These days, Vietnam seems to rank high on every traveler’s list of hopeful destinations. Even with Instagrammers revealing the country’s jungle secrets, mysterious caverns, and lesser-known stretches of unspoiled shore, the country keeps an enigmatic quality to western travelers who want to disappear to its coast and hide away from the world. But there’s one all-villa resort that sinks its toes into the pristine beaches of Côn Lôn Island that can give you what you’re searching for, whether you’re there with family, friends, or your significant other.
This week’s #BirthdayBucketList is surrounded by epic green mountains, tranquil turquoise waters, and a coastline that seems more fantasy than reality. It’s called Six Senses Côn Đảo and you will likely never forget its name. In fact, there’s a good chance that, after seeing pictures, it’ll haunt you until you find yourself there, feeling your limbs go limp from relaxation while finding a bounce in your step you don’t recall ever having before.
Forget the World, Discover Vietnam
At Six Senses Côn Đảo, award-winning guest experiences amid incredible natural beauty await you (and it’s one of the best things on Earth that ever could). The remarkable quality of Six Senses Côn Đảo is how well it embraces resort luxury and local flavor and fuses the two. Even though it can feel wonderfully isolated from the rest of existence—possibly operating at an other-worldly level—the resort ensures that guests learn, love, and experience Vietnamese culture and cuisine.
A Passionate Staff
Few teams in the hospitality game are as excited for guests to experience what they have to offer than those at Six Senses Côn Đảo. The people behind the resort aren’t just looking for satisfied customers; they want a paradise of happy people. So The Venue Report sought to find out what they were most thrilled for guests to encounter (and ultimately return for).
Explore Island Life
SSCD: “Feel like discovering the island and finding out what Côn Đảo daily life is about? We have the solution for you. Travel through the island with our guide, who will take you around the island, through the backroads, small dwellings, and local agricultural plots that are peppered with livestock.”
Captivated guests will visit:
● Ben Dam Harbor
● Nhat Beach and Shark Cape
● Van Son Tu Pagoda
● Shrine to Lady Phi Yen
● Local Town Market
SSCD: “Your trip will culminate in that most honored of Vietnamese traditions: coffee.”
Eat, Drink, and Watch Movies Outdoors
The resort’s luxury 10-seat cinema gives guests of all ages the chance to experience cinema amid magical scenery. Backed by a killer kitchen team, the cozy outdoor theater can be for any who stroll in or a designated group of family and friends that rent it out.
SSCD: “Enjoy some tasty canapes, paired with a glass of wine or cocktail, and catch up on the latest movies, whether an old classic or something alternative. Watch the stars in style while lying comfortably under the stars in Six Senses Côn Đảo’s new open-air Jungle Cinema.”
PRIVATE BARBECUES
While being ideal for couples, is also a great way to dine as a family. This experience is made all the more personal, by your choice of venue, whether at our rooftop ‘Chili Table’, ‘Petanque Court’, ‘On the Beach’ or ‘In Villa’. Your waiter will be on hand to guide you through evening, whilst your personal chef char-grills your chosen selection of fresh meats, seafood and vegetables. The perfect way to end any day, here at Con Dao.
Head Chef Miss Lan holds a beloved reputation as a spectacular spirit of the kitchen. All the produce she uses is from the island and her recipes have been passed down to her through generations.
Lan comes from a long line of devoted food producers. Her father is a fisherman, her mother has a vegetable stall at the market, and her grandmother makes the famous Bahn Mi at a street stall in town. Lan is of course passing on the tradition and passion to her 10-year-old son, who cooks at home with his mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. His hope is to also become a chef at Six Senses Côn Đảo one day.
The resort is very lucky to have Lan, a dynamic chef who is delighted to reveal more about herself and even provide one of her many great recipes. In fact, you can make her Green Mango Salad (Goi Xoai) by following her fantastic recipe by reading until the end.
Chef Miss Lan's Recipe for Green Mango Salad Green Mango Salad (Goi Xoai)
Ingredients
- Salad
- 1 green mango
- ¼ lb Dried beef
- 5 Vietnamese coriander leaves
- 1 tbsp fried shallots
- chopped peanuts
- Fish Sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp garlic chili sauce
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 Thai chili pepper
Directions
- Preparing the Fish Sauce
- Add 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of garlic chili sauce, and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic in a small bowl and mix well.
- Cut very small, thin slices of the [very hot] Thai chili pepper and add them to the fish sauce. Mix well.
- Preparing the Salad
- Peel the green mango and use a grater to slice into a large bowl. The mango should be very firm and not soft.
- Steam the shrimp and remove the tails. Cut the pieces in half [lengthwise] and add to bowl with mango. Chop Vietnamese coriander and add to bowl. Add a teaspoon of the fried shallots and 2 tablespoons of the fish sauce and mix together by hand.
Chili Table
In the heart of our rooftop chili garden, overlooking the elephant mountain and the entire resort. A truly peaceful and serene location.
Petanque Court
For a more interactive experience, our flood lit Petanque course awaits you and your family. Your personal Chef will keep you well nourished, whilst you enjoy this classic French game
Table at the Beach
Under a star filled sky, with only the gentle lapping of the waves to break the silence , your candle-lit table on the beach may be the perfect venue at Six Senses Con Dao
Private Residence
Situated at the far end of the resort, our very private 4 bedroom , ocean view villas, will make for a truly memorable candle-lit evening
If you’ve ever considered a resort stay in Southeast Asia, Six Senses Côn Đảo surely can’t bounce past your top three choices. It’s an island jewel and its staff is more than ready to take care of you from first step to last call.
Credits
Venue: Six Senses Con Dao
