“High touch is better than high tech,” explained Keeran Sripongpunkul, Six Senses Samui’s Wellness and Spa Manager to me during an interview. Those words really resonated with me as I was surrounded by an idyllic island tropical paradise in Samui in southern Thailand. My bliss was not a result of anything high tech but a direct result of the lack of it.

Swaying palm fringed beaches, the Gulf of Thailand’s warm waters, luxurious natural environmentally friendly accommodations and all complimented by the well-trained and soothing hands of Six Senses Samui therapists.
Six Senses is a world leading spa resort brand with spa resorts in Thailand, Vietnam, Seychelles, The Maldives, China, Oman and Portugal as well as having Six Senses Spas located at resorts in many countries.
Six Senses Samui is located on the island of Ko Samui. It is a short 45-minute flight from Bangkok. On this 228 km island of approximately 68,000 residents, Six Senses is a private island retreat made up of 66 luxuriously appointed villas with many having their own pool overlooking the Gulf of Thailand. The entire resort is surrounded by lush and natural vegetation.
FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY
Gary Henden, Six Senses Samui general manager, during a magical dinner feast at the appropriately named Dining on the Rocks, lists off numerous sustainability and environmentally friendly business and operational practices they employ at the resort. Six Senses, since its beginnings in 1995, has been on the forefront of innovative sustainability practices and is thoroughly committed to it. In fact one of the most senior people in the company is the VP, Sustainability.
I’m impressed with many of the creative ways they incorporate waste management and other energy saving methods but still maintain a standard of luxury and comfort that compares to the most ultra luxury resort brands.
Ko Samui is known for its coconut groves that flourish on the island. In fact it is estimated there are over two million coconut trees. Many products are made from coconuts from coconut oil and milk used in cooking, or its great healing properties for the skin, hair, nails and more. There are a few different coconut plantations you can visit on the island and see its many uses.
A SENSE OF GOOD TASTE
Six Senses believes in wellness but it also believes in choice. Its menu provides an array of items that would satisfy everyone from vegans to seafood and meat lovers. If you want to go on a detox diet while here they can accommodate that – but they won’t wag your finger at you if you desire a chicken or meat dish or have a beer or glass of wine with your dinner. The constant in all their menu items is fresh local ingredients – many of which come from their own garden and small farm right on property. In the future this will be developed even more according to the general manager. They also make it a point to work with food suppliers that share their sustainability and environmentally food practices and vision.
As I found out it is possible to eat healthy and with no taste deprivation in the process. On one meal we had a prepared chicken roulade, quail egg and white egg espuma (foam) and a tooth fish with white bean purée, chorizo marmalade, spring onion, black olive oil and finished it off with a delicious coconut dish. Each course rinsed well with a glass of champagne and Italian and Argentinian wines! My taste buds were certainly pampered during this meal.
A TOUCH OF THAI
Being a self-confessed spa addict for many years, touch ranks right at the top in terms of my favourite senses. My visits to spas definitely nurture my favourite sense and Six Senses didn’t disappoint.
Recognized as a world leader in spas they bring the sense of touch with other key elements – no pretentiousness, a sense of class, top well-trained therapists, friendliness but not being overbearing. They also recognize the atmosphere of where you receive your treatment is just as important. No sterile hospital like atmosphere but warm, relaxing mood setting colours, comfy massage tables, and touches of colour with orchids in a water bowl, and natural breezes from the ocean.
At the Six Senses Spa Samui, the facility has 6 indoor rooms, 5 outdoor, salas, cabanas, sauna, a meditation room and a steam room. They offer a range of aesthetic and body treatments and one of the things they are known for at this particular spa is Rekei and other Healing Energy techniques. Sripongpunkul is a Rekei master and can offer a number of different healing and Rekei treatments.
My ever growing collection of knots in my body that spreads just as fast as my fat cells definitely needs attention. Under the calmness and skilled hands of a few different therapists during my stay here those knots began a welcome journey of extraction. It would be a bonus if my huge resource of fat cells would leave my body so easily.
I did try during my visit to the island to make some headway on those long stay fat cells and signed up for a Muay Thai boxing class. Held outdoors in a sweat-inducing 35 degrees Celsius heat with nearly 100 percent humidity, the jumped, jabbed, punched, and kicked for an hour. Sweat was pouring off me by the glassful on the mat below. Perhaps if I did this for a month straight the fat cells would finally take a vacation from my body.
If only one could lose the pounds through receiving a massage and I would be in the petite category.
After spending a few nights and days in a thoroughly comfortable and nature infused and surrounded villa, savouring flavourful food, and experiencing blissful massages, Six Senses definitely satisfied and reinvigorated my senses.
If I have any good sense it won’t be long before I return to my senses and visit Six Senses again. I’ll take high touch over high tech any day!