English actress Anna Friel travels with her daughter Gracie to Six Senses Con Dao, a remote, eco-friendly island in Vietnam. This was to unwind after her filming of ITV's "Marcella".
"Marcella" is a British crime noir detective series produced, written and directed by Hans Rosenfeldt, a Swedish screenwriter and creator of the series The Bridge (adapted as The Tunnel for British audiences).
According to The Daily Mail, Friel arrived at the Six Senses Con Dao to a 5-star luxury villa, one of 50 villas designed to reflect the natural surroundings. The place is eco-friendly. All villas come with bicycles although if you can't face the thought of peddling, there are golf buggies.
Why is Con Dao Islands an ideal secluded place to visit? It is because the general ethos behind Six Senses is a commitment to improving the ecological and carbon footprint. It's so spaced out that one can go a whole day on the beach without seeing another soul. The 50 villas are designed to reflect the natural surroundings. The place is protected by lush, forest-clad mountains on a mile-long stretch of sandsea, like a giant bath. It has gentle waves, so Friel and Gracie paddle-board almost every day.
The spa is exceptional, according to Anna Friel. She had five massages and also took part in a singing bowl meditation session with Gracie. Singing bowls are a type of hand-crafted bowl, that looks a little like a metal pestle and mortar, in which a baton circulates to produce a soothing sound.
There is a private butler, complete with a personalized juice served every morning, made of greens and home-made live yoghurt. Friel says there is a complete absence of disingenuous smiles from the staff, no hanging around for tips, and the way nothing is too much trouble.
A short drive away is Con Dao Prison - a haunting reminder of the island's former use as a prison colony. The jail was built in 1861 by the French and used during the Vietnam War to house the Vietcong and prisoners who were against against the U.S.-backed Saigon government. Most visitors will not want to linger, but it's important to see it, according to Friel.
One need only to take a less than an hour flight from Saigon to Con Dao, which is in Vietnam's south-east coast.
