Just a short boatride on the Golf of Thailand and I arrived on the Robinson Crusoe Island Koh Russey, South of Cambodia where I photographed the stunning Alila Villas Koh Russey. For many years, Koh Russey served exclusively as a small outpost of the Cambodian Navy but opened to tourism. The entchanting palm shaded resort, an ecological escape, crafted with love and respect for the environment is infused with the local Khmer culture and charm, has a lovely split-levelled pool and spacious two storey villas which where built by local hands from local materials facing the soft waving ocean. German head chef Bjoern creates mouthwatering dishes with locally sourced ingredients, for which you want to cross half of the world to taste them. Sublime natural beauty abounds on this enchanting island , a tropical jewel blessed with stunning coastlines, dramatic headlands, powder-sand beaches and tropical forests, framed by the emerald waters of the gulf and the azure sky. Inspired by the Krama, a patterned cloth widely used in Khmer life, the design of Alila Villas Koh Russey merges clean lines and geometric forms with the use of local materials and craftsmanship, fusing the architecture, landscaping and interiors as an integral part of the destination. Alila Villas Koh Russey is strongly committed to social, cultural and environmental responsibilities, which applies in harvesting, local farm to table concepts, plastic avoidance and many more features. In all activities, they aim to respect and preserve the way of life and traditions of local communities and endeavor to minimize their impact on the environment by adhering to a policy of environmental sustainability.It is the first resort in Cambodia to receive the highest level of certification from EarthCheck as a Best Practice Building Planning and Design (BPDS) development. Alila Koh Russey will be part of my upcoming Cambodia travel feature about luxury hotels and eco resorts with a strong focus on sustainability as well as a major book project – WORK IN PROGESS…! Feeeling like i would never want to leave…
