Song Saa Private Island is Cambodia’s first ethical luxury resort, and a long-standing advocate for regenerative travel and spiritual wellbeing.
When Melita Koulmandas first arrived in Cambodia in 2005, it wasn’t with the intention to build a luxury resort. She was a designer with plans to study sculpture in New York, but she was drawn to Southeast Asia by insatiable curiosity. What she found in the untouched beauty of the Koh Rong Archipelago would ultimately change the course of her life.
From these humble beginnings grew Song Saa Private Island, Cambodia’s first ethical luxury resort and a trailblazer in regenerative tourism. “I didn’t come here with a masterplan,” Koulmandas reflects. “It began with simple acts of care like cleaning reefs, supporting schools, and listening.”
What started as an instinctive response to environmental degradation and community need has evolved into a global model for responsible travel. Song Saa (Khmer for ‘The Sweethearts’) is now not only a luxurious destination, but a bold expression of how travel, conservation, and community engagement can coexist in harmony.
A MATTER OF PRESERVATION
Melita Koulmandas, Founder & CEO of Song Saa Private Island.
The story begins on two small islands in the Koh Rong Archipelago, where Koulmandas encountered both extraordinary natural beauty and troubling signs of environmental damage. Coral reefs were in decline, shorelines were strewn with debris, and fishing families were struggling to sustain their livelihoods.
“Preserving this place needed more than goodwill,” she says. “It needed a bold new model, one that united conservation, community, and commerce.”
Long before the first villa was constructed, she was clearing beaches by hand and spending time with local families. This groundwork led to the establishment of Cambodia’s first protected marine reserve—an ambitious, community-led initiative that would lay the foundation for everything that followed.
“I didn’t come here with a masterplan. It began with simple acts of care like cleaning reefs, supporting schools and listening.”
What began as a mission to stop harm soon transformed into something more ambitious: actively restoring and regenerating the ecosystems and communities surrounding the island. “We’ve gone beyond sustainability,” she says. “We’re healing.”
The next chapter for Song Saa will be centred on immersive programmes and ancient Khmer healing practices.
This commitment led to the creation of the Song Saa Foundation, an independent non-profit organisation delivering marine conservation, healthcare, education, and waste management programmes across the region. “It’s about building long-term resilience,” she continues. “Not just for the island, but for its people.”
LUXURY ASPIRATIONS
The resort is nestled within the Koh Rong archipelago.
Despite her design background, Koulmandas wasn’t initially interested in creating a luxury resort in the traditional sense. “The idea to build a resort came after the conservation work,” she explains. “The resort became a vehicle, not the destination.”
Today, Song Saa is undeniably luxurious, with its signature overwater villas, refined Khmer cuisine, and elegant barefoot ethos. However, its true value lies in its depth. For Koulmandas and her team, luxury is no longer about excess. “It’s more about spaciousness of the mind, time, and conscience.”
Guests are invited to engage in experiences far beyond the expected. They may arrive for the seclusion and beauty, but often leave with something deeper—a sense of connection and purpose. Whether learning about reef restoration with marine biologists, discovering wild orchids in the jungle, receiving a monk’s blessing, or participating in a sound healing session beneath the stars, each moment is crafted to restore harmony between guest and place.
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
The Song Saa Foundation has been serving the communities and the environment in the Koh Rong archipelago for more than a decade.
One of Song Saa’s most pioneering achievements was the establishment of Cambodia’s first marine reserve. “The reserve started not with policy, but with people,” Koulmandas recalls.
Working closely with local fishermen, the team co-created a small no-take zone grounded in science and built on trust. The reserve was officially recognised by the Ministry of Environment in 2013 and has since expanded into a 524-square-kilometre national marine park—a powerful example of community-led conservation in action.
This grassroots, collaborative approach continues to set Song Saa apart. As global travel trends shift towards more ethical and regenerative experiences, the resort is increasingly seen as a blueprint for the future. “A decade ago, very few travellers were asking about the impact of their stay,” says Koulmandas. “Today, many arrive already curious about our conservation results, our community programmes, and our long-term legacy.”
This shift has deepened the resort’s commitment to transparency and innovation, driving continual refinement of its closed-loop systems and strengthening partnerships across the region.
WELLNESS AND MORE
Interiors offer an earthy, innovative aesthetic that celebrates repurposed materials.
So, who is the Song Saa guest? “They’re curious, compassionate, and seeking something real,” Koulmandas replies. “They value meaning as much as comfort.”
This philosophy shapes not only the resort’s experiences but also its evolving wellness offering. Rooted in Khmer traditions and guided by the ancient principle of Metta Bhavana (the Buddhist practice of loving-kindness), Song Saa’s approach to wellbeing is deeply integrated with nature, culture, and local wisdom.
“Preserving this place needed more than goodwill. It needed a bold new model, one that united conservation, community, and commerce.”
From foraging with local botanists to receiving blessings from monks at the water’s edge, each wellness experience is an invitation to reconnect—with self, with others, and with the environment.
“Over time, our understanding of wellbeing has deepened,” she adds. “We’ve moved from offering moments of wellness to curating whole-life journeys—experiences that begin before arrival and ripple long after guests return home.”
Song Saa’s wellness philosophy blends stillness, ritual, and sensory immersion in nature.
Looking ahead, Song Saa is set to expand its wellness offering even further. Plans are in place for immersive, evidence-based programmes that combine ancient Khmer healing traditions with cutting-edge wellbeing technologies. “Think guided nature rituals, sound therapies, and restorative journeys focused on sleep, stress release, and reconnection,” she reveals. New spaces will allow guests to fully unplug and engage more deeply with both their inner world and the natural world around them.
LOOKING AHEAD
Thirteen years on from the resort’s opening, the mission remains both radical and refreshingly simple: to offer transformation. “Our goal is to set a new standard for travel—one that is deeply personal and impactful, with benefits that extend far beyond our guests to the communities and ecosystems we call home,” says Koulmandas.
For the founder and CEO, Song Saa has never been a business endeavour in the traditional sense. “This place is a love story,” she says quietly. “It’s about honouring nature, healing wounds, and remembering what it means to belong.” In a world increasingly hungry for meaning, Song Saa is that rare kind of luxury—one that gives back more than it takes.
(Images: Song Saa Private Island)
