by HOLLY CRAWFORD
Forty private pool villas are set to welcome the first guests to this gem of an island hideaway with dense tropical jungle, and rocky coastline surrounded by azure waters. The landscaped 30-acre private island is located five kilometres from Ream National Park in the Gulf of Thailand in southern Cambodia. From Sihanouk International Airport, it is a 10-minute drive to the resort’s mainland reception for the short 15-minute crossing to Krabey Island. Remote enough yet not cut off from a country offering abundant culture and history.
Villas are sumptuous, sustainable and thoughtfully-designed, with green living roofs and maximum use of natural daylight. Each has a sundeck for lounging and alfresco dining with infinity-edged plunge pools and rain showers. The resort includes two unique restaurants with many ingredients from the 40,000 square foot organic farm and herb garden. The expansive Six Senses Spa, inspired by the sacred Khmer Kbal Spean River, offers a wide range of holistic rejuvenation and beauty treatments. The spa also incorporates a comprehensive gym, rooftop yoga pavilion, indoor aerial yoga studio, Crystal Water Room, Meditation Cave and the Alchemy Bar, for blending natural skin care products and essential oils using pure local ingredients.
Sustainability initiatives include the resort’s own water bottling plant with reusable glass bottles, Earth Lab, and the support of school programs in nearby villages as well as the introduction of sustainable practices within local communities.