Groombridge

I recently spent 14 nights at the 5 Aman resorts in Indonesia, as part of Aman’s impeccably executed “Bali & Beyond” package. I’ll give a quick summary of my perspective on each resort, and then dive into the details in subsequent posts for those who are interested. (Note: I booked this trip through Virtuoso agent David O, which made this an even better experience than it would have been, since we received an upgrade at every resort, received a rate that is lower than that published on the web, and received a number of additional Virtuoso inclusions—free breakfast throughout, and free spa treatments, and excursions.)

Overall experience: Superbly managed—from the moment we disembarked from the plane, we never had to think about a single logistical detail—Aman’s flotilla of airport staff secured our visas and luggage and within minutes we were en route to the first resort. And this wonderful arrival was mirrored by every subsequent logistical detail: each excursion, transfer, and request was handled without the slightest visible stress or strain. What Aman has done with its 5 Indonesia properties creates an incredibly seamless experience from a service perspective, while ensuring that each of the 5 resorts is a unique experience. So you get the best of both worlds: consistency in service with very site-specific experiences at each of the 5 properties.

I hadn’t considered making this trip until the Gallivanter’s Guide issue on Bali, and the postings many of you have made about these resorts (a special thanks to londonjetsetter, paul2, Ericka, and others who made such helpful postings), as I’d assumed that I’d “missed the boat” on these properties and that they would be considerably past their prime. Except in Amanwana’s case, that assumption was totally inaccurate. So a special note of thanks to those of you who here on Flyer Talk who have posted

There was a range in quality across the 5 sites, so my “grades” for the 5 resorts, all in all, are:

Amankila: A

High Points: This resort has it all, and is the star of the bunch, taking all the high points of the other properties and assimilating them into one glorious place. The hillside location overlooking the sea. East Bali, which feels so much less touristy than the rest, the architecture, the comfort and beauty of the rooms, the pools and beach experiences, the food, the excursions—knowing what I know now, if I had had to pick just one of these 5 Amans to experience, this would definitely be the one (with Amanusa a close second).

Low Points: Lack of a proper fitness center and spa.

Amanusa: A

High Points: The architecture—in my opinion the best designed public and private areas of these 5 resorts. The attention to detail. The freshest rooms of any of the 5 resorts—you simply cannot believe that the rooms are less than a year old, let alone nearly 20—they have done an amazing job of keeping the place up to date and in perfect condition, such that it was the most polished and luxurious of the 5 resorts, in terms of its feel and delivery of service. The best beach club experience I have ever had. And the large pool is dramatic and has terrific service.

Low Points: Lack of a proper fitness center and spa. The location is perhaps less thrilling than that of the other Amans . . . but the views over the golf course with the ocean in the distance are really beautiful nonetheless.

Amandari: B+

High Points: The grounds with their plethora of Hindu shrines, pathways, and a massive banyan tree. The views over the pool to the gorge beyond. The gym and spa (Amandari is the only one of these 5 Amans that has a real fitness room and a dedicated spa building).

Low Points: The quality of sleep here is not great, given the tremendous amount of animal noise from the surrounding villages. From 1 am until dawn, a cacophony of roosters blares every 30 seconds or so. It’s so loud it’s comical . . . plus the frogs! It’s all very atmospheric, but doesn’t make for restful sleep. The rooms, even with their recent updating, feel just a bit tired.

Amanjiwo: B+

High Points: The location. The cultural experiences and excursions.

Low Points: Heavy burning of incense in all the public areas. Relentless, loud gamelan playing and singing at lunches and dinners. Staff less warm and friendly than at the other properties. Main building and guest rooms are just a hair’s breadth short of needing an updating.

Amanwana: C+

High Points: The superb staff and GM Kevin Brooke. Arriving by float plane. The underwater experiences.

Low Points: The shocking state of the accommodations, the freshwater pool, the “Music Pavilion,” and the “Jungle Cove Spa,” which are all in desperate need of a refurbishment.

That’s perhaps enough detail for most, but for those who are interested, I’ll provide more info below about each of the resorts, specifics about the rooms, the food, the excursions they provided, photos, etc.

Groombridge

Room: The Amankila Suite. As expected, it’s sensational—the massive terrace and pool, the bales (one of which contains an iPod and docking station), the sound of the ocean booming below. The two separate living pavilions are exactly like the living pavilions elsewhere in the resort, and are in pristine condition, having just recently been refurbished. I was surprised to see a flatscreen TV and DVD player in the suite (Amanusa is the only other one of these resorts that has these), and we didn’t use them, but can imagine they’d come in handy during the rainy season. Nice details throughout: all of the books and paper materials in the room have been covered or bound with local woven material—including a book about the fruit of Indonesia that has been positioned next to the towering fruit display. Perfect housekeeping—nightly turndown gifts, and everything always fresh and perfect. We requested dinner at the suite one night and they decorated the terrace with the tall Balinese white flags, and placed several candles around the pool. One of the women in our party preferred sleeping outdoors, so they draped one of the bales with mosquito netting so that she could enjoy sleeping to the ambient noise of the waves.

