Song Saa Private Island

Set on stilts over the turquoise shallows, Vista has idyllic 360° ocean views and an A-list menu of Khmer cuisine and seafood (all locally sourced!). You'll find it easy to spend a few hours here with cocktails on the sofa'd deck and inventive desserts served in lightboxes. The Driftwood Bar offers easy-breezy pizza evenings and late-night mojitos from bean bags on the sand. Lay out on day beds on the beach, soak in the seaside infinity pool or enjoy spa treatments under the stars.

There are 27 palm-topped villas decorated with rustic wall carvings, driftwood tables and temple-style lanterns (upcycled from oil drums). Equal parts island chic and classic Cambodia, the villas are built in the rainforest (with trees that grow up through the deck) on a private patch of the shoreline or on stilts over the ocean where you can watch the reef activity through the floor. Each has a roomy bed wrapped in netting, lovely sunken bathtubs, a dining area (some outdoor) and pool. The Royal Villas are the most grand with a jetty (you can book a private longtail boat), large dining area and exquisite pool - there's nothing stopping you from jumping straight into the sea.

Koh Rong is just one of those places that begs to be explored. Cruise over to Coral Reef Island where you can dive amongst a rainbow of fish and join the conservation experts on a ramble through the jungle - keep an eye out for the long-tailed macaques! Wind through the birdlife-rich mangroves in a kayak and finish off with a seaside picnic and a dip at the famous Five Mile Beach. Take a buffalo cart ride through the local villages and stop for a blessing given by a Buddhist monk.