The Best Eco-Friendly Hotels and Stays in Cambodia

Designed by the prolific American architect Bill Bensley, this whimsical boutique hotel is situated within walking distance to Shinta Mani’s other Siem Reap properties; Shinta Mani Angkor and the Bensley Collection – Shinta Mani Siem Reap. All three hotels work closely with the Shinta Mani Foundation, which offers hospitality training and employment to underprivileged locals. Guests are invited to visit local villages where the foundation is building homes and digging water wells. You can also chip in by picking up a meaningful souvenir at the foundation’s retail store. The products are handmade by local artisans and all profits are channelled towards helping people in rural communities.

While this luxury resort marks the hospitality brand’s first foray into Cambodia, it is by no means their first environmentally-focused venture. With sustainability a core tenet for Six Senses, it’s no surprise that Krabey Island is big on conservation too. The resort has its own organic farm on the mainland that provides most of the produce you’ll feast on, as well as ingredients for the pampering spa treatments. As you stroll around the lush premises, see if you can spot any of the 23 species of butterfly that have flourished under the resort’s conservation programme, or join a workshop with the sustainability manager to find out how you can practise a zero-waste lifestyle back home.

If you’ve got the cash to splash – rooms start at £710 ($1,000) per night – Song Saa Private Island offers a slice of paradise. Understated luxury oozes from every inch of this exclusive resort, which sits close to Koh Rong island, off the coast of Sihanoukville. The 24 wooden villas resort includes spa sanctuaries, tranquil spots and a protected coral reef. It also pioneers a strong environmental message and runs a raft of conservation and humanitarian initiatives through its Song Saa Foundation.

For the ultimate secluded getaway surrounded by unspoiled nature, check-in to 4 Rivers Floating Lodge. Combining luxury with an eco-tourism ethos, 4 Rivers is located in a remote area in Koh Kong province. Comprised of a series of pontoons floating on the Tatai River in the Cardamom rainforest, the luxurious tented villas – only accessible by boat – have wooden floors, dark wood furnishings, balconies and seating areas. The resort borders Peam Krasasop Wildlife Sanctuary and offers jungle tours, river cruises, and treks.

Knai Bang Chatt oozes contemporary luxury, with 18 rooms set in a small collection of stylish villas, overlooking the ocean in Kep. The site is comprised of a large infinity pool, spa, restaurant and bar, and gardens. The Sailing Club sits next door and is the perfect place to kick back with some sundowners and watch a magnificent sunset. The resort holds sustainability at its heart, minimising its waste and impact on the environment, working where it can with local communities, supporting grassroots projects and helping to conserve marine life.

Phum Baitang, which translates as ‘green village’ from Khmer, is a luxurious sanctuary sitting on the outskirts of Siem Reap amid lush paddies, tropical gardens and lemongrass meadows. The eight-acre (c3ha) site is home to 45 stilted villas, all crafted from sustainable materials. There are a series of strict environmental policies in place, such as using natural products, sourcing food from local farms where possible, minimising the use of plastic and producing drinking water on-site.

Sala Lodges is another gem hidden in the Siem Reap countryside. Here, 11 wooden stilted houses have been discovered in the countryside, dismantled and rebuilt at Sala Lodges. With each house – the oldest dates back to the late 1950s – telling its own tale, the exteriors have been preserved, while the interiors are full of modern fixtures and fittings, finished off with artisan touches.

This cute hideaway close to BKK market is home to a collection of modern, light rooms, a central swimming pool, a restaurant and a bar area. Green features throughout, with tropical fauna scattered around. House Boutique Eco Hotel also pushes sustainable tourism, paying fair wages to its staff, minimising its use of water, plastic and waste, and educating both tourists and visitors on environmental issues.

Keeping its reputation as one of Battambang’s top boutique hotels, this stylish offering is situated slightly out of town, making the province’s stunning countryside all the more accessible. It boasts 16 guest rooms, a restaurant and bar, an outdoor pool, tropical gardens and free wifi. The hotel also supports a grassroots project in the village of Slarkram about 5mi (8km) from the city. The agricultural village lacks basic amenities, including running water and electricity. Bambu Hotel also supports an English school offering free English classes to children.