The mother who was offered an ISLAND for $15,000 while traveling in Cambodia - and is still running the bargain property as a luxury resort 10 years later
Melita Koulmandas Hunter moved to Cambodia with her husband in 2005
The pair planned to stay for a year before moving on to New York
A decade on they are still there and have built a luxury resort at Song Saa
It has flourished and is now made up of 27 luxurious villas
Prices for a stay on the island start at $869 a night
By Wills Robinson For Dailymail.com
Published: 16:44 GMT, 27 May 2015
When Melita Koulmandas Hunter moved to South East Asia, she only expected be there a year.
She followed her husband, Rory, who had been offered an advertising position in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and planned to relocate to New York after 12 months.
But a decade after touching down the Australian is still there - and lives in luxury on her own private island.
Paradise: Melita Koulmandas purchased Song Saa, Cambodia, for $15,000 in 2006 after her husband, Rory, moved to the capital of Phnom Penh for a job
Tranquility: The island, surrounded by turquoise waters, is 18 miles off the coast of Sihanoukville
Recognition: Mrs Hunter (second from left) and her team accept an award for Song Saa Resort - which is now made up of 27 luxurious villas
A year after moving in 2005, the pair, who have a son called Naryth, went on a holiday to the coast and visited Song Saa, which is 18 miles off the coast from Sihanoukville.
Locals on the island wanted a change and saw the couple, who were the first foreigners to land on their beaches, as their ticket away from the secluded spot.
Mrs Hunter paid US$15,000 for the land rights, secured a 99-year lease with the national government, and planned build an exclusive getaway there.
In 2008, there was a setback. During an interview with CNN, Melita said: 'Lehman Brothers crashed the same day I was diagnosed with cancer.'
But the project got back on track, and the resort has flourished into a 27-villa paradise. Prices for a stay on the island are $869 a night.
Guests can also treat themselves to an award-winning restaurant, serving Khmer cuisine, and a luxurious bar.
After arriving in Sihanoukville, you can take a private boat across to the island or, if customers have touched down in Sieam Reap or Phnom Penh - they can book a helicopter ride straight to the beaches.
She told Yahoo Travel: 'My husband and I moved to Cambodia in 2005 for a 12-month adventure and ended up staying 10 years.
'We are both originally from Sydney, Australia, and met in Auckland, New Zealand, where Rory was working at Saatchi and Saatchi, and I had my own organic design business.
'We fell in love and planned on moving to New York City together. Just before we moved, Rory was offered an opportunity to run an advertising agency in Phnom Penh.
'As a designer, I have always been drawn to Southeast Asia, so we decided to take 12 months out and have an adventure, before taking on the bright lights of New York City.
'Ten years later, we haven't moved to NYC …yet. '
The villas on the island are available for between $600,000 and $1.75 million.
Cambodians hold more than 80 per cent of the jobs. The resort itself, all designed by Melita, is made partially of recycled materials -- driftwood, wood from old boats, scrap metal, stone.
Discover the beauty of the Song Saa Resort in Cambodia
Locals on the island wanted a change and saw the couple, who were the first foreigners to land on their beaches, as their ticket away from the secluded spot
View: A pool on the edge of one the stunning villas looks out to the ocean. Potential owners can buy properties on the island for between $650,000 and $1.75million
Setting: A walkway connects one of the beaches to a set of huts in the middle of the water
Interior: The bedroom inside one of the island's villas. The couple have spent millions developing the resort
Relaxing: The area is scattered with outdoor seating overlooking the ocean
Location: The couple have secured a 99-year lease with the Cambodian government for the secluded island
OKAY MY DEAR INTERNET FRIENDS - WOULD ANY OF YOU JOIN ME FOR A REALTIME TOURIST HOLIDAY TO THIS MOST SIMPLE AND NATURAL TROPICAL RESORT??? A SPECIAL WORD TO PALS DANNY, MURALI, RAJ, RIA, BRENDA, JIM AND NORA ---- PERHAPS WE CAN APPLY FOR LIFETIME JOBS AT THIS CAMBODIAN RESORT.
Regards
TONY
Precious part of ones life
We are not different from nature; we are an interdependent part of it. Our lives depend on the well-being of the whole. Therefore, it is one of our foremost duties to lovingly care for all living things.
Every Husband Should Read This
"Love her …when she sips on your coffee or tea. She only wants to make sure it tastes just right for you.
Love her…when she "pushes" you to pray. She wants to be with you in Heaven.
Love her…when she asks you to play with the kids. She did not "make" them on her own.
Love her...when she is jealous. Out of all the men she can have, she chose you.
Love her…when she has annoying little habits that drives you nuts. You have them too.
Love her…when her cooking is bad. She tries.
Love her…when she looks disheveled in the morning. She always grooms herself up again.
Love her…when she asks to help with the kid's homework. She only wants you to be part of thehome.
Love her...when she asks if she looks fat. Your opinion counts, so tell her she's beautiful.
Love her…when she looks beautiful. She's yours so appreciate her.
Love her...when she spends hours to get ready. She only wants to look her best for you.
Love her…when she buys you gifts you don't like. Smile and tell her it's what you've always wanted.
Love her…when she has developed a bad habit. You have many more and with wisdom and politeness you have all the time to help her change.
Love her…when she cries for absolutely nothing. Don't ask; tell her it's going to be okay.
Love her…when she suffers from PMS. Buy chocolate, rub her feet and back and just chat to her (this works!).
Love her…when whatever you do is not pleasing. It happens and will pass.
Love her…when she stains your clothes. You needed a new shirt anyway.
Love her…when she tells you how to drive. She only wants you to be safe.
Love her…when she argues. She only wants to make things right for both.
Love her…she is yours. You don't need any other special reason!!!
All this forms part of a Woman's Character.
Women are part of your life and should be treated as the Queen.
• Treat the women well.
• The best of you are those who are the best in
the treatment of their wives."~*~
We are social animals who need friends. We need a community to survive. Friends are made on the basis of trust, which only grows if you are kind to people. Exploiting, cheating and bullying others will win you no friends. Kindness and compassion gives rise to self confidence, which in turn empowers you to be honest, truthful and transparent. This self-confidence brings peace of mind, which also favours good health.
PS :- ATTACHED File is a presentation about RUSSIA'S WOODEN PALACE - A PPS
Discover the beauty of the Song Saa Resort in Cambodia
Discover the beauty of the incredible Song Saa Resort in Cambodia bought by Melita Koulmandas Hunter for $15,000 back in 2005.
Cambodia is a Southeast Asian nation whose landscape spans low-lying plains, the Mekong Delta, mountains and Gulf of Thailand coastline. Its busy capital, Phnom Penh, is home to the art deco Central Market, glittering Royal Palace and the National Museum's historical and archaeological exhibits. In the country's northwest lie ruins of Angkor Wat, a massive stone temple complex built during the Khmer Empire.
Click here to watch this video
http://www.nidokidos.org/threads/241173
Posted by: Murli dhar Gupta <mdguptabpl@gmail.com>
| Reply via web post | • | Reply to sender | • | Reply to group | • | Start a New Topic | • | Messages in this topic (1) |
NidokidoS Group for best of forwarded mails
To join us , send an email to
nidokidos-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Be the part of Nidokidos , Join our Forum
http://www.nidokidos.org
to share your emails with us, send them at
nidokidos@yahoogroups.com
===================================================
No comments:
Post a Comment