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8. Near the beach, there are ceramic pots of water with wooden ladles, to wash the sand of one's feet, but there are even orchids adorning the beautiful presentation.
9. There are orchids everywhere. I mean everywhere.
10. When you go to the beach, the beach attendant will offer to move your lounger to where there is sun. He will bring you cold water unasked. He will not disturb you when you do not want to be disturbed and will be there instantly when you want him to be.
It is the accumulation of such varied small touches that are everywhere in abundance, which make it unquestionable that thought and inspiration went into every fine detail of the guest experience, and that is what sets Aman apart.
The villa was simply incredible. It was huge, with a private outdoor pool, great air conditioning, extremely comfortable and well decorated in an unmistakable understated elegant Aman aesthetic.
The food at Amankila nearly cured me from buffets. The food was just surprisingly good, as everything there is surprisingly good. It was way better than I could have expected or hoped for, consistent with the theme of "Dayanu". I really enhjoed the Indonesian dishes, but there was a massive and varied menu, and this was not, not, NOT!, hotel food by any stretch of the imagination. It was as great as everything else at Amankila.
At meals taken at the restaurant, there was beautiful bread with special dips and sauces that changed from meal to meal. Service was impeccable. The only disappointment was that one could only possibly fit in three of these amazing meals per day. If I could choose between the Amankila menu and a great buffet....I would choose Amankila food without hesitation. Wow, eh?!
One of the great things about Aman are the really good activities. They are not cheesy ones like at other places. They are appropriate to the guests and are always perfectly arranged and presented. I had the opportunity of going on the snorkeling cruise as my selection of many great activities, as part of my included activities in the Bali Break 3-day package. I arranged to go in the afternoon, and was driven to the nearby dock to board the Amankila XII I think, which was a beautiful wooden motorized boat, with a beautifully adorned upper deck for sun lounging. The driver and the snorkelling guide were the best, and I just could not get over the beautiful aquatic life. It was a major thrill and something which I will unlikely forget. It was a major highlight. Once back aboard the boat after snorkeling (which I had ALL to myself, mind you!) coffee and deserts were ready, as was cold water and beer. In fact, they asked before hand when I booked the trip, what I wanted on board as a refreshment. Nothing is left to be desired.
OK, so at the end of my 2 night stay at Amankila, I was transported by car and driver to a waiting Amankila rep at the airport, who then guided me all the way to the departure lounge. Having booked Thai Airway sin first class, I was disappointed to learn before my flight that the aircraft had been downgraded to a two-class aircraft, but I still got the excellent TG preflight and arrival services (buggy, escort, etc., all wonderful!), and was even given $300 cash at the gate as compensation for the downgrade. It turned out to not matter a bit, as it was a short 4 hour flight and was very comfortable in seat 1A. The lounge at Denpasar was OK, but nothing special, nor was the onboard food. That was luck for me, as I had a buffet at the Peninsula Hotel in Bangkok lined up for the 6 hour layover in Bangkok before I flew out the same night to Dubai on the EK a380.
I took an AOT limo rather than a taxi, because I did not want to risk any "I don't know where the Peninsula is" shenanigans since I was on a tight 6 hour layover.....It cost more money but was possibly more reliable.
I arrived at the Peninsula in about 40 minutes or so, and headed into the absolutely gorgeous setting of an outdoor cafe next to the river. It had a beautiful view and had a nice breeze which made the eating pleasant even though it was outdoors.
The buffet's standout was the imported French oysters and the grill-to order section, where you could have grilled wagyu, scallops, fish, etc. This was great.
The selection was quite varied and of excellent quality, although I did regrettably find a lot of dishes that were just "filler"...I think that this buffet really consists of oysters, grilled to order meat and fish, sushi, and deserts, all of excellent quality, and the rest, although beautifully presented, was not all that interesting. Nevertheless, with these dishes in mind, you can have a great night here by the river and enjoy top notch service and a great dinner by the river. I would therefore highly recommend it, although it was expensive. I give this an 8 out of 10.
I still had time to go buy some souvenirs at the night market before heading to the airport for my flight to Dubai.
A very good 6 hour layover!