Trip to Bali/Yogyakarta
Jul 14, 2011, 6:47 am
#17
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London
Programs: Many. Too many. I came here to cut them down. I failed.
Posts: 2,999
Get in whilst you can. Losari will be turning into a Wellness Resort and only take bookings from people enrolled in their compulsory Wellness Programmes (min stay 3 nights).
Jul 14, 2011, 10:14 am
#18
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA Gold, Amex Plat, US Air Silver, JPM Palladium
Posts: 157
Construction noise at Amanusa currently is sporadic and consists largely of pneumatic drilling of which you can hear audibly as the winds shift. The Beach club is unaffected as are the evenings. No major complaints in the last 3 weeks. There should be even less noise at the end of the month going into August. This from Monty Brown, the GM.
Jul 14, 2011, 10:20 am
#19
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 599
We were at Amanusa a few weeks ago and there was some noise, but I wouldn't skip it on that basis. The beach club is wonderful and occupancy was quite low when we were there, so it felt like we had the place to ourselves. The noise was noticeable from the outdoor areas of our room, but otherwise it didn't bother me.
Jul 14, 2011, 12:34 pm
#20
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA Gold, Amex Plat, US Air Silver, JPM Palladium
Posts: 157
We were at Amanusa a few weeks ago and there was some noise, but I wouldn't skip it on that basis. The beach club is wonderful and occupancy was quite low when we were there, so it felt like we had the place to ourselves. The noise was noticeable from the outdoor areas of our room, but otherwise it didn't bother me.
Jul 14, 2011, 4:51 pm
#21
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Enroute to ? & likely flying in ' A ':)
Programs: TPPS, UA, EK ...; Marriott BONVOY , HH, GP, GC..
Posts: 4,217
You will ( more than ) enjoy your Aman time!We 'll be there in a couple of weeks too.
Last edited by FlyerEC; Jul 14, 2011 at 4:53 pm Reason: Typo
Jul 15, 2011, 3:12 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA Gold, Amex Plat, US Air Silver, JPM Palladium
Posts: 157
Jul 18, 2011, 10:15 pm
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 37
Amanusa
Hey guys,
Just did 3 nights in Amanusa, now in Amandari. Surprisingly, I absolutely loved Amanusa and I think I like it the most out of the 3 Aman properties here. The noise is really sporadic, and not something that bothered us too much. I'd certainly not cancel any plans of staying at Amanusa because of the construction. On the upside, this construction has resulted in low occupancy in Amanusa, so most of the times you get the public areas to yourself - the main pool area is gorgeous!
We're spending the next 3 nights in Amanwana and then returning to Amanusa for our last night in Indonesia.
Rish
Just did 3 nights in Amanusa, now in Amandari. Surprisingly, I absolutely loved Amanusa and I think I like it the most out of the 3 Aman properties here. The noise is really sporadic, and not something that bothered us too much. I'd certainly not cancel any plans of staying at Amanusa because of the construction. On the upside, this construction has resulted in low occupancy in Amanusa, so most of the times you get the public areas to yourself - the main pool area is gorgeous!
We're spending the next 3 nights in Amanwana and then returning to Amanusa for our last night in Indonesia.
Rish
Jul 26, 2011, 3:33 am
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 37
Short Trip Report
My wife and I returned from our Indonesia trip a couple of days back. We had a fabulous time on the whole and can't wait to return to Bali in the near future. There's magic in Bali!
Our itinerary ended up being - 4 nights in Amanusa, 2 nights in Amandari, 3 nights in Amanwana.
