Aman Poll and Questions (up to end 2009)
#797
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Dublin,Ireland
Posts: 1,294
Amandari:
Ericka, I think you may be a bit of an Aman expert but not sure if you have been to Dari before? I will assume you haven't, but apologies if much of the below is old news to you.
This place was amazing. We had a duplex pool suite, right at the end of one of the lines of villas, overlooking the gorge down to the Ayung river. This was our first visit, so I can't compare to what it was like before the refurb, but the room was immaculate and looked like it had been constructed yesterday, not 20 years ago. All the sides to the downstairs living area can be opened up, which is just magical! On the exterior of the rooms, and on all the paths etc., Aman have left all the plant growth, which preserves the wonderful impression of a traditional Balinese village, rather than creating a stark resort.
If budget allows (or if you or your TA are persuasive on the free upgrade front!!) I would recommend getting a room with a pool, as the main pool is flanked by the bar and restaurant and is right by the entrance to the resort, so it is not at all private.
Activities-wise, we went on the cycling tour of the local villages/rice paddies (10/10 and a must-do), on a walking tour of the rice paddies, a market trip (good but only worth a short visit) and breakfast in one of the Aman bales (highly recommended). We also heard good reports of the rafting, but have done that many times before (albeit not in Bali) so decided to skip it. We also had a couple of massages - one excellent and one not particularly good (sorry, I cant remember the name of the dodgy masseuse) and spent a lot of time just soaking up the magical ambiance in the resort (occupancy was at about 10 - 20% so it was very serene yet did not feel dead - incidentally, Amankila and Amankora were at around the same occupancy rate).
Btw, for what it is worth, I preferred Dari to Kila; my wife took the opposite view (save that we both agreed the food at Dari was better)!
Hope this helps.
Ericka, I think you may be a bit of an Aman expert but not sure if you have been to Dari before? I will assume you haven't, but apologies if much of the below is old news to you.
This place was amazing. We had a duplex pool suite, right at the end of one of the lines of villas, overlooking the gorge down to the Ayung river. This was our first visit, so I can't compare to what it was like before the refurb, but the room was immaculate and looked like it had been constructed yesterday, not 20 years ago. All the sides to the downstairs living area can be opened up, which is just magical! On the exterior of the rooms, and on all the paths etc., Aman have left all the plant growth, which preserves the wonderful impression of a traditional Balinese village, rather than creating a stark resort.
If budget allows (or if you or your TA are persuasive on the free upgrade front!!) I would recommend getting a room with a pool, as the main pool is flanked by the bar and restaurant and is right by the entrance to the resort, so it is not at all private.
Activities-wise, we went on the cycling tour of the local villages/rice paddies (10/10 and a must-do), on a walking tour of the rice paddies, a market trip (good but only worth a short visit) and breakfast in one of the Aman bales (highly recommended). We also heard good reports of the rafting, but have done that many times before (albeit not in Bali) so decided to skip it. We also had a couple of massages - one excellent and one not particularly good (sorry, I cant remember the name of the dodgy masseuse) and spent a lot of time just soaking up the magical ambiance in the resort (occupancy was at about 10 - 20% so it was very serene yet did not feel dead - incidentally, Amankila and Amankora were at around the same occupancy rate).
Btw, for what it is worth, I preferred Dari to Kila; my wife took the opposite view (save that we both agreed the food at Dari was better)!
Hope this helps.
I highly recommend the rafting trip there. The scenery along the river is beautiful and the rafting isnt too tough, you dont need to be mega-fit.
#800
More on Amankora
I spent 10 nights at Amankora last October, and thought it was one of the top 5 hotel experiences of my life. I went to all 5 lodges, and agree with the other posters that to see all 5, you must have the stomach for very, very long drives.
What we found most amazing about was simply that Aman could pull off such world class service, spa treatments, and (often) delicious food in such difficult-to-traverse environs. The rooms in the 5 lodges don't vary much from lodge to lodge--there are two room types in total: one type at 3 of the lodges, the other type at 2. But the exteriors, and the common spaces, are each very individualized to the locale.
Basically, you are not driving very far at all, as the crow flies, but because Bhutan is a series of north-to-south valleys, each divided by very tall mountain ranges, you spend hours switchbacking up one side of the range, and down the other, in order to get from one lodge to the next. What's more, to get to the lodge furthest east, Bumthang, you must traverse two valleys, because Aman hasn't yet built a lodge on the property they've apparently acquired in Trongsa, the valley separating Bumthang valley from the Gangtey lodge.
