SIX SENSES KAPLANKAYA, AN EXPERIENCE FOR BODY AND SOUL

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A narrow and winding road through a valley of millennial olive trees and cypresses takes you to the Kaplankaya region near Bodrum, marked on the map in early May with the much anticipated inauguration of the Six Senses Kaplankaya resort.

One of the features of the Six Senses resorts that clearly distinguishes them from all the others hotel chains worldwide is their location.  You’ll never find a Six Senses resort in a crowded place, and the road that takes you to the hotel can be compared, every time, with the prelude to a memorable love story.

If at Six Senses Laamu you arrive after a 30-minute boat ride (while the beauty of the place overwhelms you and takes you into a state of peace and meditations), at Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman you can feel the adrenaline rushing while the car crosses the stunning valleys of the Hajar Mountains, from where, at some point, you can admire the resort sprinkled along a pristine beach strip just like pearls on a string.  At the Six Senses Kaplankaya, the feeling that overwhelms you is of going back in time. The one-hour drive from Bodrum Airport to the resort reveals a region where you do not meet any living soul.  The rocky mountains are sprinkled with olive groves, where my imagination already places  biblical characters, apostles and prophets (all of them tall and bearded), dressed in white and long clothing, followed by a small group of followers.  This feeling of going back in time would precede one of the greatest and most special travel experiences so far.

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Bodrum is for Turkey what Cannes and Monaco are for France or what the Amalfi Coast represents for Italy – an upscale region that offers a totally different travel experience. Here you won’t find huge resorts or the all-inclusive concept of Antalya; instead you’ll discover hotels that are dedicated to the “discerning traveler” for whom the holiday is an occasion to escape from the everyday life and an opportunity for self-rediscovery.   Here you can rediscover the luxury of hearing your own thoughts, of living simply and reconnecting with nature.

After Aman and Mandarin Oriental have opened resorts here in the previous years, the beginning of May marked the opening of Six Senses Kaplankaya, thus transforming the Bodrum region into Europe’s hottest luxury travel destination. At the same time, the arrival of Six Senses in Turkey has signaled globally that the country is open to tourists once again (two years after the tumultuous events that have led many people to cut Turkey off their holiday destinations list).

But this is merely the beginning for Bodrum. In the immediate vicinity of Six Senses two other chains of prestigious hotels are already announced: the Ritz-Carlton and the precious the Cheval Blanc, part of the LMVH group .

Contrasting with the opulence that characterizes the other hotel chains in the area, except for the Aman, Six Senses Kaplankaya keeps all the values that make up the brand’s DNA: sustainability, authenticity, ecology, conceptual farm to table, integrated wellness experiences and specific programs such as Grow, Eat and Sleep with Six Senses.

It should be noted that the global trend nowadays is towards sustainable and environmentally friendly travels, which Six Senses has been implementing successfully for over 20 years. I also have to mention that Six Senses was named the best luxury hotel brand in the world in 2017 by the prestigious Travel + Leisure magazine, while Conde Nast Traveler considers the new Douro Valley Six Senses resort in Portugal (opened in 2016 ) as the best luxury hotel in the world in the top published last autumn .

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Geometric lines, simplicity and refinement define the Six Senses Kaplankaya and they all bear the signature of Clodagh Design Company New York, a company which has also put its mark on the Six Senses Douro Valley.

The resort fully integrates in nature (it looks like a piece fallen from the mountain that protects it); it offers 141 rooms, of which 75 inside the hotel and other 66 separate villas, ideal for families or large groups, as most of the rooms include their own swimming pool.

The reception is located on the 5th floor, and from there everything goes from top to bottom.

The guest rooms have a contemporary, minimalist design and they are abundant in ultra-high technology  (USB ports on both sides of the bed, Bang Olufsen speaker with Bluetooth, electric activated curtains, etc.). A desk is very useful for those who want to continue their work even on vacation, the walk-in dressing is remarkably designed and the bathroom is an integral part of the room (it can be closed by a sliding door). The bathrooms stand out through an iconic designed bathtub and a glass wall, and the view is wonderful. In addition, each room has its own terrace overlooking the sea. The same facilities are found in villas, which are destined for families and can also come with their own infinity pool.

If you’re on your first vacation in a Six Senses resort, you’ll discover a Pillow Menu next to the bed, which allows sleeping customization.  You can opt for a harder or softer pillow, discreetly infused with lavender or bergamot fragrance, as desired. During your stay here you will also discover a series of postcards with discrete environmental messages. There is nothing forced, nothing is mandatory; just short and effective messages, with an “inception” role that make you more accountable and aware of how each of us have an impact on the environment.

The “Shower with a Friend” notification draws your attention to water consumption and will stop you from filling your superb tub with 300 liters of water. This will remain only a decoration element that looks great in any photo.

All constructions elements are natural, and in each resort, Six Senses integrates site specific features. Plastic is non-existent. Water is purified by its own systems and it is served only in glass containers. As an exercise, you should check out the trash basket before leaving. After a few days spent at Six Senses Kaplankaya, besides the packaging of two tablets of dark chocolate (which I cannot not live without) I was surprised that I had not thrown anything away.

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Peace and serenity dominated my brief escapade at Six Senses Kaplankaya. I started my mornings with a jogging hour on a specially arranged trail that runs along the coast and brings you to small secluded beaches (some with facilities and others virgins), which also belong to Six Senses.

The resort has a total of 5 beaches, one of which is specially dedicated to families with children (the resort is family friendly, but the presence of children should not scare you if you are looking for moments of solitude; the free ice-cream offered on the “family beach” will keep all the commotion away from the hotel’s other beaches).

