Musken

Thanks, Erika. To be honest, I did not really understand what this "casita 40-hype" was all about once I got up there, I really preferred the beach casitas (and our villa, of course), but understand much more now when you say the villas were not there before.


Also have not forgotten that you ask about kids and Amanpulo so here is the answer to that as well:

Our son is 8 years old.

Amanpulo is really great for kids. We did not meet a lot of kids (I think we saw two or three younger ones while we were there - most kids are during Christmans, Easter and Chinese New Years I heard), but they are really very kid friendly. Firstly the fantastic beach is great for kids to play, and amazingly, the sand does not get very hot even when the sun is shining on it all the time. They set up as many umbrellas and sun loungers that you need in front of your casita, and have beach toys available.

There is a kids club, focused on rather very young kids, located at the departure lounge at the island airport. Also there is a playground so well hidden that I never saw it, but my husband and son visited one day, and again this was for rather young kids. There are lots of nannies available, and - if requested - they can come to babysit or play with the kids in the villas or casitas as well. Not sure about costs.

Kids club has games and the main library also a number of kid friendly DVDs to watch in your casita or villa.


A very cute tradition at Amanpulo is that all kids get to plant their own tree; someone has already prepared a hole for it, so the kids just put it in and shuffle earth over it and water it and then there is a special wooden sign preparred with name of kid and date + of course cold towels to wash hands afterwards - it is Aman after all. Our son has already told me that we need to go back to see his tree some day, so great future marketing as well as fun!

One day, we asked them to prepare a treasure hunt for him, and he got a map of the island and his first hint on his bed at night one day, and had four of five different tasks to solve before he found his treasure the next day. This was not something they had done before, they prepared it all especially for him, but it might very well be something they do for more kids since it was great fun.

Also he got to make his own pizza, got "chef clothes" and a special Amanpulo junior chef sign (both to keep) and had fun making pizza at the picnic cove with the team there (a little before normal lunch time so no other guests were there).

He (and his parents) got to see turtlenesting at night and help releasing turtle babies into the sea one day. Wonderful and a real highlight.

He played tennis every day (they have kid size equipment), mostly with my husband, but there are also pros that could have given lessons (complimentary) if my husband would not have wanted to play himself.

He learnt to make fruit drinks himself, got to help behind bar at first and also at the excurisons to the raft bar. Great fun.

He went with us on excursions (snorkelling (they have kids size equipment) boat excursions to sand bar, to the raft bar and fishing) and loved it as the staff would always take extra good care of him.

But most importantly: When we moved over to the villa, he and the butler really become playing friends. Our son went to the butler kitchen as often as he could, helped cooking with the villa chef (especially fun cooking his own fish after fishing excursions), he got to visit main kitchen to get stuff for the villa, got to prepare many more fruit drinks or played football or other things with the butler.

Some of these activities were Amanpulo initiatives, others were our own ideas that they organised for us or things happening spontanously just because our son was open for it and the staff is so great (and would be briefed every day about the things he had done, what he enjoyed etc. so that they would know).

All in all the favourite holidays also for our son.

Oh, and the bed thing: They set up the bed as shown on the picture, but actually asked us when we were shown our casita if they should rather move it to the bathroom (did they read here that we always like that or are they just so much better understanding what we want before we even say so???) so we did that and there was loads of space still in the bathroom, so no problem. Also they have kids size slippers and bathrobes automatically in the villa. And kids size mountain bikes, even saw one with those supporting wheels.

In restaurants or for in villa dining there is kids menu with very reasonable prices. And I saw high chairs for those in need of such.

Oh, yes: Also welcome drink and snacks for my son + goodbye gifts.

(and if I go on like this answering questions, I might just drop writing the real trip report ;-)