Completely agree and probably my favorite properties at the moment. I would add Amanjena to this list as well. Having visted at peak season during Easter period, we felt totally cared after in true aman fashion and felt the experience did not lack. A fabulous team, excellently maintained product, and high standard of service.

Your stay with Taka brought back so many good memories of my stay last June. Ap Tshewang Norbu is a gem, as is Joy and the lovely teams at every property in Amankora (visited all 5 last December)

Here is my roundup about my recent stay at Taka and Noi, for those interested: https://valeriewilsontravel.com/expe...outheast-asia/

I just returned from a Christmas, NYE, and birthday stay with Amangalla and Amanwella and have mixed feelings. Loved Amangalla, their newly appointed General Manager Karen Merrick is lovely and is just warming up. However the hard product needs some love/investment. Bad plumbing, bad A/C in very hot climate, not enjoyable.

I wish the property had a stronger storyline that connected to galle, much like amansara embraces siem reap. It feels too focused on it's dutch colonial story rather than the one of locality, Galle, Bhuddism, etc. Other than the fort tour, which is a walk around the fort with your Butler, exploring the city of Galle isn't as seamless here as it is with Amantaka, which offers Tuktuk, bikes, and well-defined tours of the region. The guest experience feels incomplete for a historic property in a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Amanwella, under the helm of GM Sonam Wangchuck (also former Amankora lodge manager appointed by Tshewang Norbu), has a lot of potential. He is a great leader and certainly deserves to be highlighted for improving Galla and Wella ( as he was responsible for both), but there is still so much more that needs to be done to bring this property up to our understanding the aman standard.

The rooms at Amanwella, for example, need TLC, major refurbishment, and do not justify the rates, especially the ones we paid at a premium for the holiday, and were surprised to find there was no se spa room. When you're charging over 250USD+ per treatment in Sri Lanka nonetheless, the spa experience shouldn't be a hasty in-room experience.

I will be reviewing both properties once I heal from the jet lag…..