She bought an abandoned island in Cambodia for a ridiculous $15,000 and was able to turn it into an ultra-expensive resort.
Your own island in the beautiful azure waters is, of course, happiness. All the sunrises and sunsets, birdsong, the sound of waves and snow – white beaches are only for your beloved. But it’s even nicer to take a wild land surrounded by water on all sides and create something amazing on it. In any case, this was decided at one time by a modest housewife from Australia, and now a successful owner of a luxury island resort Melita Koulmandas Hunter.
1. Melita Koulmandas Hunter found herself in Southeast Asia almost by accident: her husband Rory was invited to work in the business capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, in 2005.
2. Initially, the couple planned to stay in Cambodia for a year, and then leave for noisy, but well-developed and understandable to a civilized person New York.
3. 10 years have passed since then, and Melita is no longer attracted to the “Big Apple”: she still lives on the shores of the Gulf of Thailand. However, the quality of life has changed somewhat
4. You can’t exactly call the Australian a downshifter: she bought an abandoned island in Cambodia for a ridiculous 15 thousand dollars and was able to make an ultra-expensive resort out of it
5. Today, the heavenly place called Song Saa Private Island is 27 villas, with Cambodian cuisine restaurant, a bar, spa services and, of course, stunning nature with its beauty and untouchability
6. The price for a day’s stay on the island is about $ 870 -that’s a lot, but Melita has no problems attracting tourists
7. You can get to paradise by boat from Sihanoukville – it is located less than 30 kilometers from the island or by helicopter from Phnom Penh and Krong Siem Reap
8. All real estate on the island is made of natural or recycled materials p- wood, stone, and some even from the remains of old boats
9. Coca-Cola, hamburgers, sausages and other health-threatening dishes will not be offered to resort guests. The food is only local, as healthy as possible. For those who are particularly concerned about their well-being, there is a special “detoxifying” spa menu
10. By the way, a villa on the island can not only be rented, but also bought. However, the price tag is not funny – from $600 thousand to $1.7 million for a hut
11. I must say that the locals were immediately delighted with the appearance of the active Australian woman – there are problems with employment in Cambodia
12. More than 80 percent of the resort’s employees are Cambodians from other islands and from the Mainland
13. In addition to the activities for the maintenance of the resort, Melita is actively engaged in charity.. You can help her in this glorious endeavor by simply coming to rest.
14. So, in the period from May 1 to October 31, 2015, the proceeds from the stay of three guests on the island are transferred monthly to the Song Saa fund
15. Melita plans to spend this money on educational, environmental and other initiatives in Cambodia. In general, no New Year’s fireworks with subsequent arrests and half-naked jungle cross-country.
