We spent 2 nights at Canvas & Orchids Retreat, a luxury, eco-friendly glamping experience in the heart of the Cardamom Rainforest. In this article, we present the accommodation and the area, their tours and activities, and vegan-friendly food options.
Disclosure: We were guests of Canvas & Orchids Retreat. As always, all opinions, experiences, and recommendations are entirely our own.
The Area
Canvas & Orchids Retreat is located in the Cardamom Mountains, a vast mountain range stretching across southwest Cambodia into eastern Thailand. This region is a paradise for nature lovers, home to untouched rainforests, rivers, mangrove ecosystems, and an incredible range of wildlife, including several endangered species. If you’re seeking eco-responsible travel and off-the-beaten-path adventures, this is one of the best places to visit in Cambodia!
Resort
Canvas & Orchids Retreat is a collection of luxury floating tents set on a tiny island along the Tatai River, right in the heart of the Cardamom Mountains. Accessible only by boat, the adventure begins the moment you arrive: from the well-organized embarkation point in Tatai, a boat brings you across the peaceful river to the retreat, where the enthusiastic team welcomes you with a refreshing drink.
From there, everything feels like the perfect blend of comfort and adventure. You’ll enjoy a unique glamping experience directly on the water, indulge in delicious meals whenever you like, unwind with in-room massages, and swim or kayak in the calm river. The retreat also offers a variety of tours: the perfect chance to immerse yourself even deeper in this unique natural environment.
Rooms
The resort offers a mix of island tents and floating tents. If you get the chance, we highly recommend choosing the latter! Positioned directly on the Tatai River, these luxurious tents provide a fully immersive nature experience. You’ll have the calm waters right at your doorstep – perfect for a refreshing morning swim – and at night you’ll fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle.
The 45m² rooms offer plenty of space, featuring a comfortable double bed (or two single beds if you prefer), two chairs and a sofa, a tea and coffee station, and ample room to store your belongings. The attached bathroom is beautifully decorated with natural stone and includes a warm shower. Each villa also comes with a spacious terrace, sunbeds, and direct access to the river for swimming whenever you feel like it.
Floating Tent Experience
Staying in a floating tent alone is already a truly special experience. You’ll find yourself surrounded by the raw beauty of wild nature while still enjoying a high and cozy accommodation standard. Imagine wrapping yourself in your comfortable bed at night, listening to the jungle sounds and the gentle flow of the river, all while feeling the soft movement of the Tatai River beneath you. We can promise you that a night here will leave you feeling refreshed and deeply relaxed. As a pioneer in luxurious floating platform tents, Canvas & Orchids Retreat sets the standard for combining comfort, luxury, and adventure in the heart of nature.
Vegan Food
The menu at Canvas & Orchids Retreat changes with the seasons and local availability, but generally focuses on modern Khmer cuisine with a touch of international dishes. Breakfast is included in the room rate, while lunch and a daily set dinner menu can be enjoyed throughout the day. For excursions, the restaurant also prepares a broad range of convenient take-away options.
We notified the staff of our vegan dietary preferences in advance, and our expectations were more than exceeded.
Vegan Breakfast at Canvas & Orchids Retreat
For breakfast, we enjoyed vegan-adapted pancakes from the menu, served with syrup and a colorful fresh fruit platter. Alongside the coffee, you can choose between watermelon or pineapple juice. Other vegan breakfast options include muesli with non-dairy milk and a fried rice platter with vegetables and fresh fruit.
Vegan Lunch Options
Lunch was a delicious mix of dishes that were either already vegan or easily adapted. Highlights included the chef’s favorite morning glory, tempura vegetable sticks, vegetable-and-mango wraps, and a refreshing chickpea salad. The chickpea salad, served with tahini and lemon, was so flavorful and nourishing that we ordered it multiple times. It was the perfect dish after a morning of kayaking around the island or cooling off in the Tatai River.
Vegan-Friendly Dinner Experience
For dinner, there was a set menu adapted to our vegan requests, and it quickly became a highlight of our stay. On the first night, we enjoyed a heartwarming pumpkin soup that was incredibly creamy and flavorful. It was followed by a mix of grilled vegetables before we each had our previously chosen main course: a chili-style dish packed with vegetables and beans, along with the already mentioned famous chickpea salad (we told you we had to order it multiple times!). Dessert was the all-time favorite mango sticky rice.
