Six Senses Krabey Island

The location and luxury are unquestionably there, but the pricing on sports, culture, and spa lessons is genuinely overpriced given what we already paid for the room.

Everything about the room, the setting, and the general polish of the property created unforgettable memories for us. But when activities like spa lessons and cultural sessions carry significant additional charges on top of already premium rates, the whole experience starts to feel less exceptional than it should be at this price point.

The mangrove kayaking with an otter stealing the show was a total highlight, and the fact you can book a massage or Tai Chi with barely an hour's notice was refreshingly convenient.

Vibol, Namchhun, and Chef Sambol ran the show flawlessly during our stay, and the cooking class was genuinely inspiring rather than a throwaway activity. Unlike other resorts we've been to, there was no waiting around for buggies to get anywhere. Our kayaking guide Cham made the mangrove trip unforgettable, with playful monkeys and even a trained otter putting on a show.

“Cham, our kayaking guide, made the mangrove trip unforgettable”in their words

When we arrived for our booking, nobody was there to greet us and the rooms were dusty and left untouched for months, with exposed wiring on the floor as a genuine safety hazard.

This part of our stay was a real letdown — the rooms clearly hadn't been cleaned or checked in a long time, and I ended up cleaning the floor myself while kneeling because of the state it was in. The lighting was mid-maintenance with nails and wiring left exposed, which felt genuinely unsafe. Whoever was meant to be attending to guests seemed unaware of basic hygiene expectations.

You can see cargo ships and floating rubbish near the island, and a $20 papaya salad here costs $2.50 on the mainland — none of it justifies the price.

The nature and beach experience felt genuinely below average for the money, undercut by visible cargo ship traffic and litter in the water around the island. Food was overpriced and only average in quality, and the resort's car service charged $90 for a 30km ride when a taxi covering ten times the distance elsewhere cost less. Overall it didn't feel like there was enough on offer to justify these prices.

The villa itself was gorgeous — probably the biggest private pool I've had — but three days felt boring once snorkeling and bioluminescence plans fell through with no alternatives offered.

We spent part of our anniversary here and while the hard product impressed — a huge villa, incredibly comfortable bed, and lovely bathtub with Toto toilets — the experience side let us down. We'd been excited for snorkeling and bioluminescence viewing, but both were called off due to weather with no real alternatives suggested. They made a big show of asking our milk and coffee preferences and then never restocked the fresh milk we'd requested, which felt like a small but telling miss.

“probably the biggest private pool I have had”in their words

The transfer was seamless and the sustainability effort is real, but a few hard-product quirks — a flickering ceiling fan light, waxy shower water, and no restaurant choice in low season — kept it from being flawless.

We were whisked from the airport through the pier to the island in under an hour, which impressed us immediately. The eco-conscious touches — solar panels, their own vegetables — were obvious everywhere, though the lack of AC in the restaurants made mealtimes uncomfortably warm, and our room's thermostat-controlled AC cycled on and off audibly at night. Our butler and the breakfast team were fantastic, but the water left an odd waxy feel on the skin, and because it was low season only one restaurant opened each night, which got repetitive.

“Service was fantastic. They were friendly and anticipated our needs.”in their words

Beautiful villas and a wonderful butler, but the prices for transfers, food, and spa were genuinely shocking — and with only one restaurant open per night, three nights felt like the limit.

We paid over a thousand dollars a night for our ocean view suite, and that didn't even include the pricey transfers from Sihanoukville. Our butler Kumpheak was excellent and clearly prepared ahead of our arrival, and our villa's private pool was lovely, though the mattress ran too soft for my taste. With only two restaurants alternating nightly, things got dull fast, and a 90-minute couple's massage cost us over $500 — the exorbitant pricing on everything beyond the room rate is the real drawback here.

“We had a 90 minute massage which costed above five hundred US dollars for two persons!”in their words

We loved being immersed in nature — birds, lizards, shade trees right at our villa — but the unclear-rock beaches and constant upcharges left a sour taste.

Our villa (#08) came with a beautiful private beach view and a tech-forward setup where we controlled lights, fans, and curtains from an iPad. The service was excellent and genuinely friendly throughout. But the public and private beaches weren't cleared of rocks, coral, or urchins, making swimming dangerous, especially at low tide, and the food didn't match five-star expectations for the price. Ground transfers cost around $100 for a ten-minute ride, and even bottled water was $3 at dinner — everything felt monetized to an unusual degree.