I grew up in the Rockies, but have lived in NYC for more than a decade, and I did get a touch of altitude sickness after mountain biking in Gangtey, the only lodge that is at a significant elevation. And another guest there had to be moved early to a different lodge because he also developed altitude sickness there. But we were the only two that seemed to be struggling with that at Gangtey.
So some quick reactions to the journey, the lodges, and activities at them:
DRUK AIR: Yes, if you can get a seat on the left side of the plane (left as you face forward), and the weather cooperates, you can see the peak of Everest, and a string of other "highest peaks in the world," en route from Delhi-Kathmandu-Paro. They don't assign seats in advance, so far as I can tell, so when you check in at Delhi, get there early to request a seat on the left side of the plane--people are clearly aware of this, so those seats go fast. And it's definitely worth paying the few hundred extra dollars for business class seats on Druk Air.
PARO: After all that travel, I think you really want Paro to be your first stop, since it's just a 30-minute drive from the airport. That 30 minutes will give you a taste of what the roads are like in Bhutan, and can help you gear up for what's ahead. And the setting's very majestic--mountain peaks all around, with one of the great peaks of the Himalaya, Jomolhari, visible on clear days. And with Tiger's Nest just a short drive away, this is clearly the must-visit lodge.
To Gangtey from Paro is a very long drive, but with the most exquisite scenery of the trip in the long valleys heading up to Gangtey--rice paddies hanging off the mountain sides, incredibly verdant and lush vistas, yaks along the road in the higher elevation approaching Gangtey.
GANGTEY: very small and intimate lodge, with exquisite views across the valley. Nice nature walks in the valley, or mountain biking. Visits within homes of farmers, a historic monastery on a ridge, etc. A very special feel here, given how remote and quite it is; one of the nights, we were the only two people in the lodge, and were made to feel like royalty, with personally addressed dinner menus, etc. The best breakfast pastries of the trip. Not sure how much time to recommend here--but if you have to pick between Gangtey and Thimphu, I thought Gangtey was much more special.
From Gangtey, the longest of the drives--yet with spectacular scenery--to Bumthang: locals praying to rocks along the way in a form of pre-Buddhist worship; prayer flags everywhere on the hills; stupas. Bumthang lodge is, according to our guide, rarely visited; he hadn't taken anyone there for over 6 months. Terrific architecture, ridiculously good spa treatments, and the best food of the trip--in the most remote location. How on earth does Aman pull this off? Some important temples are in this area, and at one of them, we chanced upon the King of Bhutan and his two sisters, who were warm and friendly and dignified, introducing themselves to us and welcoming us to their country. All this said, it's hard to recommend the additional drive to Bumthang--I didn't feel we really saw anything there that we hadn't already experienced in other parts of Bhutan. I'm glad we went, since I really wanted to experience all of the lodges, and with some Dramamine, I did just fine on all the winding roads. But those drives are really grueling, so the real must sees, in my opinion, are Paro lodge and then . . .
PUNAKHA: the most exquisite of all the lodges, set in rice paddies, across a swinging bridge covered with prayer flags, with a wonderful outdoor dining courtyard with tremendous views. There are only a few rooms, so it's seen much more wear and tear than the other lodges; in fact, it was the only lodge that felt a bit run down. But it's really a must. The dzong in Punakha is the most gorgeous of them all.
Finally, we were underwhelmed by THIMPHU. There seemed less to do and see in that area, and the lodge lacks the grand views of Paro, the otherworldliness of Gangtey, and the gorgeous intimacy of Punankha. We'd planned our visit deliberately in October because we'd heard the weather was ideal then, and that there were many festivals. The weather was ok--but we never had an unobstructed view of the Himalayas from the tops of the mountain passes we drove over--too many clouds, and some rain. The guide felt that by far the best time to go was in the spring, when all the wild rhododendron are in bloom along the roads--they say it's unimaginably beautiful then, and better to have some rain in the spring, and all that beauty, than the possibly clearer days in the fall.
