Six Senses Samui
On a steep headland in the north east of the island, the private wooden villas of Six Senses Samui create a rustic rainforest retreat feel that cascades down to the soft sand beaches and clear blue waters. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out to the sea, with astonishing views to wake up to and one of the best restaurants on the island come evening. Every bit as luxurious as it is sustainable, this chilled-out hideaway is one you need to add to your Asian bucket list.
Location
Six Senses Samui is conveniently located around 15-minutes from Samui airport, which is a 45-minute flight south of Bangkok. It’s location, away from the hustle and bustle of the main tourist areas on the island, give a tranquil atmosphere to the resort and a retreat-like feel to your stay.
Rooms
All of the 66 villas have sea views, with those on the west also having spectacular sunset panoramas. Most of the villas have private infinity plunge pools and large sun-decks to splash away your day. Our Ocean View Pool Villa came with a small wooden staircase connecting the room with the pool area that gave it a treehouse feel. The outdoor terrace has both a lounge, sitting area and dining area, perfect for a cosy hideaway meal, or a relaxing lunch in the sun.
Wooden floors, high ceilings and thatched roofs add to the luxurious tree-house-feel. The floor-to-ceiling windows bring the breathtaking sea views to life, especially in the morning waking up to expansive views of the bright blue ocean. Rooms are all very spacious with large mosquito-net-draped beds, separate day beds, a lounge area in the bathroom and a separate work station. You could easily spend all day in your villa for those looking to truly cut off during their time here.
The bathroom offers some treats of it’s own, from the sunken bathtub with the same breathtaking sea views, to the outdoor shower with two separate shower heads, where you will really feel like you’re luxuriously back in nature.
The Retreat
The Retreat is the ultimate villa experience, with it’s spacious sundeck and stunning panoramas. Two separate villas that extend with glass walls out towards the sea, containing walk-through dressing areas and bathrooms, share a separate central living room. The outdoor bathtub adds an extra special luxurious touch to this secret villa hideaway.
The private infinity pool, with outdoor lounge area and a dining shala set out towards the sea make this a retreat that you could easily never leave. Just make sure to have your GEM on speed dial for when you need your fresh coconut replacing.
Dining
Dining on the Rocks
Recognised as one of the best restaurants on the island, Dining on the Rocks serves food that is every bit as memorable as the setting it is in. Wooden platforms are suspended above the seashore, perfect for a romantic dining experience. The menu is predominately western, with great vegan options accompanied by alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink pairings.
Our private candlelit platform came with it’s own lounge bed, to enjoy the brightly shining stars an unforgettable dining experience.
Dining on the Hill
Dining on the Hill, on the sunset side of the resort, is an all-day restaurant that blends the boundary between formal and relaxed. At lunchtime it serves smaller dishes while in the evening it serves a classic Thai menu in which most of the food is organic and locally sourced. The open-air pavilion offers a front row table to the sunset show or a more relaxed, setback sofa.
Breakfast is also served here each morning with a wide-ranging buffet and specialities that are cooked to order. The morning view across the bright blue sea instantly excites for the day ahead. The chef’s pancakes were a daily favourite during my stay as well as the delicious fresh juices, fresh coconuts and home made kombucha.
Private Beach BBQ
For the ultimate romantic experience, make sure to enjoy a private beach BBQ at the spa beach. A small pergola with hanging drapes cover the table, all surrounded by paper bag tea lights, making an idyllic setting for something more special. Make sure to come a little before sunset to enjoy the prime setting with a stunning view as the sun sets from your own private beach.
A chef is on hand ready to grill the three course feast. Ours ranged from beetroot carpaccio and marinated mushrooms starters, to tofu and mushroom satay, fried rice in banana leaves, phad Thai and croquettes, accompanied by corn on the cob, rosemary potatoes and grilled vegetables. Local sake and mango mousse and coconut custard was served for dessert. This whole experience was a real standout moment from our stay and is highly recommended.
Drinks on the Hill
The main bar, Drinks on the Hill has a relaxed hang-out feel, with swinging sofas hanging from the ceiling and brightly coloured cushions to sit and relax. A wide range of drinks are served from wine and cocktails to juices and mocktails. All accompanied by some of the most delicious cashew nuts I’ve tasted.
Spa
When Six Senses Samui was designed, the prime spot was definitely saved for the spa. 7 indoor and 5 outdoor treatment rooms, with floor-to-ceiling windows, offer jaw-dropping views across the bay. The whole spa area is connected by a series of raised wooden walkways, lined with mango and cashew nut trees, and winding steps down to the small spa beach below.
Local touches are added to treatments, incorporating ancient therapeutic Thai massage techniques. Local coconuts are used to create a coconut scrub, wrap and massage. While signature touches such as the use of the singing bowls, create the classic Six Senses experience.
Morning activities of yoga and pilates take place in the yoga shala, located next to the spa beach. The cool morning breeze flows through the shala, helping to ground and centre, accompanied by the sound of the gently flowing waves. Private yoga classes can also be arranged to get more technical guidance through your practice.
Sustainability
Sustainability is at the heart of Six Senses Samui, where new initiatives are continuously developed to minimize their impact upon the environment. To combat the landfill and limited resources faced by Koh Samui, Six Senses developed Farm on the Hill, where self-sufficient waste management positively impacts the hotels operations, the environment and the local community. Biodegradable waste is repurposed, converting food and landscaping waste into animal feed, compost, bio char, effective microorganisms, cleaning solutions and much more.
Herbs and vegetables that are grown on the farm are used in the hotel’s kitchen, while as much as possible of the remaining produce is sourced locally. Water is purified through reverse osmosis and bottled on site daily to eliminate the use of plastic bottles or unnecessary pollution through transportation.
Goats are kept to eliminate plant waste, with the goats eating around 90% of all growing plants within the resort grounds, eliminating around 70kg of plant waste on a daily basis. In return, they produce nutrient rich manure that serves as a natural fertiliser to accelerate plant growth.
A recycled bicycle has been remodelled and connected to a pump allowing cyclists to water the plants as they cycle with purified grey water.
Toilet bowls from the hotels recent refurbishment were converted into flower pots as they were not able to be easily disposed of. And a giant glass room has been constructed using bottles collected from the hotel, where compost-ready food is stored overnight.
Six Senses works with the local community, investing time and funds into a local school, providing supplies to local hospitals and working with abandoned and orphaned children, setting up a foster care programme. Guests can support this initiative by purchasing the monkey in their villa.
Activities
Pool
The main infinity pool, stretching the whole length of the main hotel building, has the perfect view to lounge away the day. With most of the villas having their own private pool, the main pool generally doesn’t get too busy, while even if it does, it’s so big that you can barely notice anyone else is in the water.
Make sure to come to the pool at sunset, with it facing West, it’s perfectly positioned for the pink sky show.
Beach
Six Senses Samui is currently opening a new beach club at the end of 2019 that will include an infinity pool at the beach, a bar and dining area, new rooms and an extension of the path so that it can be reached directly by the hotel buggy. Currently, the small beach area is lined with cushioned loungers and a kayak on stand-by to explore the nearby coastline.
Schedule
Make sure to check the packed schedule of events taking place every day that make the most of the facilities at the resort. Complimentary 15-minute massages and group exercise in the spa, candle making in the alchemy bar, Sustainability Tour at Farm on the Hill, umbrella painting, DIY recycled picture frames, the list goes on. Three days each week Cinema Paraiso is set up for the Movie under the Stars, an open air cinema with double loungers to enjoy an evening film under the twinkling stars.