Amanusa - Fabulous! I expected Amandari to be the star property of the trip, but Amanusa ended up being that. I liked it more than Amankila, which surprised me because I loved my stay at Amankila 2 years back and didn't expect too much of Amanusa. For me, the aesthetic and "feel" of a property matters relatively more than impeccable service or food. The main area of this property is stunning, with its impossibly large swimming pool, beautiful view out to what at times looks like something out of an oriental fable, with many shades of green, the ocean and mountains in the distance, and the main fortlike structure. We were in a pool suite which had a view out to the golf course and the ocean in the distance. The rooms were nice enough, more sleek and modern (and better) than Amankila or Amandari, though not as innovative as and lacking the special ambiance of some other Amanrooms like Amanjiwo or Amanbagh. The outside areas of the rooms are really beautiful - the green pond adjacent to the bathroom, an outdoor shower, and the lovely terrace with its stone-columned daybed and blue pool. Given the beach and the massive main pool, next time I'd save $200 and get a regular room. The many (lily? or lotus?) ponds that are strewn around the property add a lot to the look and feel of the property. The italian restaurant has pretty good food and a great ambiance at night. The beach area is really well done with semi-private bales surrounded by bushes. This beach is one of the best in Bali and fun to swim in during high tide, though not nearly as pretty or pristine as beaches in places like Maldives. Our beach experience was greatly enhanced to niravana-ic proportions by a substance easily available in Bali, and was the highlight of the trip. Any guest at Amanusa should try their honeycomb ice-cream, preferably we soon as they arrive. We gorged on it throughout our stay. The spicy Indonesian curries were fairly good. By day 3, the special-ness of this property had really crept in and we decided to extend our stay.
More on the other properties in a bit...
Our itinerary ended up being - 4 nights in Amanusa, 2 nights in Amandari, 3 nights in Amanwana.
Amanusa - Fabulous! I expected Amandari to be the star property of the trip, but Amanusa ended up being that. I liked it more than Amankila, which surprised me because I loved my stay at Amankila 2 years back and didn't expect too much of Amanusa. For me, the aesthetic and "feel" of a property matters relatively more than impeccable service or food. The main area of this property is stunning, with its impossibly large swimming pool, beautiful view out to what at times looks like something out of an oriental fable, with many shades of green, the ocean and mountains in the distance, and the main fortlike structure. We were in a pool suite which had a view out to the golf course and the ocean in the distance. The rooms were nice enough, more sleek and modern (and better) than Amankila or Amandari, though not as innovative as and lacking the special ambiance of some other Amanrooms like Amanjiwo or Amanbagh. The outside areas of the rooms are really beautiful - the green pond adjacent to the bathroom, an outdoor shower, and the lovely terrace with its stone-columned daybed and blue pool. Given the beach and the massive main pool, next time I'd save $200 and get a regular room. The many (lily? or lotus?) ponds that are strewn around the property add a lot to the look and feel of the property. The italian restaurant has pretty good food and a great ambiance at night. The beach area is really well done with semi-private bales surrounded by bushes. This beach is one of the best in Bali and fun to swim in during high tide, though not nearly as pretty or pristine as beaches in places like Maldives. Our beach experience was greatly enhanced to niravana-ic proportions by a substance easily available in Bali, and was the highlight of the trip. Any guest at Amanusa should try their honeycomb ice-cream, preferably we soon as they arrive. We gorged on it throughout our stay. The spicy Indonesian curries were fairly good. By day 3, the special-ness of this property had really crept in and we decided to extend our stay.
More on the other properties in a bit...
Jul 26, 2011, 5:52 pm
#25
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NYC, GIG
Posts: 334
Jul 26, 2011, 8:39 pm
#26
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New York City
Posts: 408
I felt the same way, expecting Amanusa to be the least of the three, but really loving the design and aesthetic of the place, as well as the superb beach service. It's a really superb resort. Looking forward to your reviews of dari and wana.
Jul 28, 2011, 5:52 am
#27
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
Amanusa has always been a favourite of mine, ever since it opened. I never understood why some people dismissed it as it is one of the more comfortable Amans in Bali. Staff has been here, in some cases, right from the start. The beach, although now sandwiched between awful concrete abominations, remains a fabulous stretch of white sand with superb service and great lunches under the shade, cooked fresh in their little kitchen there. I am really pleased that many of you are discovering Amanusa and appreciating its charms!
Jul 28, 2011, 9:32 am
#28
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 570
I have always been a big fan of Amanusa and when people complained of the beaches in Bali I was sure they overlooked Amanusa's Beach Club. The sand, service, bale's, lounge chairs, restaurant, are top notch and I love the journey from the lobby in the jeep or by bike. Bliss!
Jul 28, 2011, 9:53 am
#29
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Enroute to ? & likely flying in ' A ':)
Programs: TPPS, UA, EK ...; Marriott BONVOY , HH, GP, GC..
Posts: 4,217
Amanusa has always been a favourite of mine, ever since it opened. I never understood why some people dismissed it as it is one of the more comfortable Amans in Bali. Staff has been here, in some cases, right from the start. The beach, although now sandwiched between awful concrete abominations, remains a fabulous stretch of white sand with superb service and great lunches under the shade, cooked fresh in their little kitchen there. I am really pleased that many of you are discovering Amanusa and appreciating its charms!