On the second night, the starter was a lighter but equally tasty vegetable bouillon soup, followed by a vegan version of Banh Chao – a super delicious and filling crispy turmeric rice-flour crêpe. For our main course, we chose the Amok curry and were delighted to try a vegan version of this beloved local dish. Our last dinner ended with a perfect dessert mix of fresh fruits and a small piece of vegan cake, leaving us full and happy.
Take-Away Options
On departure day, we couldn’t resist ordering one last meal from the menu: a vegan take-away baguette filled with fresh vegetables and pesto. It was simple, fresh, and perfect for the journey back. The retreat can prepare different takeaway meals for activities or transfers, which is super convenient.
How Vegan-Friendly Is Canvas & Orchids Retreat?
If you’re staying at Canvas & Orchids Retreat as a vegan, you can relax knowing that you’ll be well taken care of. The staff were not only prepared for our vegan requests, they also checked in several times to ensure we were happy with each meal (spoiler: we absolutely were!).
Their kindness, attention to detail, and genuine enthusiasm made our stay feel easy and supported. Having reliable plant-based options on this remote island added so much comfort to our experience, and we want to extend a big thank-you to the entire team for going the extra mile.
Sustainability
Canvas & Orchids Retreat places a strong emphasis on sustainability, and you can see this philosophy reflected everywhere, from the eco-friendly building materials to the resort’s community initiatives and conservation efforts.
Eco-Conscious Design & Materials
The retreat was built with the goal of blending into nature without harming it. The structures use sustainable and locally sourced materials wherever possible, including:
- Floating tent platforms made from a mix of wood and 100% recycled plastic, chosen for durability and minimal environmental impact.
- Furniture crafted from water hyacinth, an abundant and fast-growing plant found in the Mekong River.
- Solar panels that power the ecolodge from late evening through morning, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Products Used
Canvas & Orchids provides eco-friendly toiletries in every bathroom. The products come from Kambio, a Siem Reap–based brand founded by a French family. Their items are handmade, cruelty-free and, as far as we know, mostly vegan. Because of the resort’s delicate water-treatment system, guests are asked to use only the provided eco-toiletries to avoid disrupting the ecosystem.
Water Management
Water is sourced responsibly through a system the retreat designed themselves:
- Two wells feed the supply, which is filtered through stone, sand, and bamboo charcoal.
- Rainwater is collected and used throughout the resort.
- Wastewater is treated in biological septic tanks, ensuring nothing harmful enters the Tatai River.
- Treated greywater is repurposed as fertilizer for the resort’s garden.
No Plastic & Waste Reduction
Canvas & Orchids follows a strong no-plastic philosophy:
- Drinking water is provided in reused wine bottles that are refilled daily.
- Toothbrushes and straws are made from bamboo.
- Empty wine bottles become glasses or vases.
- Food waste is given to local farmers for animal feed.
- The retreat partners with Cambodian eco-brands like Trash is Nice and CleanBodia, using biodegradable packaging and cassava-starch bags.
Biodiversity & Conservation
The Koh Kong region is home to an incredibly rich yet fragile ecosystem, including endangered species such as sun bears, reptiles, and more than 500 bird species. Canvas & Orchids Retreat collaborates closely with the Fishing Cat Ecological Enterprise (FCEE), which conducts essential biodiversity research in the wetlands – especially around the Koh Kapik Ramsar site. The retreat also supports the work of Wildlife Alliance, one of Cambodia’s leading organizations dedicated to forest protection and wildlife conservation. Through these partnerships, local communities and children receive environmental education, and the retreat actively supports initiatives that have already helped several species return to the area. Another key project involves installing hundreds of camera traps across the Cardamom Mountains to better understand the wildlife that still inhabits the region and to document rare species.
During our stay in November 2025, the team at Canvas & Orchids shared exciting news with us: villagers nearby may have spotted a tiger – an animal officially declared extinct in Cambodia in 2016! This possibility was incredibly moving for both staff and guests and was a beautiful example of how long-term conservation work can eventually begin to bear fruit.