Re: the festivals. I'm an operagoer, so I think I have a reasonably long attention span, but I found the festivals to be excruciatingly dull; 10 minutes was plenty to get the idea. Everyone sits on the ground, outdoors, and it's hot and very, very dull--with dancers making very repetitive movements for very, very long stretches of time. Our guide took us up into the rafters of one of the temples, from which we looked down upon a private dance conducted by the monks, and it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime and thrilling experience . . . for about ten minutes. But the dances goes on for 2-3 hours, so we simply left when we tired of it--as everyone does. But I wouldn't let the festivals be the top driver of when you travel to Bhutan. It's nice to see for a few minutes, but a little went a long way. Outside the temple precinct, there more of a festive atmosphere, with lots of gambling going on, which we were welcomed to join, and thoroughly enjoyed. The people, everywhere, were wonderful.
I can't recommend Amankora highly enough. Uneven food, but much better than it seems possible to pull off--and the fact that they have five different menus (separate menus for each lodge) for each of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in a country where most other foodstuff is cheese and chillies, is astounding. (Aman kills a yak each week for yak meat; there are one or two yak items on the menu, but otherwise they fly in steak and seafood and many other items from Bangkok each week.) Moreover, each lodge has a different welcome drink, all wonderful, tailored to the local environment--a sort of lemon and pomegranate tea in the warm and lush Punakha, versus a ginger drink to fight altitude sickness in Gangtey, etc. Different gifts left on your bed each night, dealing with a local aspect of Bhutanese culture. Different attire for the staff at each lodge, characterizing that area. An amazing, amazing place. And I would NEVER want to go to Bhutan without Aman--the food, the driving, the accommodations would all be very, very difficult, I'm afraid, otherwise.
This turned out much longer than I'd planned--sorry for the deluge.
What we found most amazing about was simply that Aman could pull off such world class service, spa treatments, and (often) delicious food in such difficult-to-traverse environs. The rooms in the 5 lodges don't vary much from lodge to lodge--there are two room types in total: one type at 3 of the lodges, the other type at 2. But the exteriors, and the common spaces, are each very individualized to the locale.
Basically, you are not driving very far at all, as the crow flies, but because Bhutan is a series of north-to-south valleys, each divided by very tall mountain ranges, you spend hours switchbacking up one side of the range, and down the other, in order to get from one lodge to the next. What's more, to get to the lodge furthest east, Bumthang, you must traverse two valleys, because Aman hasn't yet built a lodge on the property they've apparently acquired in Trongsa, the valley separating Bumthang valley from the Gangtey lodge.
I grew up in the Rockies, but have lived in NYC for more than a decade, and I did get a touch of altitude sickness after mountain biking in Gangtey, the only lodge that is at a significant elevation. And another guest there had to be moved early to a different lodge because he also developed altitude sickness there. But we were the only two that seemed to be struggling with that at Gangtey.
So some quick reactions to the journey, the lodges, and activities at them:
DRUK AIR: Yes, if you can get a seat on the left side of the plane (left as you face forward), and the weather cooperates, you can see the peak of Everest, and a string of other "highest peaks in the world," en route from Delhi-Kathmandu-Paro. They don't assign seats in advance, so far as I can tell, so when you check in at Delhi, get there early to request a seat on the left side of the plane--people are clearly aware of this, so those seats go fast. And it's definitely worth paying the few hundred extra dollars for business class seats on Druk Air.
PARO: After all that travel, I think you really want Paro to be your first stop, since it's just a 30-minute drive from the airport. That 30 minutes will give you a taste of what the roads are like in Bhutan, and can help you gear up for what's ahead. And the setting's very majestic--mountain peaks all around, with one of the great peaks of the Himalaya, Jomolhari, visible on clear days. And with Tiger's Nest just a short drive away, this is clearly the must-visit lodge.
To Gangtey from Paro is a very long drive, but with the most exquisite scenery of the trip in the long valleys heading up to Gangtey--rice paddies hanging off the mountain sides, incredibly verdant and lush vistas, yaks along the road in the higher elevation approaching Gangtey.
GANGTEY: very small and intimate lodge, with exquisite views across the valley. Nice nature walks in the valley, or mountain biking. Visits within homes of farmers, a historic monastery on a ridge, etc. A very special feel here, given how remote and quite it is; one of the nights, we were the only two people in the lodge, and were made to feel like royalty, with personally addressed dinner menus, etc. The best breakfast pastries of the trip. Not sure how much time to recommend here--but if you have to pick between Gangtey and Thimphu, I thought Gangtey was much more special.
