Shinta Mani Wild

Cambodia

Shinta Mani Wild is a radical new concept for a luxury camp experience in Cambodia, combining world class design, hospitality and conservation to create a new model for public/private partnerships that will not only conserve and protect threatened wildlands, but will also create new and sustainable opportunities for the people that traditionally call these lands home.

World renowned resort designer and owner of Shinta Mani Wild, Bill Bensley, identified an unprotected wildlife corridor connecting the Bokor National Park with Kirirom National Park, and set out to protect this 350 hectares river valley from poaching, mining and logging. Working together with Wildlife Alliance, The Royal University of Phnom Penh and the Cambodian Government Bensley and his team are in the process of bringing this new conservation model to life.

Set along 1.5 kilometers of river and waterfalls, Bensley has set out to create his most ambitious luxury camp project to date. 15 tents 100sqm, custom designed tents are perched over the swift moving waters and waterfalls, providing a view and experience unlike any other resort in Asia. Each tent has been meticulously designed to invoke the feeling of what it would have been like to be on a luxury safari in the jungles of Cambodia with Jacky O’.

A luxury adventure driven by creative experiences, guests will have more activity options than time to do them. To the southeast of this private sanctuary, guests will be able to spend a day exploring the untrammeled waterways of South East Asia’s last wild estuarine ecosystem aboard one of Shinta Mani Wild’s private, Bensley-designed, fully-equipped luxury expedition boats. To the north, guests will be able to accompany rangers and researchers as they check camera traps and study the wild forests and their inhabitants – a unique opportunity to explore these untamed lands with the people that know them best.

When not adventuring and exploring this incredibly diverse region guests will enjoy their well appointed tents and the camp’s facilities. Perched on the edge of the sanctuary’s biggest waterfall is the “Landing Zone Bar” and “Waterfall Restaurant” where guests will be able to sample locally inspired food with ingredients sourced through the Shinta Mani Foundation, foraged from the surrounding forests and on occasion flown in from all corners of the globe. The “Boulders Spa” meanwhile is a full service Khmer Spa featuring natural, chemical-free products by Khmer Tonics.

Our special rate includes:
Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily breakfast for two guests per bedroom
Complimentary roundtrip private airport transfers
A beautifully wrapped branded dry bag
Early Check-In / Late Check-Out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi

Accommodation

We have created 15 private tents promising the utmost comfort and luxury with breathtaking views along the riverbank. Each location was meticulously planned over a seven year period by a process of minimal intervention and understanding the idiosyncracies of the river valley.

At WILD, everything is included (except your helicopter). Meals, adventures, drinks, wellness treatments, everything. We have spent our time crafting a unique experience for you in the Cambodian jungle and we don’t want anything getting in the way of that.

Adventures

Three days is the minimum stay at action-packed Shinta Mani Wild, but it’s still way too short a time to reasonably experience this luxurious jungle retreat and conservation project.

The Wild adventure begins the moment you step into a 1960s-era army jeep and head off-road. And if you think that’s exciting, wait until you enter the camp itself—speeding in via zip line.

Food & Drink

Every afternoon, a gardener or chef from Headquarters leaves his apron or kitchen whites behind and sets out on one of Wild’s winding gravel paths on a foraging trip. He’ll comb the jungle and streams for the edible treasures hidden beneath scrubby bushes and between gnarled branches.

The result is a medley of herbs and other delights: shoots of bamboo, mangosteens, wild potatoes, figs, waterlily, fresh mud crabs and even red ants—a zesty delicacy. It’s the local way.

This job of foraging brings work for yet more local community member, including former loggers from surrounding villagers.

Wellness

The refined treatment menu celebrates Cambodia with chemical-free tonics made from a unique mix of medicinal plants, herbs and spices all of which are present in the surrounding rainforest.
Guests can experience the traditional Khmer art of healing during a full body massage which employs a range of acupuncture techniques and passive stretching. The spa offering, which also includes natural heat healing, a full-body scrub and a detoxifying facial, can be enjoyed anywhere guests desire, whether that be on the deck of their tent, atop a peak in the jungle or aboard a custom Bensley expedition boat.

Unlimited spa treatments are included in the room rate at no extra charge.

Conservation

Wild by name, wild by nature… Shinta Mani Wild occupies a pristine 865 acres river valley on the southern border of the Cardamom National Forest.
In 2010 Sokoun Chanpreda and I, Bill Bensley, purchased this concession in the park with no intentions of destroying it, but without a clear vision of what to do with it. It was a “Buy first, think later” moment.

For years we just visited the valley trying to understand it and get a handle on what to do with it, and in the process went down a few wrong paths.

We began to understand the serious threats of logging as we saw bullock carts of hardwoods leaving the site. Duh! Putting up a tall Trumpian wall all around the park so that it could regenerate properly was one great idealistic option, but despite our pleads , Donald would not come up with the cash.

The idea of a small camp was not a new one as I had a very successful experience designing the Four Seasons Golden Triangle Elephant Camp of Chiang Rai, Thailand. Our good teammate, Jason Friedman, opened that camp as GM so we thought well why the hell not? But if we do, it must rock, and make industry waves as that was the only way to get travellers to these parts unknown.

The industry disrupting idea of a high yield low impact camp, with the main mission being a sustainable way to support the policing of the forest via Wildlife Alliance, seemingly is getting traction.

Seasons

There is no wrong season to visit Shinta Mani Wild.