Until recently, the Cambodian coast on the Gulf of Thailand was relatively undeveloped. Most of the activity has been centered on the town of Sihanoukville, a three-hour drive from the capital, Phnom Penh, but the properties there do not rank with the seaside resorts of Thailand or Vietnam — for the moment. The creators of recommended Song Saa are already planning to develop other luxury properties. Travelers who enjoy places that are laid-back and authentic may wish to visit Kep on the Cambodian Riviera. Today, it is a sleepy place, with a few small hotels; casual restaurants; and a famous crab market. Back in the 1960s, however, the town was where King Norodom Sihanouk and his entourage socialized with diplomats and Parisian luminaries like Catherine Deneuve.

Between Phnom Penh and the coast, the forested landscape is dominated by the peaks of the Cardamom Mountains, which rise to an elevation of nearly 6,000 feet. Once, this inaccessible region was a final hideout for Khmer Rouge guerrillas. The area is still covered by one of the largest forests in Southeast Asia, home to Asian elephants and pileated gibbons, as well as remnant populations of Indochinese tigers, clouded leopards and Malayan sun bears.