From Gangtey, the longest of the drives--yet with spectacular scenery--to Bumthang: locals praying to rocks along the way in a form of pre-Buddhist worship; prayer flags everywhere on the hills; stupas. Bumthang lodge is, according to our guide, rarely visited; he hadn't taken anyone there for over 6 months. Terrific architecture, ridiculously good spa treatments, and the best food of the trip--in the most remote location. How on earth does Aman pull this off? Some important temples are in this area, and at one of them, we chanced upon the King of Bhutan and his two sisters, who were warm and friendly and dignified, introducing themselves to us and welcoming us to their country. All this said, it's hard to recommend the additional drive to Bumthang--I didn't feel we really saw anything there that we hadn't already experienced in other parts of Bhutan. I'm glad we went, since I really wanted to experience all of the lodges, and with some Dramamine, I did just fine on all the winding roads. But those drives are really grueling, so the real must sees, in my opinion, are Paro lodge and then . . .
PUNAKHA: the most exquisite of all the lodges, set in rice paddies, across a swinging bridge covered with prayer flags, with a wonderful outdoor dining courtyard with tremendous views. There are only a few rooms, so it's seen much more wear and tear than the other lodges; in fact, it was the only lodge that felt a bit run down. But it's really a must. The dzong in Punakha is the most gorgeous of them all.
Finally, we were underwhelmed by THIMPHU. There seemed less to do and see in that area, and the lodge lacks the grand views of Paro, the otherworldliness of Gangtey, and the gorgeous intimacy of Punankha. We'd planned our visit deliberately in October because we'd heard the weather was ideal then, and that there were many festivals. The weather was ok--but we never had an unobstructed view of the Himalayas from the tops of the mountain passes we drove over--too many clouds, and some rain. The guide felt that by far the best time to go was in the spring, when all the wild rhododendron are in bloom along the roads--they say it's unimaginably beautiful then, and better to have some rain in the spring, and all that beauty, than the possibly clearer days in the fall.
Re: the festivals. I'm an operagoer, so I think I have a reasonably long attention span, but I found the festivals to be excruciatingly dull; 10 minutes was plenty to get the idea. Everyone sits on the ground, outdoors, and it's hot and very, very dull--with dancers making very repetitive movements for very, very long stretches of time. Our guide took us up into the rafters of one of the temples, from which we looked down upon a private dance conducted by the monks, and it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime and thrilling experience . . . for about ten minutes. But the dances goes on for 2-3 hours, so we simply left when we tired of it--as everyone does. But I wouldn't let the festivals be the top driver of when you travel to Bhutan. It's nice to see for a few minutes, but a little went a long way. Outside the temple precinct, there more of a festive atmosphere, with lots of gambling going on, which we were welcomed to join, and thoroughly enjoyed. The people, everywhere, were wonderful.
I can't recommend Amankora highly enough. Uneven food, but much better than it seems possible to pull off--and the fact that they have five different menus (separate menus for each lodge) for each of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in a country where most other foodstuff is cheese and chillies, is astounding. (Aman kills a yak each week for yak meat; there are one or two yak items on the menu, but otherwise they fly in steak and seafood and many other items from Bangkok each week.) Moreover, each lodge has a different welcome drink, all wonderful, tailored to the local environment--a sort of lemon and pomegranate tea in the warm and lush Punakha, versus a ginger drink to fight altitude sickness in Gangtey, etc. Different gifts left on your bed each night, dealing with a local aspect of Bhutanese culture. Different attire for the staff at each lodge, characterizing that area. An amazing, amazing place. And I would NEVER want to go to Bhutan without Aman--the food, the driving, the accommodations would all be very, very difficult, I'm afraid, otherwise.
This turned out much longer than I'd planned--sorry for the deluge.
#801
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
great post ^
out of curiosity i was looking around for travel times >
http://www.amanresorts.com/exclusive...w.aspx?id=1988
paro thimphu 2 hours
thimphu punakha 2.5 hours
punakha gangtey 2.5 hours
gangtey bumthang 5 hours
good to know aman will be opening a lodge in trongsa, between gangtey and bumthang.
out of curiosity i was looking around for travel times >
http://www.amanresorts.com/exclusive...w.aspx?id=1988
paro thimphu 2 hours
thimphu punakha 2.5 hours
punakha gangtey 2.5 hours
gangtey bumthang 5 hours
good to know aman will be opening a lodge in trongsa, between gangtey and bumthang.
