Six Senses Ninh Van Bay

Simply put, the differences between the Six Senses Ninh Van Bay and the nearby Evason Ana Mandara & Six Senses Spa are twofold. First, the branding: what’s important here is the word “hideaway,” which in Six Senses–speak denotes, sensibly enough, a heightened degree of privacy and exclusivity (this is of course relative, as the Evason properties are no slouches in the luxury department either).

Second is the geography: while the Evason sits on the beach in the mainland city of Nha Trang, the Hideaway is a short boat ride across the bay, at the end of a lush, mountainous peninsula to the city’s north. Again, perfectly sensible — the hideaway is the one that’s set in the wilder landscape, with a bit more of a journey required.

After that it’s the similarities that are telling: like any of its sister or cousin properties, this Hideaway is the state of the luxury-resort art. With fifty-eight villas it’s not terribly small, but every one is self-contained and exceedingly private, with plunge pools and outdoor garden showers standard-issue. And of course the higher-end villas scale ever greater heights of luxury, and in many cases literal heights as well — the Hill Top villas are exactly what they sound like, and the Presidential Villa is a self-contained mountainside compound, complete with dedicated spa room and butler service. Meanwhile everyone else makes do with the expansive Six Senses spa and a wide array of culinary options — this is hiding away in high style indeed.