Overlooking a pristine bay and surrounded by forested mountains, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay gave me the feeling of a remote island. Unlike their bustling counterparts in Nha Trang, the resort is for those searching for relaxation and tranquillity.
I must admit I mistook Six Senses Ninh Van Bay as an island in the first place. The lofty mountains and the 20-minute boat ride gave me an illusion of a castaway. But in reality, this resort settles on a forested peninsula looking out to the dramatic Ninh Van Bay.
From the water, I could only see a carpet of green, dotted with grey boulders. The resort only reveals itself when the speed boat gets close to the crescent-shaped beach. In other words, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay is a hideaway in the true sense.
The Design
Perhaps the reason that I am fond of Six Senses Ninh Van Bay is the green outlook. The secluded resort blends traditional Vietnamese design with greenery, impressive rock formations, and a white sand beach. Similar to Six Senses Con Dao, the architects tried to preserve as much of the surrounding nature as possible, including many centuries-old trees and strewn boulders.
The result is 58 spacious villas tucked away in lush forests, nestled between rocks or perched on the mountain slope. All are constructed from natural and sustainably sourced materials, giving guests a sense of being close to nature. Yet the best thing is that panoramic ocean view is ubiquitous.
As our electric cart glided through the premises, my GEM (Guest Experience Maker) proudly introduced me to the three restaurants serving both Western and Vietnamese food. Two are located directly at the beach, while “Dining by the Rock” sits on a boulder-strewn mountain overlooking the pristine bay. At these restaurants, guests can opt for à la carte or a buffet that changes daily. Two stylish bars are also available where people can enjoy a drink under a starry night.
The Villa
After a few minutes, I arrived at my home for a weekend – a two-story villa that has direct access to the beach. Like everything else in Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, straws, woods, and stones are the main construction materials of this building. And they were cleverly blended with modern amenities. Each villa is accompanied by two bicycles – a sustainable way to travel around the “island”.
The first floor is the sleeping area, with an ensuite bathroom, separate vanities, and a handcrafted wooden bathtub. It incorporates a muted palette of colors and rich timbers, providing aesthetics as well as a sense of calm. A glass door opens to a garden terrace where a plunge pool takes the central place. The second floor is an open-air lounge, featuring a teak day bed, a bar, a bamboo swing chair, and most important a spectacular ocean view.
The Beach
The highlight of Six Senses Ninh Van Bay is, however, the beach. I can recall how often I found myself sitting on the sand and staring off into the distance as the blue ocean dissolves into a horizon backdrop of sky and mountains. Even though Nha Trang’s beach is beautiful, the beach here is just swoon-worthy. It maintains a pristine appearance, including unspoiled white sand, crystal clear water, and dense deep-green forests.
There are coral reefs located just a stone’s throw away from the beach, making it ideal for snorkeling or diving excursion. Additionally, unlike other beaches in Vietnam, loud entertainment and noisy water sports are absent here. The only things that I could hear were the sounds of waves and wind in the trees. Therefore, Ninh Van Bay is perfect for whoever wants to get away from daily life and spend time relaxing.
Practical Information
- The nearest airport is Cam Ranh International Airport (CXR), around 30 kilometres from the resort. You will be picked up at the airport and driven to the port where a speedboat will bring you to the property. The whole trip takes approximately 60-70 minutes.
- If you want to go to Nha Trang during your stay, there are a few boat trips available (check with your GEM for the time schedule). But if you want to be totally flexible in time, you might consider booking your own boat. It’s quite expensive though.
- At the end of your stay, you can choose between the airport or the city centre as drop off location.
DISCLAIMER:
This post is written based on my personal experience. It was neither sponsored nor solicited by Six Senses Ninh Van Bay or any third party. All texts and pictures reflect my own opinions and are provided solely for informational purposes. I will not be liable for any errors or damages by making use of this information.
The views are so pristine Len! Love the interior decor of the wooden villas, I can imagine how peaceful and nourishing this place would be. Perfect place to reflect and escape from it all.
It must be very expensive, you must have had a lot of big red packets haha. 🤣
Haha I wish! I became very few red packets this year. They said I am too old for that 🙁
Actually, we spent points for this vacation. It was some kind of “holiday voucher” that the resort sold a long time ago. Back then I was in Hamburg, so we didn’t use it.
We like the cocoon chair. Must be so relaxing to watch the world go by from it!
It was indeed. But only during the day 🙂 At night, it was a bit itchy to sit there because of the mosquitoes. They really “love” me!
Do you happen to be bloodtype O?
Bingo! Even among a group of people with bloodtype O (my parents and brother), they still can detect me first 🙂
Welcome to my hometown. Though, I have never been there LOL
Thank you! Do you live directly in Nha Trang? I found the city is quite nice as well. I might come back when it’s more relaxing 🙂 It was jammed with people during the holiday. Or is it always crowded like that?
My home is in Ninh Hoa town, abt 40km away from Nha Trang to the North, paradise of local food, for me at least LOL. The city used to be quiet but too many tourists recently, almost all the time (maybe increase 50% on holiday and esp. from China), except for some remote resort as Ninh Van Bay.
Cool 🙂 Is your hometown close to Dốc Lết? I have heard about it through a hotel staff. He told me that there is another beautiful beach where you can see the depth just 20km from the resort.
Wow, the water looks beautiful! Almost no waves from what I see. I somehow always thought that the sea is not that crystal clear (compared to Indonesia, Thailand or the Philippines) in Vietnam but your photos prove that I was wrong 🙂 I’d love to visit Vietnam one day! I knew a lot of Vietnamese people back in Finland when I was studying and I was always impressed how their parties always had so many good food hehe.
The option is endless, right? Which one did you try and which one is your favourite? 😉
You are partly right about the sea in Vietnam. It’s indeed cloudy in the northern and southern Vietnam, probably because of the rivers carrying clay and sand. Sea water in the central part is much clearer, thus the most popular beaches are located there 🙂
I can’t really remember any particular names, but I liked spring rolls (in rice paper) and the classic pho 🙂 One of the girls I knew was very creative with making food, and I liked everything she cooked, something as simple as tofu with rice.
Nha Trang is another part of Vietnam I really want to visit, largely thanks to its Cham temples. Have you been to Po Klong Garai? The Cham towers look even more impressive there. I wonder if a trip to that part of Vietnam should include Ninh Van Bay as well since the place looks perfect for a retreat.
I saw the temples while traveling from the resort to Nha Trang. But my stay in the city was too short, didn’t have time to visit them. From afar, they look indeed bigger than the one in My Son 🙂
Oh my goodness this place looks like absolute heaven. How lucky you are to be able to stay there, and thank you for transporting me along with you.
Alison
My pleasure! And thank you for your nice words, Alison 🙂
Amazing photos, and the views are simply stunning! What a piece of heaven, love the wooden villas and the decor is so elegant!
They suit so well with the surrounding landscape. Thanks for visiting, Nic 🙂
What a wonderful write up of Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, Len. The place really does sound like a hideaway, with centuries-old trees preserved. Stunning beach and great captures. Clear water quietness is such a treat at the beach, and lovely you got to experience that. For me, I like all that and also soft sand at beaches 🙂
We all do 🙂 Thank you for the nice words, Mabel. If you like beaches you should make a trip along the central coast of Vietnam. It might be less dramatic than Australian coasts, but you will find plenty of beaches with soft sand and turquoise (warm) water.