A Review of Six Senses Yao Noi

Posted by

·

I don’t even know where to start with this hotel, so pre warning – this is going to be a long post. I have been privileged enough to be able to stay in some absolutely incredible hotels but this… well, this was special. I’ll be surprised if I ever have a room this stunning ever again. It was epic. Amazing. Incredible. Breathtaking. A week I will never forget. If you want a slice of true luxury on your stay in Thailand, then look no further.


The hotel is in one of the most beautiful locations I’ve ever stayed. The closest major airports are either Phuket or Krabi, and the hotel is situated on Koh Yao Noi island, around a 45 minute speed boat ride off the coast of each, making it a perfect half way point on an island hopping tour of the Andaman Ocean.

Koh Yao Noi is a quiet island in Phang Nga Bay, characterised by its beautiful beaches, mangroves, rubber plantations and fishing villages. The hotel itself lies nestled in to the hills of the island, with its own private beach and is made up of 50 villas, each with private pools.

And looking out over Phang Nga Bay from our Pool Villa at the hotel

The hotel can arrange pick up for you from anywhere in Phuket or Krabi, and transfer you by land and then speedboat direct to the hotel in around 45 minutes. We loved our speedboat transfers – they were actually a highlight of the holiday!


We stayed in a deluxe sea view villa. Set through huge double doors down a path, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Walking through the entrance doors to our villa, there was a huge decking area, with a large seating area to the left – complete with sweeping views out over the ocean – and steps down in front of us to the main deck.

View from the seating area to the left at the top of the stairs

The short flight of steps lead down to the private deck. The deck is equipped with two sun loungers, a table and parasol, a sofa and a huge private pool with utterly stunning views. It’s particularly gorgeous at sunrise and sunset. Incredible.

The pool and loungers at the bottom of the stairs
Our private pool at sunrise

From the deck is the entrance to the villa itself. To the left is a large and spacious bedroom with a full glass window providing views to the pool and ocean. Waking up to this in the morning was a true pinch myself moment each and every day.

View from the bed out of the full glass window

On the right as you enter the villa is a dressing area with wardrobes, dressing table, coffee and tea facilities and a desk, flowing through to the double sink, with toilet and shower on the left, plus an outdoor shower straight ahead. Then comes another stunner – a huge sunken bath with views out over that picture perfect ocean again. Just writing about it makes me want to be back in it, reading my book with a glass of wine. Heaven.

The villa bathroom

The room was spotlessly clean, utterly stunning and cleaning service was provided once per day, with an additional nightly turn down. Robes and slippers were provided, as well as laundry service (meaning we even went home with no washing – win!). Our ‘villa host’ was Khun Larn and he did an incredible job of looking after our accommodation.

This villa was one of a kind. I’d go back in a heart beat.

A view of our villa (courtesy of official Six Senses website as no drones are allowed to be flown on site by guests)


Again there are not enough superlatives to explain the food. On site there are 3 restaurants.

First is a laid back restaurant called The Living Room for Western and Thai cuisine, and this is next to a bar called The Den which serves drinks in sunken lounge beds amongst lotus ponds. The Living Room is where breakfast is served. No normal hotel buffet here that’s for sure. There’s a noodle station, a Thai station, a Crepe/Waffle/Pancake station, an egg station, a doughnut station, a full deli serving everything form quiches to salami, a bakery preparing home made croissants and breads, and an entire fruit bar with shelves of different granolas and whole trays of different fruit, juices and yoghurts. Madness.

Second is The Dining Room, serving authentic Thai food only. The third and final restaurant is The Hilltop with honestly the most epic views out over Phang Nga Bay from the bar and beyond (this is also home to the resort’s epic infinity pool which you can visit to suit you).

What an Infinity Pool

In villa food is also available via an extensive menu, and all the food we ate for lunch and dinner was absolutely delicious – our favourites were the green curry and the Khao Pad. We gorged ourselves on Thai food and didn’t regret it for a second! Just thinking about it again is making me drool.

But now to the insanely special part. Not only can you eat in the hotel, you can eat on your own island (Nok Island), within Phang Nga Bay. My husband surprised me with a longtail boat to pick us up and take us for an island BBQ where our own chef cooked us chicken, lamb and prawn skewers, plus barbequed lobster, as we watched the sunset. A truly treasured memory. You can read my post on Nok Island HERE.


Aside from the already mentioned Infinity Pool, the hotel offers so much by way of amenities so I’ll start with my favourite – the spa. Offering a ridiculously huge menu with every treatment imaginable, it’s a total sanctuary. I had a deep tissue massage and felt like a new woman after it. It’s also set in the rainforest so we combined it with a rainforest walk where we spotted a beautiful hornbill and multiple water lizards.

Walking through the rainforest

The hotel also has its own private beach, as well as access to a deserted public beach. Both were stunning and we happily spent a day lounging on the sand enjoying the sunshine.

The hotel’s beach

In addition, the hotel offers kayaks to paddle out to the mangroves, tennis courts, and a farm to pick your own fruit, vegetables and herbs and bring to the chef to cook. There is also daily yoga on offer, plus classes for cooking, soap making, insect repellant formulating, Muay Thai classes, sound relaxation and body scrubs. I’m exhausted thinking about it all.

Away from the hotel, a number of excursions are also offered. As the hotel is located in Phang Nga Bay, there are numerous boat trips to the other islands including the local ones around the hotel, the Phi Phi islands and James Bond island. You can read about my trip to James Bond Island HERE.