“For the first time I saw such a greedy resort.”in their words

Our Hideaway villa and the spa were the best we've had at any resort, and when we raised minor issues the GM handled them with real grace.

The property exceeded our high expectations from the moment we arrived — the Hideaway villa was beautifully styled with a huge private pool, and the spa, backed by a large well-equipped gym, was the best we've experienced anywhere. Nan in the restaurant went out of her way to arrange off-menu Khmer dishes for us, and her warmth made every meal feel special. This was our first Six Senses and it won't be our last visit to Krabey Island.

“The spa was the best we've experienced in a resort with a great team”in their words

We were treated like family and royalty from the jetty onward — our GEM secretly coordinated a surprise private dinner without ever tipping off my wife.

Our requested Ocean Front Pool Villa Suite was accommodated exactly as asked, and our GEM Nam handled a surprise private dinner with total discretion, letting me reveal it to my wife myself. The sunset views during that dinner were free theater on top of an already outstanding meal. We hit both AHA and Tree restaurants and were never disappointed — when the beef cheek we wanted wasn't available one night, the kitchen team sourced it specially for another evening.

“it was melt in the mouth gorgeous”in their words

The staff remembering everyone's names by the second day was genuinely impressive, but the minibar wasn't restocked and the wine list was surprisingly thin for a wellness resort.

Everyone at the resort called us by name within days, which felt remarkable rather than gimmicky. Our Hideaway pool villa was excellent, but the stocked bar was never restocked after we used items, and ordering through the iPad system led to unexpected dining fees. We only got to try one of the two rotating restaurants across four nights, and the evening menu at the other fell short with missing items; the transfer bill alone came to £322, which felt scandalous.

“You truly are their guests.”in their words

As someone who regularly stays at Amanoi and Datai, I found Krabey Island's villas the best I've stayed in so far, though the unheated pools and outsourced kayaking are worth knowing before you book.

For a first-time ultra-luxury guest this place is an easy 12/10, but writing for those who know the category, a few nuances matter. The villas are extraordinary — best in Southeast Asia, full stop — with the one caveat that the pools run refreshingly cool (22-25°C) rather than warm. The private picnic on a nearly deserted island was genuinely unforgettable, though kayaking is outsourced to a third party and felt slightly disappointing by comparison; and despite online complaints, I found the food excellent and portions perfectly fair.

“The villas are (among) the best in Southeast Asia. PERIOD.”in their words

Our GEM Vechaka brought medication and checked on us constantly when my partner got sick, and even set up a private sunset table that made the whole trip feel like paradise.

Our Hideaway villa felt private and restful, and the food and wine across both restaurants were consistently excellent. What really stood out was the understated warmth of the staff everywhere on the property, especially our guest relations host who went far beyond the job description when my partner fell ill mid-trip. The sunset from the bar is not to be missed — we'll remember it as close to paradise as we've experienced.

“The hotel was graciousness personified in every way.”in their words

Six days here felt like true paradise — our GEM Namchhun and the beach team were always available and made every request feel effortless.

From welcome to departure, the resort delivered on every front — the private pool rooms, the well-equipped beach setup, and food that was every bit as refined as the setting suggested. Our GEM was kind, professional, and always available, while Saroeun and Summer on the beach kept us stocked with cold towels and snorkeling gear without ever being asked twice. Cleanliness across the property was excellent throughout our stay.

“these three people made this place even more PERFECT and MAGICAL!”in their words

There were almost tears on the jetty saying goodbye to our GEM — this team lives and breathes hospitality in a way I've genuinely never experienced before.

Every part of the resort had staff who remembered our names within days — the restaurant team knew our food orders and wine choices without asking, and housekeeping stopped to chat every morning. Our GEM Kumpheak pre-empted things we didn't even know we wanted, brought flowers, and booked experiences seamlessly. We swam at night with luminous plankton, watched sunsets with private champagne service, and even had a visiting Buddhist monk on property offering conversations on impermanence and dharma — a level of depth I didn't expect from a resort stay.

“By the end there were almost tears on the jetty.”in their words