I have always been a big fan of Amanusa and when people complained of the beaches in Bali I was sure they
overlooked Amanusa's Beach Club. The sand, service, bale's, lounge chairs, restaurant, are top notch and I love the journey from the lobby in the jeep or by bike. Bliss!
overlooked Amanusa's Beach Club. The sand, service, bale's, lounge chairs, restaurant, are top notch and I love the journey from the lobby in the jeep or by bike. Bliss!
There goes one of my secrets
Am really looking forward to the beach which I actually didn 't get to last year!
Pity it gets less & less " private " each year , hope no more yet to be announced neighbours
Last edited by FlyerEC; Jul 28, 2011 at 9:55 am Reason: Typo
Jul 29, 2011, 5:18 am
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 37
Trip report installment 2
Amandari - There is no wow factor in Amandari. Only genuine charm and a languid, pleasing ambiance, which begins to seep in after you've spent some time taking in what's around. This is one of the special Amans, like Amanjiwo and perhaps Amanjena (haven't been there), that have a very specific and consistent theme and feel - in this case, a Balinese village-y kind of setting. The property has aged beautifully, with a lot of moss, lichen and other greeny-fungal stuff covering the stone walls and passages, adding significantly to the aesthetic of the property. Here all those green lotus/lily ponds really look natural and atmospheric. The views out to the rice terraces from the main pool area and many of the rooms are pretty too, though they looked much nicer on Aman's website.
On the whole, the rooms are average. The bedroom area does have some interesting design features like the window behind the bed looking out to a manicured green area and the several panels with (I presume) Balinese art. The bathroom area is boring and unimaginative. We had pool suite # 14, which I recommend for the beautiful view as well as for its proximity to the main area of the property. I thought the one-floor suites were much better than the duplexes.
This property may not be worth it for people easily repulsed or scared by geckos, frogs and other bugs; they're all over the outdoor areas (and the occasional gecko inside the room). We had a biggish spider in our room once and a little snake just outside our room door.
Amandari delivers on some of the Aman staples - lovely tea, local snacks and drinks every evening by the pool and performances of Balinese dance in the main lobby area several times a week. One of the two evenings we were there, they'd put up a fairly elaborate 40-minute performance of several classical Balinese dances performed by (very cute) Balinese kids of several ages that learn and practice in Amandari.
The small spa is a really beautiful facility. An Amandari massage in one of the spa rooms open from one side to a lush green pond with fountain-like feature was blissful. The 2-hour trek in the Ayung valley is worth it too - lovely rice terraces, villages replete with ancient banyan trees and doe-eyed cows.
As was rumored, there is indeed magic to be felt in Amandari. When I visit Ubud again, I'll probably try out COMO Estate or FS Sayan, but book myself 2 nights at Amandari and not venture out.
On the whole, the rooms are average. The bedroom area does have some interesting design features like the window behind the bed looking out to a manicured green area and the several panels with (I presume) Balinese art. The bathroom area is boring and unimaginative. We had pool suite # 14, which I recommend for the beautiful view as well as for its proximity to the main area of the property. I thought the one-floor suites were much better than the duplexes.
This property may not be worth it for people easily repulsed or scared by geckos, frogs and other bugs; they're all over the outdoor areas (and the occasional gecko inside the room). We had a biggish spider in our room once and a little snake just outside our room door.
Amandari delivers on some of the Aman staples - lovely tea, local snacks and drinks every evening by the pool and performances of Balinese dance in the main lobby area several times a week. One of the two evenings we were there, they'd put up a fairly elaborate 40-minute performance of several classical Balinese dances performed by (very cute) Balinese kids of several ages that learn and practice in Amandari.
The small spa is a really beautiful facility. An Amandari massage in one of the spa rooms open from one side to a lush green pond with fountain-like feature was blissful. The 2-hour trek in the Ayung valley is worth it too - lovely rice terraces, villages replete with ancient banyan trees and doe-eyed cows.
As was rumored, there is indeed magic to be felt in Amandari. When I visit Ubud again, I'll probably try out COMO Estate or FS Sayan, but book myself 2 nights at Amandari and not venture out.