Here’s another unconventional, ultra classy getaway to add to your glamping bucket list: the Shinta Mani Wild “Bensley Collection,” which is expected to open in Cambodia towards the end of the year.
Nestled among the wilderness of Tmor Rung, a two-hour drive from Phnom Penh, the property will feature 15 safari-style tents that basically look like luxury hotel rooms from the inside.
They’re all sprawled out along 1.5km of rivers and waterfalls, so that visitors get the feel of holidaying in the jungles of Cambodia as if they’re braving the wilderness out on their own.
The grand camp project was created by renowned hotel and resorts designer and architect Bill Bensley (hence the name of the property).
His debut flagship for the hotel group, the Shinta Mani Angkor “Bensley Collection,” just launched late last year with chic, Art Deco-inspired villas set within Cambodia’s natural tropics.
Shinta Mani Wild borders the edges of three national parks: Kirirom, Bokor, and Cardamom — so visitors can expect to experience the full force of Mother Nature.
With that prime location comes a whole host of outdoor activities, as well as locally sourced and sustainable produce (which guests can get a taste of at the Waterfall Restaurant). The property also organizes day trips — on luxury boats, naturally — along the surrounding waterways, which offers potential sightings of wild elephants, gibbons, bears, and tigers in their natural habitats.
But should you feel the desire to sink into further relaxation, then there’s also the Boulders Spa, which offers wellness treatments using natural, chemical-free products by local beauty brand Khmer Tonics.
Since guests are surrounded by lush foliage and gleaming waters, the property is serious about protecting the land it sits on. Bensley outbid a logging company to obtain the 99-year lease, and when the lodge opens, it will provide employment opportunities for the surrounding local communities, as well as contribute to conservation efforts through the Shinta Mani Foundation.
Shinta Mani Wild – Bensley Collection will open in the fourth quarter of 2018. +855-63-964-123. Book@shintamani.com.
See our take on another Bill Bensley-designed property, The Slate in Phuket, Thailand, here.
