Escaping to Six Senses Krabey Island

Most of us can only imagine what owning our own island getaway would feel like. Walking deserted beaches. Letting the sun and the tides tell time. Literally leaving the world in your wake.

For a taste of an island escape, we head to the brand-new Six Senses Krabey Island, located on its own 30-acre island just off the Cambodian coastline. We land at the Sihanouk Airport where a waiting van whisks us to the Six Senses Jetty in nearby Ream. A 10-minute speedboat ride is all it takes to leave reality behind.

Once on the island, an electric buggy zips us to our waiting villa, a gorgeous 120 sq.m Ocean Pool Villa Suite. We walk down the steps to our villa, a contemporary gem with floor-to-ceiling windows to best frame the beautiful views of the deep blue water of the Gulf of Thailand.

With a press of a button, two sets of electric shades offer immediate privacy, but we never feel like we need it. The resort’s 40 free-standing villas are built into the natural topography of the island, cocooning each villa in a cloak of lush jungle. Even when nearby villas are occupied, it feels like blessed seclusion.

Our days are spent lounging by the plunge pool, reading on the outdoor terrace or soaking in the bathtub with views out over the sea. In the mornings, we quickly settle into a routine of walking down to the ocean boardwalk as it wraps its way around boulders and trees to Aha Restaurant (meaning “food” in Khmer, and not a term of surprise, although the gourmet breakfast items are delightful). Breakfast is a mix of buffet items (think smoked salmon from the cold room, freshly baked pastries and a bevy of homemade beverages like pumpkin seed chai) and a rotating a la carte menu with items like Scrambled eggs with meaty chunks of handpicked mud crab or a Savory turmeric coconut crepe with freerange pork and flowering chives.

Later in the morning, we head down to the pretty cove beach and have our choice of seating: fun bean bags by the water’s edge, comfy, overstuffed sofas partly hidden in the trees or eminently Instagrammable cabanas with flowing curtains. In addition to stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking, we take up the invitation by the staff to explore the colorful coral reef right off shore, home to a variety of tropical fish darting through the clear, shallow water.

We’ve also taken to visiting the spa. At an enormous 2,000 sq. m, it’s a meditative space inspired by the sacred Kbal Spean River in its water features and soothing design elements. One afternoon we join another couple for a complimentary coconut oil-making workshop, and another day, we sign up for wellness screenings followed by blissful deep-tissue massages. The wellness screening makes use of a wide variety of instruments including galvanic skin readings, a finger pulse oximeter and a bioimpedance analysis for a completely non-invasive yet informative set of results, followed by a personal consultation with helpful recommendations on lifestyle changes for improved well-being. We leave the spa feeling rejuvenated and recharged and immediately reward ourselves for doing absolutely nothing with some homemade gelato at the complimentary ice cream parlor overlooking the scenic horizon-edge pool.

After sundowners at the Sunset Bar, we make our way to Tree, the resort’s dinner-only restaurant specializing in Khmer flavors with a modern take. One night, we try the Khmer Tasting Menu of one stunning dish after the other. The Roasted duck with Kampot green pepper was perfectly cooked while the Crab amok, the famed Khmer-style curry softened by the flavors of turmeric, palm sugar and coconut milk and then steamed, was a culinary revelation in its delicate lightness.

Too soon, we find ourselves back on the speedboat, returning to reality. Our Cambodian island escape may be over, but the sun-drenched memories will last long after the tans have faded.

Images provided by Six Senses Krabey Island