There is plenty of choice for a luxury accommodation in Thailand; it’s important to select carefully your resort depending on what you like and what you want to do. This time we decided to stay at Six Senses Yao Noi experimenting a retreat in a peaceful island, Koh Yao Noi.
The Six Senses experience starts straight away at Phuket airport, where a representative greets and brings you to the resort’s mini-van for a short drive – 20 min – to Ao Po Grand Marina. There, you can relax a bit to the Marina’s restaurant where complimentary drinks are offered by the resort, waiting for your boat. Finally, you leave Phuket for Koh Yao Noi and reach the resort after a 40-min ride among stunning little islands. Under a perfect blue sky, you feel like at paradise.
Once arrived, it’s time to meet your dedicated “GEM” – Guest Experience Manager I guess – who will welcome and accompany you to the villa by buggy for check-in. Smooth, well-organized, just perfect after such a complex journey (plane > car > boat) and ideal to start serenely our luxury retreat.
Living
Stunning Phang Nga Bay view from Hilltop Reserve
List of onsite activities and discovery places is quite impressive at Six Senses Yao Noi, even if the main purpose is relaxation I can insure you that you can’t get bored there. Tennis court, chicken farm, mushroom hut, mangrove trail, direct access to a private and a public beaches, outdoor cinema every day at night time… And the climax of the visit is obviously the Hilltop Reserve pool restaurant and its UNBELIEVABLE sea view over Phang Nga bay; definitely one of the biggest WOW factor I ever had in front of a landscape. Then of course a long list of excursions is available.
Six Senses SPA
The SPA is also worth the visit thanks to its design – I really love the atmosphere of senerity – and the treatment menu, well balanced between traditional and Six Senses signature therapies. We enjoyed a 90-min Holistic Massage which was very nice and a good choice to get “recharged”. Don’t we say Thai therapists are the best in the world?
Accommodation
Hideaway Pool Villa #8
Our Hideaway Pool Villa was actually a duplex one, with outdoor lounge and plunge pool on lower floor and the master bedroom with huge bathroom on upper floor. Honestly, there is plenty of space and you don’t feel cramped at all. Design is epurate, eco-friendly decoration with wooden floor and furnitures; I would say the overall is a kind of rustic luxury but with all equipments expected from a five-star location of course.
Hideaway Pool Villa – Master bedroom
Each villa, whatever hideaway or not, has its own view, floor plan and offers 100% privacy. Thanks to the duplex height, ours allow us to have a sea view beyond the vegetation in the foreground; of course top of the top is the Ocean Panorama Pool Villa category which offers the same incredible view as the Hilltop Reserve but you have to book it quite in advance!
Dining
Fresh local seabass at Hilltop Reserve
You like changing your dining place often during holidays? Welcome to Six Senses Yao Noi. There are 4 restaurants in addition to the 24-hour room service, from fresh snacks to fine-dining and all with a specific ambiance. My special recommendation goes to Hilltop Reserve with its Thai/Indian/Western menu, perfect for day time, and to The Den for night time; we had there a magical full-moon dinner from the open-air upper floor.
New Zealand beef burger at The Den
Buffet breakfast at The Living Room restaurant is gorgeous, you can even take eggs yourself at the chicken farm in the morning and ask the Chef to cook them the way you like it! Fantastic. And should I mention the all-day complimentary homemade ice-cream served there?
Level of exigency
Six Senses Yao Noi is no exception to the legendary hospitality of Thai people, all the staff is very friendly and pay deep attention to guests needs; for sure luxury standards are all reached. Our GEM, Aum, was really a good proactive guide and an essential help is some occasions like restaurant/SPA bookings, tour plan, check-out process, etc. Thank you!
A journey to Six Senses is always unique and full of enriching experiences; the Phang Nga landscape is one of the biggest WOW factor I ever had!
Stay from September 15th to 19th, 2016 – Sponsorized media visit, but this article totally reflects 100% of my opinion and thoughts.
The Six Senses Yao Noi opened in 2007 and is composed of 55 villas. We stayed in a 2-bedroom Hideaway Pool Villa – around 230sqm – which public rate starts at 25.000THB/night.
Six Senses Yao Noi – Book
Address:
56 Moo 5, Koh Yao Noi
Ko Yao District, 82160
Thailand
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Enjoyed this post about Thailand. I have drove around Phuket many times. Really nice cafes and bars with live music, but the food I loved most of all. Great place to stay and live for a while.