafood is fresh and locally-sourced, primarily through partnerships with a small number of local fishermen who have adopted sustainable fishing methods. The vast majority of herbs and vegetables used in the restaurants are supplied by an in-house garden, curated and maintained by passionate chefs. Even Song Saa’s famous Driftwood Bar utilises garnishes and ingredients grown on-site.
Sustainability in hospitality requires a 360 degree approach, something Song Saa Private Island fully embodies, allowing the green resort to sit at the pinnacle of sustainable tourist developments. Song Saa perfectly encapsulates the steps needed to heed the importance and sheer necessity of eco-friendly hotels. To sample what the crème de la crème of green hotels are like, as well as bask in the natural beauty of the Koh Rong Archipelago, book a stay at the luxurious Song Saa Private Island now.