THE Koh Rong archipelago can boast 22 islands off Cambodia’s south-west coastline  and as the area is talked up as the  “Indochinese Riviera”, the first test of its allure is taking shape on the private island of Song Saa with development due for completion in about 12 months.

Targeting foreign investors, Phuket was the launch pad for the island units to upmarket investors  by developer Brocon Investment in December last year, not co-incidental in that the Cambodian islands would like to emulate the Thai island resort, although perhaps in a more low key way without the teaming tourists and over-the-top development.

Last month the developers put the last six over-water villas on the market for potential investors in the Song Saa resort, which when opened will feature 25 rainforest, beach and over-water villas.

The resort spans two islands, Koh Ouen and Koh Bong, connected by a footbridge over a marine reserve which has been established to safeguard the islands’ reefs and marine life.

The two islands are known locally as Song Saa, about a 30-minute speed-boat ride from Sihanoukville, which itself is hoped to provide a gateway to Cambodia’s southern coast and its islands.

That gateway is dependent on an operational international airport and is a critical catalyst to the long-term development goals of the mega-rich Royal Group, which wants to develop the pristine island of Koh Rong, the largest of the archipelago’s islands, over the next five years.