We each had the “mepijet” massage treatment from Gusti, the “local healer,” and it was a superbly individualized, intuitive, and therapeutic massage—one of my friends, a real spa aficionado, felt it was the best massage she’d ever received.

The food at Amankila was the best of our trip, each breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu containing more options than we had days to sample.

We spent much time lounging around the pool at our suite, as well as the photogenic tiered main pool, and then an afternoon at the beach, where the gray volcanic sand is as soft as talcum powder and the waves were perfect – big enough to generate some excitement, but not too rough – and looking back up at Amankila, and a neighboring Balinese family temple, on the hill and cliff above, while bobbing in the waves, is a type of heaven. The beach service is superb—private bales fronted by lounge chairs. The neighboring beach pool is also very photogenic, and supremely relaxing place to while away a few hours.

We scheduled two excursions, one of which was superb—the trek to Tenganan across the rice patties of East Bali. This was not a difficult trek, but did take 3 hours, as we stopped multiple times to avail ourselves of the quintessential Balinese landscapes of rice terraces, scarecrows, and shrines to the rice goddess. The trek does have a very humid, unpleasant downhill stretch through a narrow, rocky path, so if you’re not feeling like that part of the trek, you may want to ask them to take you down the main road to the village of Tenganan, where the trek ends.

The other excursion was the morning sightseeing cruise and snorkeling expedition. The snorkeling was just so-so, and the sightseeing consisted of circling a small off-shore island. The boat was very pleasant, since it’s arranged so that you can recline in pillowed comfort on the roof, and of course the Aman staff take very good care of you, but the highlight, frankly, was sailing past Amankila and seeing it from the sea.

Groombridge

This was the great surprise of the trip, a truly world-class resort that leaped immediately into my “Top 10” favorite hotels/resorts list. To think I’d almost excluded it from our itinerary, given how little I’ve heard about it in comparison to Amandari, Amankila, and Amanjiwo.

We were in Pool Suite #26, a room that I recommend without any reservation, so perfect it is in design and layout, with the pool terrace virtually (but not quite) private. Everything here is so refined and polished—yet still redolent of Bali. Black detailing provides a very elegant unifying theme—black straw baskets, hats, and flip flops in the room—black mats upon which your toiletries are places—black containers for the water bottles. The sunken bathtub in the bathroom is surrounded by glass walls with a lily pond beyond, in my mind a preferable option to an outdoor bathtub such as Amandari and Amanjiwo have. On one side of the bathroom, there’s an outdoor shower, and a rack for drying swimsuits. Lots of outdoor living space—a small entrance courtyard and dining area, and then in back a two-level terrace, with a bale on one level and a pool with lounge chairs (and a pitcher of ice water and dispensers of sunscreen) on the lower level. The room was pristine, as if it had been built and decorated last year.

There’s so much attention to detail throughout the resort—at the main swimming pool the pool boy brings a sort of hat stand to you and hangs your excess clothing on it while you sunbathe or swim in that astounding, massive pool. Individual frangipani blossoms are arranged in artful patterns on the entrance wall of honeymooners’ pavilions. Small clip-on lights are brought with your menus at dinner so that you don’t have to awkwardly strain your menus toward the candlelight.

The beach experience is supremely comfortable and civilized—each individual bale nestled in surrounding foliage—which you’d think would make them hot and humid but instead somehow creates a sort of natural air conditioning, a wonderful place to read or nap after the heat and sun of the lounge chairs. The beach is yellow sand, raked and cleaned to perfection by Aman. Not the most photogenic of views, as many small fishing boats are bobbing just off shore. Mild waves, and some current, so you stay within the flags they’ve marked.

We had a private beach BBQ one night, and it was of course a very Aman-ized experience: Balinese flags, candles in translucent bags, personalized menus.

The only excursion we scheduled was a trip to view the sunset at the cliff-top Uluwatu temple. In retrospect, I wish we’d skipped this for more time at the nirvana that is Amanusa. Uluwatu temple is very photogenically situated on a cliff high above the breakers, but it is so overwhelmed at sunset by hundreds of sightseers, that it’s not an especially pleasant experience, and the monkeys that run rampant there are a real menace, having learned to steal objects from tourists and to then break them unless food is provided. (We saw them steal a young boy’s glasses.)