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jun 3, 2009 at 5:44 pm
#802
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 242
Amankora
Bearbrick. It is 6.50 am. We have been to a couple of Amans before, but this was our first major Aman trip and we loved it. Addicted? Well, yes, maybe!
Couple of other Amankora points:
- Kagehitokiri, those driving times are not always accurate! Our driver did the drive from Paro to Punakha in 3.5 hours (we said just go for it, and he did!!) and the drive from Paro to Punakha was only about 1 hour. Having said that, if you get stuck behind a lorry or, more likely, a herd of cows, then it can take much, much longer!
- absolutely agree about Business Class on Druk - at the moment it is only about $75 more than an economy flight.
- even on the flight from Bangkok, which doesnt go via Kathmandu, you will get to see Everest in the far distance, and at least one of the other top 5 peaks much much closer!
- thanks Groombridge for your great post, which almost exactly mirrors our experiences of Punakha and Paro, although we loved Thimpu. It has a kind of faded ambience that you either like or not - we did, but I can see that others would not. We also enjoyed that stop because our guide took us on some pretty walks outside the town, and we got to see the local animal, the Thakin, which was a sight!
BigMerv
Couple of other Amankora points:
- Kagehitokiri, those driving times are not always accurate! Our driver did the drive from Paro to Punakha in 3.5 hours (we said just go for it, and he did!!) and the drive from Paro to Punakha was only about 1 hour. Having said that, if you get stuck behind a lorry or, more likely, a herd of cows, then it can take much, much longer!
- absolutely agree about Business Class on Druk - at the moment it is only about $75 more than an economy flight.
- even on the flight from Bangkok, which doesnt go via Kathmandu, you will get to see Everest in the far distance, and at least one of the other top 5 peaks much much closer!
- thanks Groombridge for your great post, which almost exactly mirrors our experiences of Punakha and Paro, although we loved Thimpu. It has a kind of faded ambience that you either like or not - we did, but I can see that others would not. We also enjoyed that stop because our guide took us on some pretty walks outside the town, and we got to see the local animal, the Thakin, which was a sight!
BigMerv
#803
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Dublin,Ireland
Posts: 1,294
Amantwitter
Now that The Four Seasons are registered on twitter and update regularly with 2000 followers do we think Aman will follow suit?
Is anyone aware of twittering aman managers?
OT I notice that Andrew Harper is there to follow.
Is anyone aware of twittering aman managers?
OT I notice that Andrew Harper is there to follow.
#804
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Dublin,Ireland
Posts: 1,294
The amanresorts website now has a full link to Amantaka in Laos under 'explore our resorts' :
http://www.amanresorts.com/amantaka/home.aspx
http://www.amanresorts.com/amantaka/home.aspx
#805
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
nice paul2 ^
great opening discount, 25% > 33% off.
great opening discount, 25% > 33% off.
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jun 3, 2009 at 5:18 pm
#806
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: DL SkyMiles PM/2MM, AA Plat, IC Diam. Amb., Peninsula regular, amanjunkie
Posts: 5,848
And the discount lasts a couple of months. I jumped on it, with the help of DavidO. ^ At the published discounts, plus Virtuoso amenities, Pool Suite for 17% less than standard suite will go for once the opening discount ends.
#808
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
note they are annual rates. its not standard to increase annual rates by 33% especially in this economy. so clearly the rates through oct are discounted, compared to next years rates.
of course theres also the FHR 4th nt free.
just noticed only amanjiwo, amangalla, le melezin have rooms with twin beds.
has this always been the case?
of course theres also the FHR 4th nt free.
just noticed only amanjiwo, amangalla, le melezin have rooms with twin beds.
has this always been the case?
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jun 15, 2009 at 2:09 pm
#809
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Dublin,Ireland
Posts: 1,294
Any updates on Amantaka? What is Luang Prabang and its environs like?
#810
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
first report >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11758491-post329.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11739991-post325.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11758491-post329.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11739991-post325.html
but just about everyone else is heading to LP too...one find s oneself "yearning" for .the days of the Phou Vao and its electricity brownouts ....i do hope the likes of accor et al would refrain from soiling it. - there must be rules if one is un heritage site - surely.
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jun 11, 2009 at 6:36 pm