Six Senses Ninh Van Bay

No road reaches Ninh Van Bay. Guests arrive by speedboat from a private jetty on the coast north of Nha Trang, a crossing of about 20 minutes that ends in a cove of pale sand, forested hills and large granite boulders. Six Senses Ninh Van Bay opened there in 2004 as Evason Hideaway at Ana Mandara and later took the Six Senses name. Its 59 villas stand on the beach, on the rocks above the water and on the hillside, built in timber and thatch around the stone rather than cleared through it.

History

The resort was created by Sonu Shivdasani and Eva Malmström Shivdasani, the founders of Six Senses, whose company ran the Evason and Six Senses brands. In Vietnam they already operated the Evason Ana Mandara on the city beach at Nha Trang, and Ninh Van Bay was conceived as its secluded counterpart, a hideaway that could be reached only by water. When the resort was brought under the Six Senses name, it kept its villas, its spa and its approach to sustainability. The founders sold the Six Senses business in 2012 to concentrate on Soneva, and in 2019 Six Senses became part of IHG Hotels & Resorts.

Architecture and design

The design follows the terrain instead of levelling it. Villas built in local timber with thatched roofs sit among the boulders, some perched on outcrops above the sea, some at the shoreline, some higher up with long views over the bay. Bathrooms and decks are partly open to the air, and paths wind between the rocks and the trees. Materials are local and natural, in keeping with the brand's long emphasis on sustainability, and an organic garden supplies herbs and vegetables to the kitchens.

Rooms and suites

The villa categories are named after their position on the bay, with beach, rock, water and hilltop villas. Beach villas open straight onto the sand. Rock and water villas sit on the boulders over the sea, with the sound of the water below the deck. The hilltop villas are the largest and look across the whole bay to the hills beyond. Most villas have a private pool, and all have outdoor living space.

Dining

Dining is spread around the bay, with a restaurant by the beach and another among the rocks above the water. Vietnamese dishes and seafood from the surrounding waters feature strongly, alongside produce from the garden. Private dinners can be arranged on the beach, on the rocks or in the villas, and the kitchen adapts menus for guests on longer wellness programmes.

Wellness

The Six Senses Spa is built among the boulders, with treatment rooms looking onto the sea. The programme follows the brand's approach, with massages, yoga and longer wellness programmes. A main pool, a fitness centre and water sports, including snorkelling and kayaking in the bay, complete the facilities.

Weddings and events

The resort hosts weddings and vow renewals, often on the beach or on terraces above the bay. Group size is limited by the number of villas and by the boat transfers, so events tend to be small and private.

Location

Ninh Van Bay lies on the Hon Heo peninsula, across the water from the coast north of Nha Trang. Cam Ranh International Airport, which serves Nha Trang, is about an hour by car from the jetty, after which the boat takes over. Nha Trang itself, with its long city beach and the Po Nagar Cham towers, is within easy reach for a day out. Few luxury resorts in Vietnam offer the same degree of isolation. The absence of a road keeps day visitors away, and once the boat has left the jetty, the bay belongs to the guests.