Everything they do at Amanusa is perfect – and it seems to be the sort of place where they are constantly identifying new ways to make the experience even better. Hats off.

Groombridge

The Ubud area of Bali has become so intensively touristed that I’m afraid it’s lost whatever magic it must once have had—and that played into our experience of Amandari, which has a certain evocative beauty, but was ultimately a less interesting destination than the less touristed, and much more gorgeous and culturally interesting East Bali, where Amankila is located. In a nutshell, we felt that Amankila had an even better cultural experience than Amandari, with the added benefit of the ocean, more pools, better food, and better service. That said, Amandari is still better than what you’d experience at most hotels and resorts worldwide—and is a beautiful resort.

Room: Ayung Suite, a duplex suite with a pool and a nice view. I’m not crazy about the duplex suite’s layout—the upstairs bedroom feeling a bit too rustic for my taste, so I’d recommend instead the one-level pool suite immediately next to the Ayung Suite, which has an infinity pool rather than the in-ground pool of the Ayung Suite.

As I mentioned before, there’s a lot of night-time noise here from the wildlife. We couldn’t identify a particular animal that was making the sound of a duck honking through a megaphone. We asked room service when they delivered our dinner, who indicated that it was from very tiny frogs in the lily ponds around the walls of the suite. Without our even asking (because who would think to make such a request!), they suggested sending someone to catch all of the frogs and move them to another location. And within a few minutes, all the frog noises had disappeared. Ah, Aman . . . But there’s of course nothing they can do about all the roosters in the surrounding village, though, so expect to sleep fitfully to the twice-a-minute crowing of roosters from 1 am to dawn.

The pool is as photogenic as it appears in publicity materials, although the service there was a bit slower and less anticipatory than what we experienced at the other Balinese Amans—and that’s in fact true of the resort overall—it was just a bit less anticipatory of one’s needs, a bit less polished, than the other two on Bali.

We enjoyed the rafting excursion down the Ayung River quite a bit, managed through a separate company with which Aman contracts, and it ends just below Amandari, which is very convenient. And breakfast from the Bali on the far side of the Ayung Gorge, following a two hour, but mostly easy, hike, was superb.

We also had a driver take us to some of the famous Hindu temples. A tip regarding the famous temple of Gunung Kawai Tampaksiring: it’s flooded by tourists, apparently, and to get there one must walk through a gauntlet of touts and hawkers shops. But we went one hour before dusk, at 5 pm, and it was entirely deserted—we were literally the only people there, and if you can time it that way, it’s a very good experience, since one descends past rice terraces to a valley where the temple is situated alongside some ancient funerary monuments.

We had their Balinese Feast one night. We loved the set-up (a private table set up inside the loggia where the girls practice dance, surrounded by candles, Balinese flags, rose petals, etc.), and 4 girls did a dance for us at the beginning of the feast—their skill is very impressive. We’re not very adventurous eaters, however, so the food itself made for the only really unfortunate meal of the trip.

The boutique and gallery at Amandari were my favorite of the trip, full of museum quality pieces—and I’m still very conflicted about not having purchased the antique Javanese wooden wedding couple there.

Overall, there’s such a nice patina of maturity about the exteriors of Amandari—moss and lichen and verdant plant life sharing space with Hindu sculptures and shrines—it’s a very nice place to spend a few days.

Groombridge

My expectations were very, very high for Amanjiwo. Slightly too high, as it turns out. The positives are already widely known: the astounding location with its view across the valley to Borobudur, the appeal of the design, the Aman ethos pervading. But this resort, more than any of the 5, was riddled with infelicities that just kept disrupting the sort of interrupted bliss that the world’s very best resorts provide. Whereas the other Indonesian Amans rely upon fresh flowers to scent the air, incense is burned, overwhelmingly, to my nose, in all the public areas, so that as soon as you step into the lobby, you’re stunned by the heavy and headachy scent of incense, which continues to greet you as you enter the library, where more sticks are burning, the bathrooms, and even the boutique. And while the gamelan players figure in the background during dinner at the other Amans in Indonesia, here they were outright intrusive, playing loudly during lunch and dinner, accompanied by a singer, and really getting under one’s skin in a way that made it difficult to think or converse.

The GM was away, and it showed, as the staff seemed less en pointe than at the other Amans, sometimes taking a long time to fulfill simple requests like a request for a bottle of water, and lacking the sort of warmth and attentiveness that the other Amans had spoiled us to expect. Half-way through our four-night stay, Amandari sent one of their assistant managers to help right the ship, and that did seem to help.

