There is a specific kind of luxury that comes with entering your, well let’s say, more mature years. It is the luxury of knowing yourself, of slowing down, and of realising that your body requires a different kind of maintenance than it did in your 30s.
I’m in Cambodia for my second visit in two years, and I am staying at Six Senses Krabey Island, a sanctuary where the architecture is magnificently modern and luxurious and the wellness philosophy feels like a warm embrace for the soul and the joints alike. Here in July, the “off-season” doesn’t mean a compromise; it means empty beaches, soft prices, and a jungle that feels vibrantly alive.
The Architecture of Calm
My morning begins in a villa that feels less like a hotel room and more like a treehouse for the sophisticated. Teak floors underfoot, white fabric draping gracefully from a canopy bed, and sliding glass walls that vanish to invite the jungle inside, and a private pool.
Each morning begins with a view of my pool shimmering beneath a lush, tangled forest canopy. In my 60th year, I’ve come to realise that ‘recharging’ is both a luxury and a well-earned reward for decades of hard work. Staring out at the infinite blue of the South China Sea, I’m reminded that time, at last, belongs to me. It is exactly why so many women in this chapter of life are venturing further afield; we are finally choosing to turn the lens inward and prioritise our own discovery.
A Spa That Recalibrates the Body
Let’s be honest: by 50, 60 or 70 and beyond, our joints tend to announce themselves more loudly than we’d like. It is apposite, then, that the island’s spa which is Cambodia’s most awarded and acclaimed became my daily refuge.
- The Signature Treatment: I opted for the 90-minute Khmer Kru Thnam Herbal massage. My therapist possessed “healing hands,” intuitively finding where tension was hiding and coaxing it away with warm, herb-infused compresses that smelled of ginger and lemongrass.
- The Movement: Earlier that day, I found myself suspended in silk during an aerial yoga session. There is something incredibly liberating about letting gravity do the “slow, persuasive work” of stretching your spine while you hang weightless.
- The Philosophy: The spa bridges the gap between ancient ritual and modern biohacking. Guests move seamlessly between sound therapy and custom programs designed to restore the body’s natural rhythm.
“I walked back through the trees feeling blissfully relaxed.”
The Luxury of a Slow Read
On this jungle island, there is no sense of urgency, except perhaps to experience the fabulous food. Instead, it’s easy to use time to reclaim past joys such as reading a hardback book. I picked up The Water Book by Alok Jha from the villa’s library.
As I read about the strange, scientific power of water, I felt that same force alive around me especially as I enjoyed some of the monsoon rain running in sheets down my villa walls. In between the bursts of rain, I enjoyed a long soak in the villa’s standalone bath, and then made time for 20 laps or so of the villa’ pool.
Everything I did, I did slowly, and it was a reminder to be present; a skill that often takes six decades to truly master.
Dining with Intention
Wellness at Six Senses extends to the palate. At Aha Restaurant, the flavours of coastal Cambodia meet the precision of a wellness kitchen. The Green Island Salad with crisp beans and ginger-chilli jam is a revelation in how “healthy” can also mean “extraordinary” and it all comes from the island’s well maintained organic vegetable garden.
At Tree, the plant-focused menu features produce harvested from these gardens. The experience is made all the more personal by staff like Soriya, whose effortless smile and pride in her culture make every meal feel like a gathering of friends.
Six Senses Krabey Island is a fully-fledged wellness retreat for those of us who want to indulge in the process of healing. As the staff lined the jetty to wave us off, it felt cinematic. I realised I was waving goodbye to a truly fabulous team of people who, in a relatively short period of time, won me over and really helped me return home to Sydney a lighter, more vibrant version of myself.
Robyn’s Travel Tip: Don’t miss the sustainability tour with Lida Chhun to see how the resort restores marine habitats. And if you find a “good thing”, like that Khmer massage, don’t be afraid to book it two days in a row. I did.
For more information or to book your stay, visit Six Senses Krabey Island.
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