Six Senses Con Dao

Rooms

There are around 50 villas in total, all built from locally sourced teak and antique carved wooden panels from old Vietnamese homes. They are arranged in 2 rows looking down onto the beach, and all have a sea view.

The row of villas back from the beach are the cheapest (Ocean View Duplex Pool Villa), but they were actually our favourite rooms. All split-level, they have a massive bedroom with the most fantastic view and a balcony upstairs, then an enormous bathroom downstairs. Out front there's a chill-out area and a small but enticing plunge pool.

There are also a few larger villas in this back row: Ocean View 4-Bedroom Villas and Ocean Front 3-Bedroom Villas, all of which are stunning. Each bedroom has an ensuite bathroom, and the villas also include a full kitchen, living spaces and a plunge pool outside; Ocean Fronts have a lap pool, too. They're great for a family or group of friends and one of the bedrooms can be twinned.

The front row of villas are on the edge of the beach. Half of these are split-level (Ocean Front Duplex Pool Villa ), but a few are slightly smaller single-storey buildings (Ocean Front Deluxe Pool Villa), which are essentially the same design but arranged over one floor so better if you’re with young children. Sitting by your plunge pool right next to the beach with the tide coming up to your wall is very special, but we actually preferred the villas behind; we found them more private and loved the higher view of the sea.

Whichever you choose, all villas are incredibly well thought-out with blissfully comfortable beds clad in scented linens, floor-to-ceiling windows that slide open, every bit of technical kit you might need, and cupboards stocked with mosquito repellent and the like. Bathrooms are heavenly, too, with twin sinks, an indoor tub and an outdoor shower, plus bathrobes and complimentary toiletries.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Minibar
• Mosquito net
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

You enter the hotel through the 'market area', where there’s a fun bar (Happy Hour from 5-7pm is a great way to spend sundown), a deli (incredible sandwiches, homemade ice cream) and a cool Vietnamese restaurant. By The Market is set up as market stalls, some serving noodle dishes, others curries, others a vegetarian option or elaborate canapés.

In addition, the hotel has a proper restaurant, By The Beach. The menu is impressive - we had delicious beef carpaccio then lobster and scallop green curry. We ate out on the terrace, which is right on the beach, lit by an enormous moon and cooled by the sea breeze. The day after there was a 'sushi night', with a mind-blowing choice all beautifully laid out on marble slabs in a chilled room.

Breakfast is phenomenal, too: everything you could imagine from obscure fruit juices and milkshakes to Vietnamese omelettes and fish.

Room service is extensive and it's nice to have lunch or supper ‘at home’ one day. The service really is incredible - burgers were brought to our plunge pool in a wooden basket and unpacked onto a perfectly laid table with ketchup, mustard and linen napkins; all immaculately done, and with the burgers still hot and very tasty. If you'd prefer to cook, the 3- and 4-Bedroom Villas have kitchens with hobs, ovens, microwaves and fridges.

You can also have dinner at the chef’s table and get an eye-boggling behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchens and cellar; this is a serious operation

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Organic produce
• Private dining
• Restaurant
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Laze by the pool, walk along the beautiful beach, swim in the sea and dip in and out of your private plunge pool
  
• Book windsurfing, sailing, diving, squid fishing, day trips and motorbike hire through the 'Life' activities centre
  
• Take a guided tour of Con Dao. The island is tiny - just an airport, a road, a village and a handful of hotels - but it's got a colourful and dramatic history, plus a vibrant modern life. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the whole of Vietnam not just Con Dao, and we really enjoyed our day with him. We started at the port and watched amazingly colourful fishing boats loading up with ice before heading out to the China Sea. Next, we had a sobering tour of the prison remains (for 113 years, this island was home to one of the country’s harshest prison systems, built by the French and later used by both sides in the Vietnam War). We then climbed the big hill to see a beautiful pagoda and finished with coffee Vietnamese-style in the central market
  
• Follow your ‘Life’ guide up into the jungle of the national park, then keep your eyes peeled and your mouth shut and you might see one of the large black squirrels that are exclusive to Con Dao
  
• Take traditional Vietnamese cooking classes from the chefs at By the Market. You'll whip up the likes of hand rolls with prawns, beef in betal leaf, and hot and sour fish soup
  
• Enjoy blissful treatments in the open-air rooms of the spa, or join an early morning yoga session overlooking the beach
  
• If you’re here May-September, take a boat trip to Bay Canh Island (Turtle Island) to watch endangered Hawksbill turtles lay their eggs or baby turtles making a dash for the sea
  
• Shop at the local market for kitsch Vietnamese bits and big bags of salted almonds
  
• Go snorkelling or kayaking in the bay, and swim past (or climb over the rocks) at the end for a stunning cut-off beach
  
• Sit in a deckchair under the stars and watch a movie on the OHP

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Cooking classes
• Cycling
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Kayaking
• Museums / galleries
• Plantlife / flora
• Private guided tours
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Shopping / markets
• Snorkelling
• Swimming
• Traditional cultures
• Well being
• Wildlife
• Windsurfing
• Yoga

Kids

This is a great place for children with a general barefoot and chilled atmosphere. There's a playroom, a kids’ club every day with different activities (painting, jungle explorations, decorating cookies), plus workshops kids can participate in. Every evening they show a film on the cinema screen and all the children eat supper together while watching it. An extra bed in the villas is free of charge, breakfast is charged for older kids. All rooms and villas have a bathtub. And the beach is ideal for families as the water is shallow.

Best for:

Toddlers (1-4 years), Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

All the villas have 1 or 2 daybeds, which can be converted into beds. For families with 1 child, the Ocean View Deluxe, Ocean Front and Ocean Front Deluxe villas will suit and have daybeds in the bedroom. For 2 kids the Ocean Front Villa category works well. There are 3- and 4-bedroom villas for larger families / families with older kids, and 1 bedroom in each villa can be twinned

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 15 minutes
• Hospital: 10 minutes
• Shop: 10 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Six Senses is on the island of Con Dao, which is a 45-minute flight southeast of Saigon.

By Air:
Fly into Con Dao's Con Son Airport (9km from the resort). Internal flights are available from Ho Chi Minh City or Ha Noi, although these are subject to weather conditions, and it is advisable to book your flights at the same time as you book your room. Please note that the hotel can assist you with domestic air-ticket purchases, request when booking.

From the Airport
Six Senses will greet you off your plane - see rates for transfer prices.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Vietnam and getting around