Why stay?

Lush, green Six Senses Yao Noi is the place to go for a reboot from the stress of daily life. The eco-luxe brand has a strong reputation for being committed to wellness and sustainability, so this is where you want to check in for a healthy stay that will leave you feeling refreshed, and just a little bit spoiled as well.

The area

Located in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, the island of Koh Yao Noi takes about 45 minutes to reach by speedboat from Phuket’s Ao Po Grand Marina. The resort itself sprawls across nearly 10 hectares on the island’s east coast, which guarantees the most spectacular sunrises. Private butlers, dubbed GEMs (the acronym stands for “Guest Experience Maker”), can organize a tour to see Koh Yao Noi’s natural wonders and also learn about fishing, coconut farms, and rubber tapping on the island.

The Hilltop bar at Six Senses Yao Noi.

The feel

There’s a barefoot charm to Six Senses Yao Noi that gives the property its distinctive character, a mix of inviting jungle vibe and comfortably weathered patina that is so easy to embrace. You’ll be at one with nature, but you’re definitely not going to be roughing it.

Guest quarters

Six Senses’ Koh Yao Noi outpost comprises 56 pool villas in nearly a dozen categories and even more configurations (the largest being The Ocean Retreat, a two-bedroom hideout that spans 500 square meters). The variations are almost endless, from different wow-wow-wow views to additional bedrooms, mezzanines outside with shaded daybeds, or indoor upper-level living rooms. Each villa features private pools and sunbeds, while sunken tubs with views, separate rain showers, and minibars stocked with tasty natural snacks are also standard across all types. Do you want beach access on a private path, your own dining room, a home cinema, or two private pools all to yourself? Picking the right one is a challenge, but if you’re an early-morning riser, opt for a villa with an uninterrupted view of the sunrise over the limestone karsts in the distance.

Food and drink

There are plenty of options to satisfy your hunger. The Living Room is for breakfast (think eggs with a sautè of mushrooms grown at the resort’s own Mushroom Hut) and casual food throughout the day. It’s also where you’ll find an ever-changing variety of homemade dairy and non-dairy ice creams. Meanwhile, The Den offers cocktails and some tapas-y snacks, Nithan serves excellent Thai food like the southern goat curry with condiments in an old-fashioned brass tiffin, and the Chef’s Table upstairs can be booked for special events. The Hilltop used to be a sprawling private villa with its own infinity pool. But for the enjoyment of all guests, it has now been converted into a restaurant that delivers knockout views during the day and transforms into a chic dinner venue after dark. Treat yourself to a four-course tasting menu that includes the Texture of Pineapple dessert made with local fruit.

Six Senses Yao Noi’s Cinema Paradiso by the beach.

Wellness factor

Therapies at Six Senses Spa are preceded by a non-invasive wellness screening that involves sensors attached to various points, an oximeter clipped to your finger, and hands and feet on electromagnetic plates to measure metabolism, circulation, and factors of stress that then allow you to choose treatments tailored to your needs or objectives. Multi-day packages include ones focused on detoxing, stress reduction, and yoga.

Family matters

Kids get an inside look at the resort’s sustainable ethos by joining the Junior Eco Warrior program. Spread over three days, it includes tending goats and collecting eggs on the farm, learning about the impact of single-use plastics on the sea and collecting waste on the beach, upcycling to make candles or planters and a hands-on experience at the water filtration center where all the resort’s drinking water is bottled. Also, don’t miss the family-friendly movie screenings on the beach.

Sustainability cred

Grown-ups too can do their bit with hands-on activities, be it scouting for hornbill nests, planting mangrove saplings, and harvesting herbs and mushrooms grown on-site before a cooking class. Or you could join workshops in making natural soaps and reusable beeswax covers that are a biodegradable alternative to plastic wrap. Outside the resort, Six Senses Yao Noi has teamed up with the Imagine Thailand Foundation to provide more than 100,000 local residents with clean drinking water by installing reverse osmosis filters and dispensers.

What else?

That magical sunrise. At least once during your stay, make the predawn pilgrimage up to The Hilltop and from the edge of the infinity pool, watch the mist lift off Phang Nga Bay as the sun bathes the striking limestone karsts in the pink light of dawn.

Reviewed by Vincent Vichit-Vadakan

sixsenses.com
+66 7641 8500
56 Moo 5, Koh Yao Noi, Koh Yao District, Phang Nga, Thailand

Six Senses Yao Noi: Refreshingly Serene

Phuket Hotels

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