If you don’t want to run, you can start your mornings with a Morning Walk, a stroll alongside a local guide, a good opportunity to learn more about the region’s history, about plants and nature in general. You can also opt for Yoga. There are many yoga classes every morning and each season the resorts invites a series of experts.  For example, until November, you can take yoga classes with Suraj Varma, one of the most respected yogis and healers in the world, specializing in Ayurveda.

In culinary matters, the farm to table concept is well implemented in the Six Senses Kaplankaya resorts. The resort has its own vegetable garden and all the raw materials for cooking come from organic farms or from local suppliers. Breakfast is served at the Sage and Sea Restaurant and Bar and for a la carte dinners you can choose between Wild Thyme Restaurants or Meze by the Sea. At the latter, the main concept is sharing, and you will discover a wide variety of unique and local specific snacks, all very surprising. The wild grass from the Kaplankaya region combined with yogurt and olive oils is one of the revelations.

The breakfast buffet is not opulent, however it is of great quality and refinement. You have many options, ranging from detox juices to customized omelettes, homemade granola with fresh yogurt, seasonal fruit or sugar-free muffins.

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The most surprising and unexpected experience was the Spa. I experienced for the first time the Watsu technique with the therapist Banu Alagoz. Watsu is practiced in a swimming pool, where you are invited to float with only four inflatable cuffs attached to your hands and feet. This kind of therapy can mentally take you in different places (in my case from my childhood to Bagan, Myanmar or on Bangkok’s rooftops), and Banu will then tell you a number of things that relate to your personality and can recommend a series of therapies.

Christian Stan (Travel for Senses) with Banu Alagoz

I was discreetly advised to take a 90 minutes session of Emotional Detox Massage, which can be described as the most beautiful and intense experience of my life. I have fully understood the concept of Integrated Wellness, the spearhead of the Six Senses resorts. A vacation is not only for relaxing, you can get so much more than that.  By going to Spa therapies, meditation sessions along with specialists, various energy-based and Ayurveda therapies you can also mentally heal.

If the esoteric part of existence seems to be a concept difficult to understand and accept, Six Senses Kaplankaya Spa also offers a part for exact sciences. To find out about your health condition, the Spa provides a range of NASA-powered devices that draw up the most accurate map of your health. Such devices are only available in one other Spa in Europe.

Dr. Erkan Gunes

The scanning is performed under the supervision of Dr. Erkan Gunes and his team of specialists, and if a healthier body is your priority, then during your time here you can follow a program to help you become a better version of yourself.

You can also attend Cleansing and Detox programs, or even weight loss programs. The fact is that a holiday spent here can be a “milestone” in changing your life and your habits, that will lead to a more responsible, healthier and balanced lifestyle.

Six Senses Kaplankaya has the largest Spa in Europe, over 10,000 square meters, including 37 treatment rooms and several indoor pools. There are two different Spa areas for men and women, including the Turkish Hammam area, Jacuzzi and numerous saunas, including a crystal sauna, recommended for those with breathing problems.

In addition, the Six Senses Spa also includes a real sports complex. A huge gym with high-end facilities, a spinning room, indoor volleyball and basketball courts are just some of the amenities worth mentioning ..

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Six Senses Kaplankaya was my third experience in a Six Senses resort within a year, and I noticed how every holiday here brings a little change in my life after I get back home.  This is why I usually write theses reviews only after a few weeks.

For instance, from the doctor specialized in Ayurveda from the Senses Laamu I’ve learnt to add  Moringaand Ashwagandain my morning shake and that there is a scientifically proven connection between sounds and our inner state. We humans consist in 80% water, and studies have shown that relaxing music calm waters while high intensity noise causes waves. Following this philosophy, every time I have more hectic moments, I listen to symphonies, movie soundtracks or Budha Bar albums at home or while driving.

After a mini-holiday spent at Six Senses Zighy Bay in early January, I realized how much plastic I throw away every day, so I bought a water purifier and I only use glass containers, even when going to the gym. I haven’t bought bottled water for over 5 months, I stopped using plastic straws…

The Six Senses Kaplankaya experience differs from the others as it taught me to be much more present and connected to everything that’s going on around me. From Banu Alagoz I learned that in times of crisis, we humans have two options: to contract or to open up. I always opt for this latter option. Also from Banu I’ve learned some meditation and breathing techniques that I am now applying every morning, which give me a “magic powers” feeling, so I always imagine myself as a cartoon character on the Cartoon Network. “You can do it”, I tell myself every morning, and I almost always manage to accomplish what I set my mind to. Moreover, after talking to Dr. Ranjan Kapoor (director of all Six Senses Spas) I started applying the Yoga Nidra technique a few times a week, a guided meditation that you can do in the middle of the day, that takes 20 minutes and has the effect of a 3-hour sleep.  (you can find it on YouTube)

The energy you get from such a short therapy will help you accomplish all your daily tasks without any major problems.

The romanian group which experienced the resort in mid June…

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Traveling transforms you and every experience is different or unique. I have traveled in 50 countries so far, I had the opportunity to stay in several luxury hotel chains in the world, but none of them has changed my life in any way. None until Six Senses. The philosophy of this brand can leave a mark on your lifestyle, this if you have a keen sense of observation and are open to changes.

If you want this and if you are looking for a unique and memorable travel experience, then Six Senses Kaplankaya is the ideal choice for your next holiday.

Take advantage now of the DERTOUR offer.

Period 16.09-31.10.18

7 nights at the Sea Ridge Villa with breakfast included starts at 994 Euro per person

Period 01.09-15.09.18

7 nights at the Sea Ridge Villa with breakfast included starts at 1267 Euro per person.

Period 01.07-31.08.1

7 nights at the Sea Ridge Villa with breakfast included starts at 1541 Euro per person.

For more details, visit www.dertour.ro

For personalized travel experiences you can send an email to sales-romania@sixsenses.com or service@dertour.ro