Six Senses Yao Noi

The Six Senses group’s relentless expansion across the Far East continues apace; as long as they’re this luxurious and well-located, though, then we’ll continue to welcome their arrival without complaint.

This particular Six Senses is located on the island of Yao Noi, in Phang Nga Bay — in the general neighborhood of Phuket, though crucially not on Phuket proper, which is an island that’s nearing maximum capacity already. Here you’re surrounded by calm seas, sheltered by the bay, with views of the jutting limestone formations that rise out of the waters — think of that pointy rock from The Man With The Golden Gun and you’re basically there.

An idyllic location is just one-third of the formula. Next on the list are the villas, fifty-six of them, with private sun decks and infinity-edge pools, each traditional on the outside (thatched roofs and all) and contemporary on the inside (satellite TV, DVD players, bathrooms with indoor-outdoor showers. Nothing revolutionary, just everything in its place, and nothing left off the list.

And the last third is the Six Senses Spa. The variations in philosophy from spa to spa matter less than their marketing departments would like to think — what’s important above all is that the therapists are skilled and the environment welcoming and suitably sedate, two bases a professional operation like this one has no problem covering.

It’s proof that there’s still plenty of room for another resort in Thailand, if it’s a good one — all that remains is to get there before some other place is named the next Yao Noi.

How to get there:
The resort is 60-minutes from Phuket International Airport by a scenic combined luxury car and motorboat trip.