Cardamom Rainforest, Cambodia

Shinta Mani Wild

Accommodation Type

Luxury conservation tented camp

Number of Rooms

15 canvas-roofed tents along the river, including single and two-bedroom layouts

Location

Southern Cardamom National Park, Preah Sihanouk Province, Cambodia

Setting

A riverside camp of 15 hand-designed tents inside a private 350-hectare reserve, accessed via a 400-metre zipline arrival above the Raging Sisters waterfalls

Who It Is Best For

Adventurous travelers, conservation-minded guests, design enthusiasts, couples, and photographers drawn to one of the wildest pockets of Southeast Asia. Children aged ten and above are welcome.

Travel Mood

The Adventurer, The Connector

Main Activities

Zipline arrival, river kayaking, jungle hiking, mountain biking, anti-poaching patrols with Wildlife Alliance rangers, waterfall swimming, foraging with chefs, butterfly encounters, camera trapping, mixology classes, sunrise yoga atop the zipline tower

Signature Feature

A jungle camp whose room revenues fund Wildlife Alliance rangers protecting 350 hectares of Cardamom Rainforest, accessed by a 400-metre zipline above the Raging Sisters waterfalls

Shinta Mani Wild

A 15-tent jungle camp dedicated to saving Cambodia's Cardamom Rainforest

Shinta Mani Wild is a Bill Bensley-designed tented camp of fifteen canvas-roofed tents along a river in Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains, conceived as a conservation tool first and a luxury hotel second. Room revenues fund armed Wildlife Alliance rangers who protect the surrounding 350-hectare concession, one of the last unfragmented stretches of rainforest left in Southeast Asia.

Overview

Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains hold the largest unbroken stretch of rainforest left in Southeast Asia, home to elephants, sun bears, clouded leopards, pangolins, pileated gibbons, and more than 50 species on the IUCN Red List. The forest is also among the most threatened on the continent, with illegal logging, poaching, slash-and-burn agriculture, and mining pushing it toward fragmentation; Cambodia has lost more than four million acres of forest since 2001.

Shinta Mani Wild was conceived as a conservation tool. Bill Bensley designed the camp to disappear into the jungle, with fifteen tents along the river, raised pathways that follow the land rather than scarring it, and minimal new construction. Room revenues fund the on-site Wildlife Alliance ranger station, whose armed patrollers dismantle snares, remove illegal logging equipment, and protect the forest from incursion.

The fifteen tents are individually designed, each with air-conditioned bedrooms, hand-picked antiques, cloud-like mattresses, and outdoor decks with riverside tubs. Communal spaces include the Headquarters restaurant, The Landing Zone bar overlooking the Big Raging Sister Falls, the Khmer Tonics spa nestled among rocks in the forest canopy, and The Cistern, a 35-metre pool set above the treetops.

The arrival sets the tone. Guests clip into a 400-metre zipline that flies them over the trees and past waterfalls, with a cocktail waiting at the landing. From there, the three-night minimum stay unfolds across river kayaking, jungle hikes, mountain biking, swimming in The Cistern, anti-poaching patrols with the rangers, riverside foot massages, and meals built around ingredients foraged from the surrounding jungle. Bensley Butlers tailor each day. Everything except helicopter transfers is included.

Photography by Elise Hassey, courtesy of Shinta Mani Hotels.

shinta mani wild cardamom rainforest aerial

"In the jungle at Shinta Mani Wild, the place is the wilderness. Everything is designed to disappear into it: tents instead of buildings, pathways that follow the land, and a narrative shaped by conservation rather than construction."

— Bill Bensley, Co-Founder, Co-Owner, and Designer of Shinta Mani Hotels

Tips & Recommendations

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Nearest Airport

Sihanoukville Airport (KOS), 90 minutes by road or 25 minutes by helicopter, is the closest gateway. Phnom Penh International (PNH) is also accessible, around two hours by road or 35 minutes by helicopter. International arrivals connect via either airport.

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Getting There

A private WiFi-equipped car and driver is included from either airport. Helicopter transfers from anywhere in Cambodia, including Siem Reap, are available at additional cost. The final stretch of the journey is by vintage Jeep into the jungle, ending at the base of the zipline tower for a 400-metre arrival over the river.

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Best Time to Visit

Cambodia has two seasons. The dry season (November to April) brings hot, clear days ideal for hiking and ziplining. The wet season (May to October) is greener and more dramatic, with rivers in full flow and afternoon storms. The shoulder months of November and April are the sweet spot for weather and visibility.

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What to Bring

Dress for adventure. Pack long-sleeved shirts and long trousers for jungle excursions, swimwear for waterfalls and The Cistern, closed-toe shoes with grip, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, binoculars, and a camera. High heels and skirts are not recommended for the zipline arrival.

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Staying at Shinta Mani Wild

Embrace the all-inclusive format. The three-night minimum is barely enough; consider five if you want to do it all. Reserve at least one morning for sunrise yoga atop the zipline tower, one for a ranger patrol visit, and one slow afternoon floating in the river.

Nearby Attractions

Cardamom Mountains National Park

7RW6+RG, Khum Dang Peaeng, Cambodia - 18.5km

One of the most biodiverse landscapes in Southeast Asia, with more than 2,000 plant species, 54 IUCN Red List animals, and the largest unbroken tract of rainforest left on the peninsula.

Nature