uclabruin82

Dawn @ Borobudur w/breakfast after is great. the hike into the hills above Amanjiwo is also nice.
We did a private dinner with dancers. It was fun, but make sure you are hungry because it is a lot of food!

Kagehitokiri

there has been recent discussion re 'must do' at jiwo/bali

tours of local villages (where aman hires from etc) ?

multiple reports here of jiwo bicycle excursion (incl driving part way)

can talk to ian, even if he is based at nusa
ernst too depending on his prior aman history

edit re Pak Bilal - definitely long discussed here, maybe less recent

jantaoYVR

Others have mentioned the hike in the hills - which we also enjoyed tremendously - but haven't seen a recommendation for Pak Bilal's which was outstanding! Also, if you're a fan of coffee - have your guide take you by one of the Kopi Luwak huts/plantations. That was tons of fun too.

mad07

Thanks! Do you guys recommend I email Ian directly, or can I just email the "general" concierge email at Amanjiwo? My booking specialist from Aman just gave me a generic resort email.

jantaoYVR

Kage - you're right of course on Pak Bilal, just hadn't seen any mention recently.

As to speaking with Ian directly, we didn't before we arrived, but he spent almost an hour with us when we arrived chatting about what we'd like to do etc. I imagine he'll be more than happy to do this via email. He's one of the best Aman GM's I've dealt with

mad07

Awesome, thank you!

Kagehitokiri

re jiwo (and kila) >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...l#post28643255
in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...ad-2017-a.html

re this thread's OP - a follow up from them after that stay >
sometimes hard to recall whats recent and whats not, sometimes surprising how long ago something was posted. although sometimes posts refer to older stays.

hope ian white and ernst ludick (and others outside indonesia) stick around. i heard a veteran (not GM) left wana.

jantaoYVR, sounded like jiwo exceeded your expectations. as you do more amans, how have they gone in terms of expectations?

jantaoYVR

It was my first Aman, and though my expectations were high - I wasn't entirely sure what the Aman ethos was all about. As I've stayed at more, perhaps the bar has been raised in my mind - so I might be idealizing that first stay; I'm not entirely sure.

I've yet to have a "below expectations" stay at an Aman, but I've also yet to be as utterly wowed by the service as I was at Jiwo.

Kagehitokiri

so high expectations being met, but not necessarily exceeded ?

fabamber

My partner and I are planning to book the Culture trails package for 3 nights too. I couldn't find any recent reviews on Amanjiwo.
Was there any highlights/must do activities from your trip?

I noticed the Borobudur dawn tour, Dinner at Pak Bilal's house etc. aren't on the inclusive activities list, so I was wondering if you had to pay extra?

Thanks!

DavidO

The dawn tour is an extra charge.

Dinner at Pak Bilal's house requires transportation there and you pay Pak Bilal at dinner ... very inexpensive and SO worth it!

mad07

Yup, there are two lists. I had the Amanjiwo team send me the full list just to see additional activities that weren't included. I didn't end up doing dinner at Pak Bilal's because it was just me so it ended up being really expensive.

I did:
1) Dawn at Borobudur - very cool/serene but since they opened it to everyone now, it's probably not as peaceful. I've heard sunset may actually be better / less people.

2) Cycling through villages - this was awesome! A really cool way to visit all the small towns and so culturally immersive. The bike ride wasn't difficult and you can basically stop along the way and spend more time in places if you want. I ended up being really fascinated with pigeon racing (random, I know) but my guide ended up chatting up a group of guys who were training their pigeons and we got to watch. Super fun!

3) Visit to Prambanan temple on way from airport - really nice visit with a great guide.

4) Night meditation at Mendut Temple and chanting - this was also a great experience because you join a few monks while they do their evening chants and meditation. I ended up walking around the monastery grounds with one of the monks under a full moon, which created a very special and peaceful atmosphere. The set up at Mendut Temple is particularly cool because you're the only person there (or with other guests of Amanjiwo), and you can stay as long as you want. They do a really nice job setting up the place too (e.g. mats, pillows, candles).

5) Traditional Javanese massage - really good stress relief. Recommended for people who enjoy stronger massages.

Overall, i LOVED my time on the property and meeting with the staff and other guests. Would 100% go back in a heartbeat. Enjoy!!

Musken

Yes, two lists. We did some of the included ones and some that we had to pay extra for. As far as I remember, all excursions were reasonably priced at Amanjiwo. My TR is here if you do a search.

bhrubin

We went back in 2009, but still fondly remember our stay as it is one of our top 3 hotel stays of all time.

We did:

(1) Daytime and sunset visits at Borobudur. Nobody was gonna wake me up to do sunrise. Hell no. It was supposedly less crowded at sunset anyway. We loved both visits.

(2) Cycling though villages. One of our most memorable excursions of all time. Though they promised me it was 100% downhill--a physical impossibly as I pointed out--it was a reasonably easy trek. We had a guide and trailing vehicle with cold towels and beverages/snacks, so it was pretty luxe. We saw local life, temple prayers, rice cultivation, met many local villagers, especially children intrigued by people who looked so different, and had an absolutely fab time.

(3) Visited Prambadan temple on the way back to the Yogyakarta airport. Fortunately before further damaged by a more recent earthquake.

(4) My husband did Javanese massage and loved it. Very strong he indicated, as well.

The rest of the time we literally did nothing but relax in our Borobudur Pool Suite and upgraded Dalem Jiwo Suite and enjoy the views into Borobudur and the rice fields.

Nizar

Do you reckon it's worth spending the extra on a Dalem Jiwo Suite as opposed to just a Borobudur Pool Suite ? We are travelling as just a couple