Celebrity Life

Six Senses Yao Noi requires a little extra effort to get to, but rest assured, it’s worth it.

The journey starts with a scenic 45-minute shuttle from Phuket on the resort’s speedboat, zooming through the Andaman Sea’s turquoise waters and passing majestic limestone karsts along the way. As we approached the island, staff was standing on the jetty, waving enthusiastically. A few minutes later, I was whisked away to my villa by a butler, which was tucked away in a lush garden on a hilly landscape.

The resort might not be particularly known for its beach, but stunning views of Phang Nga Bay everywhere you go on the property make up for it. In the lush gardens, rare birds can sometimes be spotted, including the endangered hornbill. Unobstructed visuals were enhanced by balmy breezes and clear blue skies, which instantly rid me of stress and restored some serenity to my mind.

The most obvious attraction here is the plush, over-sized villas, but the ultimate delight turned out to be the newly refurbished Retreat. “With premium views and expansive living spaces, the Retreat is the best experience Six Senses Yao Noi has to offer,” says Graham Grant, general manager of Six Senses Yao Noi.

I couldn’t agree more. This exceptional over-sized villa – more like two villas in one – has direct access to the beach. It also features two bedrooms, one each on upper and lower levels.

Another new feature is the Sleep with Six Senses programme. While many resorts spoil guests with exquisite bedding, not many really pay attention to the essence of sleep. Here, they worked with internationally renowned ‘Sleep Doctor’ Michael J. Breus PhD to come up with personalised programmes to help guests sleep better.

Each villa is fitted with handmade, organic pillows and duvets from Hanse’s Naturalmat line, as well as bedsheets from Beaumont & Brown and and the state-of-the-art Withings Aura Sleep Tracker. The wellness practitioner then uses data to recommend a personalised program of spa treatments and activities to improve your sleep. Guests also get a ‘Sleep Bag’ – a sleep aid kit – to boost the quality of shut-eye once back at home.

But why stop at enhancing sleep when there is a whole wellness programme at your disposal? What I love about the Six Senses brand is that it takes wellness seriously – and sensibly – with a balanced, holistic approach. The operation is sufficiently eco-friendly, too. Most of the produce used in the kitchen is locally sourced and organic. And the activities and programmes keep your healthy routine going without making it feel like you’re vacationing at a boot camp.

At Six Senses Yao Noi, I discovered wellness can go a little further, thanks to the newly introduced Six Senses Integrated Wellness, a programme designed by in-house experts. To start, they use something called “Furthermore”, an electro interstitial scan-galvanic skin system – technology that reads and rates your bodily functions and performances.

This information, along with in-depth discussions about your lifestyle and personal goals, enables the Six Senses experts to recommend a personalised and results-driven programme that includes spa treatments and fitness and wellness activities. The resort’s chefs get involved, too. As part of the programme, they create dishes for guests with foods to favour or avoid during your stay. You also walk away with health tips that you can be applied when you’re at home.

This is probably why a holiday at Six Senses always feels good. Every time I’ve stayed at a Six Senses, I’ve never returned home with the kind of post-vacation guilt that would make me scramble to the gym or join a detox programme. I left Six Senses Yao Noi feeling better than ever, knowing that a satisfying holiday could also be good and wholesome.

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These short trips are exactly what you need to tackle a hectic week ahead.

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These short trips are exactly what you need to tackle a hectic week ahead.

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