0bsidian

Dear all, this is my first FlyerTalk post. I have just joined and I am very excited to be part of this community.

Drawing inspiration from this blogpost, I have decided to treat my mom and sister to a Christmas holiday trip in grand style. In particular, I was offered a Bali & Beyond package (which comes at surprisingly decent value) spanning 10 nights across the following properties:

I have never stayed at an Aman, but have stayed at a number of 5 star properties around the world, developing a particular appreciation for Four Seasons. I have been to Bali before and enjoyed the FS in Ubud, for example.

I am seeking advice on three points:

I hope I did not break any rules by posting this, and I've searched the forum quite a bit to find all the information I could. Thanks in advance!

RichardInSF

Hi Obsidian and welcome to Floyetalk. Your first post was postponed for moderator review mostly likely because it included a link in it.

Because that link was not intended as promotional (and maybe also because I happen to know Ben, or Lucky, the author of that blog), I've approved the post. If you have searched quite a bit, you know that we have extensive review threads on all Amans, linked to from the sticky at the top of the forum. Here for reference is the index page to them:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ferrerid=14479

Still since you include some more general questions, I will leave this thread open for others to comment.

Again, welcome.

RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels

Ericka

Welcome Obsidian! You are a good brother and son.

You will find many fans of the Indonesian Amans here and we are a very picky bunch. And yes, those packages they put together are always a good value.

Amankila will give you a more authentic and remote experience and the scenery there is lovely so I would agree that it could be a better choice for you than Amanusa.

Weatherbase.com will be able to tell you just how rainy that time if year is.

FlyerEC

Welcome to FT Obsidian ..

Been to Bali during that period and it can be rather wet but the downpours are usually brief & sporadic with brilliant sunshine in between .

Amanusa is not touristy unless you venture out & to the other hotels around . We usually stay on site & enjoy the Amanusa beach area & bales .

Dari unlike Nusa is more like a Balinese village .
Nusa is the place to be for New Year ' s Eve as its vantage point to watch the fireworks displays from other hotels , etc along the beach . Besides Mark S will take special care of you & family �� . Perhaps he ' ll be reading this & knows who ' s posting ..
We told him we ' ll try for next year

I personally will stay only 2 nights each at Dari & Nusa , so that you can include Kila . Really like the pools there & in a ' remote ' part of the island .

You should leave Jiwo as is , being on a different island .

You will be fine at Amans . How crowded can they get even at full occupancy ?!!

That ' s what I also like about them . Don ' t do crowds .

( except that we ' ll be on a cruise then & never done one over Christmas & New Years , not sure what to expect even though it is a smaller ship )

Have a wonderful time !! You should & will be the envy of many .

SojournsOf

Weather can be hit and miss. I've been in Bali over Christmas and New Year when the weather has been generally nice (typical hot, humid days with a quick passing shower and rain all night) to wading through almost knee-deep water trying to get anywhere in Seminyak another year when the rain just would not stop.

pricesquire

Amanusa, not really touristy but if you prefer remote, pristine beauty, then yes, do Amankila instead.

We're in Bali every Christmas/NY usually and it's fine. Even if it rains, it'll pour for a short period then it'll be sunny.

Amans never really get crowded like normal hotels, they're not built like that.

Kagehitokiri

could just do NYE at nusa, or be driven there from kila/dari
there is also wana, but 10 nights may be tight for 4 amans
ask about packing/unpacking, some have gotten it in past

worth seeing if 4th nt free possible (FHR/virtuoso)
FHR 4th nt free blackout dates (negotiable)
dari 01/01/2016-01/04/2016
nusa 12/28/2015-12/31/2015 and 01/01/2016
prices are same, aman may allow re arranging nights after booking

bali & beyond is back to base price of $4200
if taking 2 rooms + 10 nights, may go lower

6 nt bali experience now same per night
(in past bali experience was slightly more)

Pausanias

I've been to Bali and that area twice in the Dec-Mar wet season and it rained a lot, the humidity was immense and the sea is not good for swimming - muddy and rough. However, as most people here know, the hotels are nice . . . the thing about the wet season, if you are a photographer, is that you get some gorgeous light and amazing skies.

MacMyDay

I was in Amandari + Amankila between the 23rd -> 1st Jan in 2013 and the weather was perfect, right up until the 30th -> 1st Jan where the sun then vanished and didn't turn up until just as we were leaving - naturally. Sitting on the beach at Amankila whilst it constantly rained isn't up there with my greatest memories.

0bsidian

Thanks everyone for your replies!

I am very excited for the trip, after doing quite some additional homework.

I think that, by now, I have pretty much read all trip reports on the Indonesian Amans posted on this website (thanks to RichardInSF for the useful link). Truly an invaluable resource.

Hopefully the weather will be clement!

farbster

Have you given any consideration to other locations in the world that might have better weather (or at least not the crapshoot that some talk about) and have equally nice hotels? Just curious.

0bsidian

You raise a very fair point - Originally, I was thinking of going to the Maldives, where weather should not be an issue. Price wise, an all inclusive stay at a nice 5 star (Constance) was on the same level as the Bali & Beyond.

But then I became fascinated with the idea of staying at an Aman, and I could not find other Aman packages similar to the Bali & Beyond (i.e. which spanned multiple resorts).

farbster

Where are you traveling from to go to Bali?

0bsidian

Have yet to proceed with buying the ticket - I am based in London and would probably fly to BKK / Dubai / Doha and then to Denpasar.

FlyingDoctorwu

We did Bali and Beyond in March... I think at the end of the rainy season... Great experience... we did get some afternoon thunderstorms, but nothing that completely ruined a day... It was a great great experience.... you could consider the Bhuyan Amans.. that looks quite fascinating (plus all inclusive) and has low season rates I think during winter.... another thing that looks nice is the Sri Lanka Amans, coupled with a Tea Trails visit...

FDW