We were in Rooms #25 and #26, which are in the center of the front row facing Borobudur, and my sense is that the front row rooms really are preferable, so that your view isn’t interrupted at all by the other rooms. The rooms are just as they appear in the publicity stills, although the shower rooms are starting to get a bit tired, and some of the furniture looks a bit dated, but is in very good condition. We loved the design of the bathrooms, with separate vanities and closet areas at separate ends, giving plenty of individual space. The terrazzo floors are cracked (given the heavy earthquake rate in Indonesia—and we were awakened by a 5+ one our first night there), but that simply feels like a characteristic of a mature property, rather than something that detracts.

We loved the cultural experiences Amanjiwo cultivates—from the nightly lectures on Borobudur, Indonesia independence, or textiles—to the famed “Borobudur Sunrise.” That experience was so still and awe-inspiring that we actually did it twice, wanting to ensure we’d had ample time to savor the experience of being up among the stupas and sculptures during that magic hour. On the first morning, volcanic Merapi, which is the perfect stereotype of a volcano with its tall, sloping cone, was smoking vehemently in the distance, with the sun rising just to its right. (The guides say late June is the best sunrise of the year, since the sun rises right between Merapi’s slopes and another mountain.) The next morning we had a perfect sunrise with the full disk of the sun clearly visible. Aman staff lament the fact that now a larger number of hotels all get access to the site before dawn, whereas originally it was only Amanjiwo guests (how wonderful that would have been!). So there are 50+ folks on top for dawn, but it’s still a hushed, wonderful experience. Afterwards, we did Aman’s “Dagi Hill Breakfast,” which I strongly recommend, as the views toward Borobudur are very nice, watercolors are provided, the food is very good, and it’s a nice way to relax after the time spent on Borobudur.

We also did the excursion to Selogriyo, a small Hindu temple tucked up and within a large rice terraced valley. We enjoyed walking through the village, and then the beauty of the terraces as well. It’s not a “must do” excursion, but if you didn’t get your fill of rice terraces at Bali, this is a nice walk. I’d recommend doing it in the very early morning, when the light will be very nice.

The Mendut Temple meditation was also a good experience, since Aman arranges private access to this 8th century Buddhist temple after hours, and arranges pillows/mats on the floor so that you can spend however much time you want gazing up at the impressive vault and statue of Buddha. The meditating is not facilitated or guided, so you’re on your own for as much or as little time as you’d like.

Our driver and guide, Napi, was very solicitous of our every need, and was the one staff person at Amanjiwo who really stood out and conveyed the Aman ethos that has generated such fans worldwide.

Groombridge

Fans of Amanwana no doubt praise the way the resort is able to pull off what it does in such a remote location. And I agree: the food is very good, (particularly the honeycomb ice cream made from local honeycomb) and the chef so accommodating, repeatedly offering to make whatever possible.

GM Kevin Brooke is among the very best GMs I’ve ever met, showing sincere interest and concern for his guests, without ever seeming obsequious or fake. And he has created a world-class staff on Moyo Island. It’s clear that in their morning employee meetings they must review each guest’s itinerary for the day, because no matter whom we met among the staff, we were asked how we’d enjoyed whatever activity had been on our slate that day.

We loved the water activities—the snorkeling is superb, both in Amanwana bay and at nearby Labuan Aji. Night snorkeling didn’t yield much of interest in the way of sea life, but the sparkling of the myriad stars above and the sparkling of the myriad plankton in the sea made for a magical and hushed experience.

The waterfall excursion was also enjoyable—less for the waterfall itself, and more for the exposure to the village and the ride in the Japanese WWII open-air jeep that carries one inland.

So there’s much to like about Amanwana. But the physical property itself, I’m sad to say, is in really poor condition, such that I’d be hard pressed to compare it favorably to 3-star hotels, let alone 5-star ones at this price. The tents are in desperate need of an updating, as the stone of the sinks, bathroom and shower stall is in very poor condition, stained and corroded, the woodwork damaged and chipped away, the furniture used almost to the breaking point. (Photos below.) This state of disrepair seemed to extend across the property. “Can we use a Hobie Cat?” “No, our only one is broken.”

We were in Ocean Tents #3 and #4, and I think it's worth the extra $100/night to not be tucked back in the Jungle Tents. I don't think the views from #3 and #4 as nearly as good as the views from tents that are farther from the dining room (i.e. higher tent numbers), where the tents actually sit on a small bluff such that the views from the deck chairs are more expansive.

The freshwater pool alongside the dock is murky and smelly, completely unappealing.

