Fleewinter

This eco-friendly resort is a lovely place to unwind for a few days and be at one with nature. The wooden building on stilts blends in with its surroundings, nestled in the foothills of Phnom Voar Mountain, located close to the South coast of Cambodia.

The Vine Retreat is all about rural tranquility, lush green countryside views and a homely farmhouse style atmosphere. It is the perfect place to relax by the salt water pool (and perhaps even enjoy a little yoga) before sitting down for a meal freshly prepared from the organic produce in the garden.

The restaurant is a particularly lovely space. The large wooden room has big communal tables with colourful soft cushions, ideal for meeting like-minded travellers and exchanging stories. There is no glass in the huge windows, so it offers tremendous views over the jungle below - and the food is delicious. There is a great mix of local and international dishes on the menu and we had a particularly lovely Khmer speciality when we stayed here. Most of the fruit, vegetables and herbs are grown in their organic garden and the restaurant serves seasonal and locally sourced produce when possible.

The rooms are simple but charming - the wooden walls, floors and ceilings create a warm and homely feeling and the beds are comfortable. All rooms have en-suites - the Superior Doubles are downstairs but we prefer the Family Deluxe rooms upstairs, which have better views and are more spacious. Opening your wooden shutters to the mountains, flora and fauna is quite a site to behold. Extra beds can be put into some of the rooms for families.

There are plenty of things to do in the surrounding area including day trips to nearby caves, beaches and national parks. You can take trips to community projects such as the local weaving center and school (which we especially loved as it is a great sustainable project). Guests also have access to free yoga equipment and use of their elevated yoga platform, bicycles and can also enjoy a free tour of our organic pepper plantation. 

There is not a permanent yoga instructor on site but guests are welcome to use the yoga space on their own. At the end of 2014 the resort was constructing a yoga and events studio to accommodate up to 40 people. There are also regular yoga retreat weekends held so do ask us more about this if it is something you are interested in.