Designer Bill Bensley on his Upcoming Cambodian Glamping site, Sustainability and why luxury is dead

CULTURE

BILL BENSLEY ON HIS CAMBODIAN GLAMPING SITE, SUSTAINABILITY AND WHY LUXURY IS DEAD

WORDS

by JEENA SHARMA

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY

of SHINTA MANI WILD

Deep in the wilderness of rural Cambodia rests an 865-acre tent resort fully equipped with luxury expedition boats et al. Termed as a “radical” new concept for the luxury camp experience, Shinta Mani Wild: Benley Collection is a soon-to-open glamping site perched across spectacular views of rivers and waterfalls. The 15-tent set up is designed by Bill Bensley, the Bangkok-based hotel designer responsible for a range of Asia’s most lavish resorts such as Oberoi Vilas in India, Four Seasons in Thailand, and St. Regis in Bali.

All tents are personally customized by Bensley to invoke the feeling of what it would have been like to be on a luxury safari in the jungles of Cambodia “with Jacky O’”.

“I love the wilderness; always have. Growing up we would walk for days and even weeks through the Sierra Nevadas fishing to live. Now every year I fish at the Russian Mongolian border (catch and release) so having a camp in the most remote part of the Cambodian wilderness is a really exciting for me and a natural extension of my life experiences,” explains Bensley.

While the experience is doused in extravagance, conservation and sustainability are central to the concept.

The property site—home to 175 types of birds and almost 200 types of edible plants—is part of an unprotected wildlife corridor that connects two major National Parks.

Reportedly his “most ambitious project to date”, Bensley has teamed up with organizations such as Wildlife Alliance, Fauna Flora International, and The Royal University of Pnom Penh which will work to protect the 350 hectares river valley from poaching, mining, and logging.

“Joining hands with Wildlife Alliance to directly protect the wildlife and forests of our neighboring parks such as Bokor, Kirirom and Cardamon is a serious commitment that takes serious funds. Have a look at their website. They are amazing people that fight a seemingly never-ending war,” Bensley says. “We are committed to joining their cause, and by way of the camp, we will then expose this beautiful wilderness to many well to do folks that just may want to help as well.”

In an exclusive chat, Benley tells AS IF magazine about his inspiration and why sustainability was the key focus of the project.

Designer Bille Bensley on Sustainability, Luxury, and His Cambodian Glamping Site

Shinta Mani Wild. Bensley Collection

AS IF: What inspired you to design the hotel as a luxury camp?

Bill Bensley: Tents, just by sheer nature are mobile, easy to erect, can be made off site and assembled on site - allowing minimal intervention to the site.

Why Cambodia?

Because this poorest region of South East Asia is dear to my heart.

Why was sustainability so integral to the concept of the hotel?

The whole reason to build Shinta Mani Wild: Bensley Collection is to bring international attention to the very serious problem of animal poaching and illegal logging. Right now I would love to be known for being part of the team that swings Cambodia from extraction to conservation. Growing the global conservation footprint is certainly a main focus. Joining hands with Wildlife Alliance to directly protect the wildlife and forests of our neighboring [national] parks such as Bokor, Kirirom, and Cardamon is a serious commitment that takes serious funds. Have a look at their website. They are amazing people that fight a seemingly never-ending war. We are committed to joining their cause, and by way of the camp, we will expose this beautiful wilderness to many well to do folks that just may want to help as well.

“Right now I would love to be known for being part of the team that swings Cambodia from extraction to conservation. Growing the global conservation footprint is certainly a main focus.”

What is the one thing you'd want guests to get out of the experience?

About 10 years ago or so, my business partner’s father, who is Cambodian, brought the sale of this land to our attention. The land runs along about three kilometers of waterfalls, that’s about the size of Central Park in New York. That certainly swayed our decision. Also, the property, which is a natural wildlife corridor, has the highest recorded wild elephant - human conflicts in Cambodia. In short, the forest is gorgeous, and by buying it we saved it from a possible clear cut. Plus we’ve made sure to have minimal intervention! Not even one tree as been touched or cut down. It took us 20 plus visits to the site and some false starts to get the site planning to the point were it is now. We have only 15 tents, each in their own environment along the river. Imagine just 15 tents spaced out in forests Central Park NYC? Now that is cool!

What was the inspiration behind the design?

Ha! We had a little fun with this one. We thought, “What if Jackie O had gone glamping in this wilderness with the King of Cambodia in the early 60’s? What would that have been like?” And here we have it!

Shinta Mani Wild. Bensley Collection

Why should people visit – what do you find most exciting about Shinta Mani Wild?

I think we will provide a life changing experience. The idea of changing the Cambodian mindset, by way of example, from extraction to conservation is perhaps the most exciting part for us.

Luxury has always been an integral part of your design process. How do you interpret it?

Luxury is dead. High-end travellers are looking for experiences now. I interpret luxury by way of adventure.

Shinta Mani Wild. Bensley Collection

“We thought, ‘What if Jackie O had gone glamping in this wilderness with the King of Cambodia in the early 60’s? What would that have been like?’ And here we have it! ”