The main dining area with its soaring ceiling is a great space, but the surroundings are scruffy and poorly maintained, striking an uncomfortable median between trying to cultivate the island and simply letting it have its way, whereas either extreme would have been preferable. The Jungle Cove Spa seemed to be unusable—we were steered toward having our spa treatments in a tent that’s being used for that purpose, and when I went to look at the Jungle Cove Spa, I could see why—the bathtubs are chipped and insalubrious in appearance, and it had an overall air of decrepitude and abandonment, as did the “Music Pavilion,” which never seems to be used.
I can’t recommend Amanwana until the accommodations and physical structures match the quality of the service and activities on hand.

Finally, we were very surprised by the number of children here. It seems to have become a destination of choice for Japanese families with young children, which comprised 80% of the guests. Amanwana seems a strange choice for kids given that the beach is not swimmable. Accordingly, the children, a good dozen of them, were omnipresent, chasing sand crabs and each other up and down the beach in front of the tents, laid down for naps along the sofas in the one real public space of the resort, playing noisy games in the small freshwater pool and claiming the sun deck's space for the day. Hard to blame them, as they were too young for swimming in the ocean, snorkeling, diving. But I do blame their parents, for bringing them to such an inappropriate place, and for allowing them to be such irritants to the other guests.

Maybe it was just the time of year. We were so surprised by the number of children that we asked if it was a company party of a large family reunion but no, they were all separate families, unrelated to each other.

Here are some images that I think convey why I felt the property is in desperate need of a refurbishing:

Kagehitokiri

epic.

and lots of really detailed information. ^

how many nights at each property? did you use unpacking/packing on bali?

Groombridge

Days/nights at each resort:

Amandari: 3
Amanwana: 2 (too long!)
Amanusa: 2 (too short!)
Amanjiwo: 4
Amankila: 4

We didn't know there was a packing/unpacking option--the offer was never made.

Kagehitokiri

so, paul2 and vuittonsofstyle, who has been to amanwana more?

are some of the conditions due to weather damage etc? perhaps some tents are in better shape??

jan 20 2009
may 26 2008
***

odd. i thought it was published in aman exclusives, but i dont see it. it is published for FS...

nov 15, 2007
feb 4, 2009

AbuDonut

What a report...thank you! Can't wait to go :-)

zigzag

What a great trip report and thank you for writing it up!

I remember being told of the packing service when I inquired about how much to pack and laundry service. The first resort was Amanusa and they took the bags and all was hanging and placed in the draws. After a bite to eat, we were shown the room, and all was in place. They told us then that everything would be moved from resort to resort. It happens every time I am in Indonesia, just like they always bring me sparking water, weird but great!
At Begawan Giri the butler Sumatra even asked if he could pick out or cloths for our flight home, press everything and pack the rest. Trust me nothing fancy.When the airport security asked if anyone packed our bags or had been out of our possession we said no, and later laughed when we thought he could have put anything in there!

vuittonsofstyle

Great report, although i was very disturbed by the poor maintenance at Amanwana - I have never experienced anything like that in all the years of staying there. It does suffer from weather damage, so they have to refresh it every season, but from your photos, it looks as though they missed a year. Worrying!

At Amanjiwo, the floors have always been 'cracked' ever since it opened under Francois Richli. Francois told me it was a mistake, but then Aman decided that the look was rather appropriate and I have to say that upon subsequent visits, it began to feel right. Shame Sean Flakelar was away as he adds a whole extra dimension to staying there.

At Amandari, the loud quacking noise at night, often sounding as though it is right by your ear or at least above you, is from a local species of ghecko. You also hear it at places like Four Seasons Tented Camp. Amazing that Aman moved the frogs for you!!

I am thrilled you enjoyed Amanusa - it is one of my favourites. I have no idea why it is less famous than the others as I agree that it is one of the most comfortable and best designed Amans in the region, and I also adore the beach club and all the details like the little fabric holders on the base of the wine glasses that stops them dripping. You also stayed in my favourite pool suite - the Amanusa Suite. Good decision.

Ericka

ROFLMAO!

Thank you for this wonderful report. It's always bittersweet reading these things when I don't have immediate plans to return to Indonesia.

I know what you mean about Wana. I believe I used the word "rustic" in my trip report.

SocialAdept

Superb report Groombridge! Although I an surprised at the state of repairs from your photos. I suspect we will receive an explanation for this soon as word travels.

bearbrick

yikes at AMANWANA

thanks for report and what a save indeed as i was planning a visit to wana ....which mode of transport did you choose to get there ? and would you have done it differently ?

did the management mention any plans for renovations ?

^