Six Senses Zil Pasyon

Getting married is a wonderful if chaotic time. If you’re Indian, it’s also a time notoriously marked by very little concern for a couple’s privacy. So, before I’d given any thought to what dress I was going to wear (‘dresses’ in the end as it so happened), or which band to book from the awful litany of semi-professional crooners advertising their wares online, my top priority for my own Indian nuptials was to jet off to a secluded (and private) honeymoon destination as soon as the confetti had settled.

Unsurprisingly, potential candidates for unadulterated post-wedding R&R are not in short supply. Six Senses’ new outpost on Félicité Island deserves, however, to be at the top of every honeymooners’ list. Exclusively inhabiting all 652 acres of one of the most dramatically beautiful and unspoiled islands in the Seychelles, Six Senses Zil Payson is a wondrous, serene retreat lovingly constructed in harmony with the towering granite rocks and diverse flora that surround the resort on all sides.

The island itself (the fifth largest in the archipelago) is a short hop and a skip from Praslin – a journey that can be undertaken either via (a sometimes) bumpy speedboat trip, or (for the more adventurous) via helicopter. Having opted for the less glamourous mode of arrival, we were met on disembarkation by Marvin, our Guest Experience Manager (or ‘GEM’ in Zil Payson patois). Over the course of the next week, Marvin loyally attended to our every need.  Whether it was an early morning hike with the island’s conservation expert Anna, a private film screening at the picturesque outdoor cinema, or champagne at sunset on one of the island’s summits, Marvin handled even our most demanding of requests with good humour and grace.

The accommodation on the island is organised into a series of stunning, self-contained villas, each replete with its own private infinity pool. Our own Panorama Pool Villa came with the added benefit of an external sun deck, and scintillating views of the ocean. The aesthetic is minimal but elegant (clean lines, calming colours) and, above all, these spacious rooms feel intensely private. In other words, a pitch-perfect setting for those looking to decompress.

For our own part, Mr Smith and I managed the transition from manic wedding planners to supine sun-worshippers with remarkable ease. This conversion was no doubt facilitated by the delicious and varied fare on offer at the four on-site restaurants, and the no-room-service-charge policy which ensured the delivery of a steady trail of gastronomic delights to our doorstep daily. The food offerings include the Island Café, which offered breakfast and dinner inspired by flavours from the Seychellois spice route, and the ‘no meat’ Ocean Kitchen serving up fresh seafood and hosting a number of international nights (including Japanese and Arabic evenings).  

Although the menus at each are extensive, the chefs on site had no hesitation in acceding to some of our more esoteric culinary demands (including preparing a wood-fired pizza, and a traditional Indian thali on request, both of which were firmly ‘off-menu’).

Zil Payson’s new centrepiece spa, placed strikingly amongst towering rocks and boulders in a vertiginous location, provided yet further incentive (and opportunity) to unwind. Launched in April 2017, and accessed through a labyrinthine network of granite pathways and Indiana Jones-style rope bridges, the spa is composed of five uniquely constructed villas offering a wide variety of ‘experiences’ (from facials to massages), all complimented by products from the Organic Pharmacy and Terre D’Afrique, as well as an Insta-worthy infinity pool. For those in need of a more scientifically-driven treatment, on-site therapists can also provide an integrated wellness screening –  a health MOT to determine your fat mass, oxygen saturation and general wellbeing – to suggest small lifestyle changes.

As a coda, I should add that the resort caters for thrill-seekers almost as well as those determined to do nothing. There are countless activities on offer carefully curated by the on-site ‘Experience Centre’, including diving, snorkelling, kayaking and standing paddleboard to name but a few. Six Senses can also arrange private fishing trips and visits to neighbouring islands that taken in hikes in the Coco de Mer Valley or cycling on La Digue (the smallest of the three main inhabited islands). Needless to say, the combination of sun, spa and sleep were enough to keep us occupied on this trip, but we’ll be sure to sample the rest when we return.