Enjoying Phang Nga Bay

There are also excursions around Koh Yao Noi to visit rubber farms, local markets and cycling around the islands. Bikes are free to rent, and a guide to go with you (if you want) costs a small fee, otherwise they provide you with a map to go. There are also opportunities to give back to the local community by working on beach clean ups, working with the hotel on the conservation for the local hornbill birds and lots more.

Finally, one of my favourite small features of the hotel was its app enabling you to order room service, buggy transport, towels, suncream, basically anything you need 24/7, and a direct line to your own GEM (Guest Experience Manager). Our wonderful GEM, Khun Q, was always on hand for whatever we needed!

Our 6 nights weren’t enough – you’ll need at least a month to get it all in!


So what do you think of Six Senses Yao Noi? For me this was the best hotel room we’ve ever had, and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in going. I still dream about sitting on my sun terrace in the private pool today – the happiest of memories.

35 responses to “A Review of Six Senses Yao Noi”

  1. Looks absolutely stunning!!! What an amazing place to enjoy the peace and quiet of seemingly endless beauty. Your suggestion that an entire month may be needed to take it all in sounds about right. Thanks for sharing such splendid beauty, Hannah 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much Phil, it was a real treat and I’d absolutely love to go back for a month!! 🙂 Have a great weekend!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Wow!! The definition of paradise. I can see why this hotel was so unforgettable to stay in. From the lavish, breezy rooms to the infinity pool to incredible food to private beach, this hotel had it all! So glad you got to stay here, Han. Now, I’m looking up this hotel for my visit to Thailand, whenever that may be!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was really special Rebecca, and I’m so excited you’re planning a visit to Thailand – I can’t wait to see where you choose to go 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  3. I absolutely love Thailand. And WOW, what a comprehensive review. Thanks Hannah.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much Kent, really glad you enjoyed the post. Have a great weekend!

      Like

  4. When you go back take me with you!! What a stunning place to stay, I can’t image having to pack my bags, I think they’d have to have security escort me out 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’ll sneak you in the suitcase. It was truly an incredible hotel, I smile every time I think of it 🙂

      Like

  5. Very nice place for vacation

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Oh my, opulence at its finest! What else could you possibly want? How fortunate to enjoy such an amazing place. Thanks for sharing!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It was an absolutely amazing hotel, we had the best time there 🙂 Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment – have a great weekend

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Woooow! What a beautiful hotel! With so many activities to do as well, plus delicious food, I can see why you could easily spend a lot more time here.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. The food was incredible, and the hotel just amazing. I would love to be back in that villa right now haha! have a great weekend 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  8. It all looks and sounds idyllic Hannah. What a perfect place to relax, enjoy good food and stunning scenery.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It was definitely a special stay 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  9. wow, what an incredible and absolutely stunning place to stay. I can see why this may always remain as one of the best and special places you’ve stayed. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It was truly special and I wish I was there with a cocktail right now!! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  10. I’m not sure I’d be able to drag myself away to go on the excursions! What a beautiful place!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was a struggle, my husband wasn’t at all happy about it!!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Your accommodations look amaaaazing! The views of the landscape are breathtaking. How nice to enjoy them from your own private pool. It’s cool to hear you can also eat on your own island too.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was honestly such a dream, I can’t believe it was even real now looking back on it from a cold, rainy England

      Liked by 1 person

  12. […] for us, we stayed in Phang Nga Bay itself, at the wonderful Six Senses Yao Noi. This meant the Bay was on our doorstep, and because it is made up of 42 islands, it meant we […]

    Like

  13. ThingsHelenLoves

    What a stunning place, I was smiling reading this one. Every image a wow. A wonderful experience. Grown up me is wowed by the views and the luxury, my inner child is all over the idea of the doughnut station. Fabulous!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much Helen, and the photos capture only a small piece of the beauty. It was an experience I will never forget and feel blessed to have had. Hehe full adult me was also losing it at the doughnut station!! 🙂

      Like

  14. That place looks absolutely stunning. I am currently in Cyprus looking for somewhere new to visit and I think that you have just helped me decide. That looks like complete paradise.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. This is clearly a dream place to stay on all fronts. Your cover photo is particularly gorgeous even among all the other idyllic images. The BBQ on the beach… wow. We really miss Asia and I’d like to think that I have one more cross-country period of travel around Thailand in me one day.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Leighton, it was truly a week in Paradise. I wish I could go back!! Northern Thailand is now firmly on my list.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Just lovely. Although I’ve been to Thailand, I didn’t get to the island part. Your photos of Koh Yao Noi remind me of Halong Bay in Vietnam, those tall islands that look like big green, furry rocks.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I agree totally, I thought of Halong Bay too with all the jagged rocks. Such a beautiful area.

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Well, this hotel is all the descriptive words you used in the first paragraph (and more)! The views, infinity pool, sunset … oh, that bedroom. Not to mention the food. And the BBQ on the beach – that’s the icing on the cake for me! Hannah, you know about that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow … well, this hotel is there with the pot of gold!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I couldn’t agree more, I wish I could have afforded to stay longer!!

      Liked by 1 person

  18. […] for us, we stayed in Phang Nga Bay itself, at the wonderful Six Senses Yao Noi. This meant the Bay was on our doorstep, and because it is made up of 42 islands, it meant we […]

    Like

  19. I have my hotel for when I go!

    Liked by 2 people

  20. tobymccoll

    would you say there is enough activities for kids to be entertained?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Toby, as I don’t have kids I can’t comment for sure, but I think so. They do all sorts of kids clubs and activities from things down at the beach to on the farm. They also have a kid’s centre area with areas to play etc and we saw loads of families at the resort. If you do decide to go – have a great time 🙂

      Like

Leave a comment

About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

You can also follow me on Instagram!

Type your email…