In the spring of 1958, Ian Fleming fled rainswept London and came to the beautiful Seychelles hoping to unearth sunshine, pirate legends, and inspiration for his latest Bond adventure “For Your Eyes Only”. With winter approaching the Northern hemisphere, if the prospect of shorter nights and grayer skies is dampening your creative spirit, our island home of Félicité provides plenty of drama. Six Senses Zil Pasyon is the epitome of low impact, with only 30 pool villas and three Residences, leaving two thirds of the island designated as the Ramos National Park.
The name Félicité means “bliss”, which gives you a clue about what to expect here …
As you approach the island by boat or helicopter, undulating and dramatic granite boulders rise from the greenery like huge dinosaurs. Jewel-like beaches peek out from the palms. You’re greeted by the warm smiles of Six Senses hosts, who ensure you will want for nothing during your stay.
Emerging stealthily from the hillside are the striking granite Residences – your own island on an island – at once futuristic and deeply connected with nature. Here, you can go as deep into the jungle or ocean as you like. Unlike the typical Bond plot, there are no snakes or dangerous sharks lurking and nothing actually wants to kill you!
Traveling with a bunch of friends on vacation always feels like adding extra sunshine so fill your cup in the three-bedroom Seascape. Expect the chatter to lull just briefly as you enter the huge door, descend the stairs, and take in the vista. The sparkling blue shores of La Digue, Ile Cocos, and Les Soeurs islands provide an ever-changing backdrop. They draw your gaze time and again as inspiration blows in with the afternoon breeze. Sundowners can lead to epiphanies.
The lower level offers a fully equipped gourmet kitchen, two ensuite bedrooms, and a spacious communal area with white marble finishes and caramel-colored oak floors. A sleek master bedroom on the upper level features its own plunge pool with a transparent base, allowing natural light to filter through to the living area below.
Breakfasting under the breaststroke doesn’t happen every day.
As its name suggests, The Sanctuary has an extra bedroom and striking design features but still remains indistinguishable from the island’s raw, natural drama. Birds sing. Fruit bats hang from the trees. Open your eyes in the master bedroom (trust us, sleep with the curtains open) and the dawn breaks through floor-to-ceiling glass windows on three sides. You’ll feel like you’re the only people on a castaway island (while safe in the knowledge that a spa treatment or chilled bottle of Sauvignon are actually within easy reach).
In addition to a gourmet welcome hamper, the specially curated menus are influenced by local Creole cuisine and accompanied by fresh veggies from the huge on-site organic garden (which incidentally is well worth a visit). Three-course lunches feature grilled job fish, squid ink linguini, or seared tuna straight from the ocean in front of you. Desserts are a festival of seasonal fruits, coconut panna cotta, or dark chocolate tart and mixed wild berries. During the private barbecue on your terrace, the wine is paired according to what’s on the grill, and hosts remain on hand throughout.
If you’re there to party or celebrate, what sleep you have needs to be great. That’s why every room is optimized for peaceful slumber, from the sustainably sourced Naturalmat mattresses to the organic bedding on top. Additional sleep aids are available, including a pillow menu, sleep tracker, and wellness consultation with Dr. Delvin, who joins Six Senses from Kerala, the wellspring of authenticity when it comes to Ayurvedic medicine. Beautiful bathroom amenities add to the joy, and you’ll leave with a custom-made shirt made by our resident tailor too.
Tempting as it might be to lock the doors, tear up your passports, and never leave, there are simply too many magical activities to lure you from your loungers.
For starters, a private boat trip to La Digue is on the itinerary. The best way to get around while you’re there is to cycle. Tour the Union Estate to see the traditional copra mill and kiln, swim off Anse Source d’Argent beach, take a stroll around the Plantation house and vanilla plantation, and meet the estate’s population of giant land tortoises. With its mix of cultures and abundance of fruit and seafood, the Diguois have developed hundreds of recipes so settle into island life at a local beach hut before you return.
Sometimes it’s the simple things that make a vacation stand out. Even if you’re not a natural born hiker, bring some sturdy shoes and follow the trail through the jungle to Top Hill, where the wild vanilla flowers bloom and lichen crowns the trees (a sign of the pristine air quality). Sustainability Manager Lucie Bennett will open your eyes to the island’s biodiversity and the work going on to eradicate the invasive Coco Plum and reintroduce native species of trees and plants including the Coco de Mer. The seed is the largest in the plant kingdom and shaped like a perky posterior. Lucie carries a machete and has an uncanny knack of spotting a spider’s web across the path – let her go first!
Outside of the tours, you can live life on your own time in the Residence, whether you choose to melt into a massage or meditation, toast a day well spent over cocktails and canapés, dance the night away like no-one is watching (they really aren’t) or cuddle up with loved ones for a private movie night.
All of these experiences and more are included so if your imagination is feeling as dull as a London sky in winter, then it’s time for a plot twist.