Canvas & Orchids Retreat

This was a little piece of paradise. Set on the banks of the Tatai river the individual tented lodges gave you privacy by the waterside and an ability to swim straight from your deck. The staff, without exception were excellent, friendly and very helpful. The food delicious and lots to choose from. We also loved the ethos of the place with their focus on sustainability and community

Peace, Serenity and Beyond! (LONG POST AHEAD) This place is highly recommended! Dont let the road contruction at last part sway you off from coming to this beautiful location, Im telling you it is all worth it, Me and my wife travelled here last September, and i can still remember the feeling of traquility and hospitality offered to us. Once you arrived at their receiving port you will be offered cold towels and drink to freshen up yourself from the long ride. The sight at the port is already breathtaking as the river is sourounded by lucious trees and plants you can even hear the the birds chirping when there are no boats around, You will then take a 15-20 minutes boat ride to arrive at the location. The last minutes of this journey is the most enjoyable as you will see the floating tents resting and floating in the island banks, it was such a sight to see. Once at the dock you will be greeted by Paulo (the head of the team) and he will explained all the neccessary and extra things that you could do during your stay, it was a full briefing and we really enjoyed the knowledge that he shared to us. After the quick briefing you will then be escorted to your luxurius tent! (JUST WOW!) We were surprised and astonished as to how they brought everything a hotel can offer in such a secluded place. ( i wont spoil anything you just have to see it for yourself) The place is quite large as they have their own place where you can play volleyball and a place to play board games and stuff! we stayed at the far end tent so you need to walk to get to the kitchen and bar area. It also amazing that they are growing some of their own vegetables and most of their staff are also the people living in the island! (Talk about sustainability!) We didnt do much on the first day as we just wanted to relax and enjoy the place, the bar was really enjoyable although the place were secluded in the jungle and river, there are ample selection of liquor and wines, you can even request for a cocktail! The selection of their snack is also awesome as they have a combination of western, asian and local dishes you wont really feel limited with the choices they offer not to mention the portion for the price are really generous! During night time as we go out for dinner we were invited by Bona to watch a small presentation regarding the Cardamom mountains and its habitats. It was a short but an amazing presentation as they showed us the footage of their camera traps installed inside the forest just close to the vicinity of the place. ( again i wont spoil what the footages are but it was amazing) Oh I almost forgot before the show start you will have a first hand taste of their local liquor! (not sure if you can buy it from them tho!). Bona also explained to us how engaged Canvas and Orchids are with community projects with village residents, It such a heart warming story especially with the school they have built for the children in the island. I believe Bona was the h