Activities & Tours
Nature Experiences
The resort offers guided nature experiences that highlight Koh Kong’s beautiful biodiversity. Popular activities include mangrove tours, waterfall visits, and an evening boat trip to watch the fireflies – a magical sight you likely won’t encounter anywhere else.
Community
Canvas & Orchids Retreat works closely with the local community, building meaningful partnerships with the people who know this ecosystem best. Many team members come from nearby villages, and the retreat supports fair employment, training, and long-term opportunities. Beyond the lodge, they collaborate on impactful community initiatives: this includes working with United World Schools, which provides training for their appointed Community Teacher, as well as partnering with the AZAHAR Foundation on a Yoga Teacher Training Program. This program aims to support personal healing, promote peace, and offer young people from the Tatai Kraum and Koh Andet communities a viable vocation in yoga.
Together, these efforts contribute to educational development, community empowerment, and the protection of the region’s fragile biodiversity – ensuring that tourism benefits both people and nature.
FAQ: Staying at Canvas & Orchids Retreat
Where is Canvas & Orchids Retreat located?
The retreat is located on a small island along the peaceful Tatai River in the Cardamom Mountains of southwest Cambodia. It’s accessible only by boat from Tatai village, which makes the experience feel truly remote and immersive.
How do you get to Canvas & Orchids Retreat?
You’ll first travel to Tatai village in Koh Kong Province. From there, the resort has an organized embarkation point and provides a short boat transfer directly to the floating tents. The whole process is smooth and well managed.
Is Canvas & Orchids Retreat eco-friendly?
Yes — the retreat has a strong sustainability focus. Floating platforms are made from recycled plastic and wood, the resort runs partly on solar power, water is responsibly filtered and reused, and single-use plastic is avoided as much as possible. They also partner with conservation organizations to protect local wildlife.
Are the floating tents safe?
Absolutely. The tents are built on sturdy, eco-designed platforms and feel very stable. Even though you’re on the water, the movement is gentle and relaxing. The retreat also provides life jackets and follows strict safety procedures.
Is the retreat suitable for vegan travelers?
Yes! The team takes great care of vegan guests. Many dishes can be adapted, and the kitchen prepares delicious plant-based meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even take-away options for excursions or travel days.
What activities can you do at Canvas & Orchids Retreat?
Popular experiences include mangrove tours, kayaking, swimming in the Tatai River, visiting nearby waterfalls, and joining boat trips to see fireflies at night. Guided tours are available and offer a great way to explore the surrounding nature reserve.
Is Canvas & Orchids Retreat good for wildlife lovers?
Definitely. The Cardamom Mountains are one of Southeast Asia’s most biodiverse regions, home to hundreds of bird species, reptiles, and even rare mammals. The retreat collaborates with wildlife organizations and shares regular updates about local sightings.
Is the retreat family-friendly?
Yes — families are welcome, and children often love the unique floating tents. However, because the villas sit directly on the water, parents should supervise kids closely at all times.
When is the best time to visit?
The best months are generally November to April, when the weather is dry and the river is calm. The green season (May–October) is more humid and rainy, but offers lush landscapes and fewer visitors.
How long should you stay at Canvas & Orchids?
Most travelers stay 2–3 nights to fully enjoy the floating tents, nature tours, and the peaceful atmosphere. One night is too short — two nights is the minimum we recommend.
Is there Wi-Fi at the retreat?
Wi-Fi is available but limited due to the remote location. It’s perfect for light messaging and emails, but not suitable for heavy work or large uploads. Many guests enjoy the digital detox.
Is Canvas & Orchids Retreat worth the price?
If you’re looking for luxury, privacy, and nature immersion, then yes — it’s absolutely worth it. The experience is unique and includes personalized service, high-quality meals, and a truly memorable stay in the heart of the rainforest.
Further Reading
Blog Articles
- Why Vegan? The Reason We Travel the World Plant-Based
- Vegan Travel – Exploring the World Without Compromising Your Values
Useful Resources
About the Authors
Lynn & Daniel are the vegan couple behind VanderlustJourney, combining their passion for adventure and plant-based living. They share stories and visuals of natural places, hikes, vegan discoveries, and meaningful encounters from around the world – always striving to travel with kindness.
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✉️ Contact: vanderlustjourney@outlook.com