Trip report - Bali, Moyo Island
Aug 2, 2011, 2:30 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 37
Trip report - Amanusa, Amandari, Amanwana
Compiled, so that it's easier to search.
Our itinerary - 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.
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.
Amanwana - The property is set in a lush green island (Moyo) with ready access to warm blue waters. We stayed in an Ocean Tent (which, apparently, was once stayed in by Princess Diana... I think #20) with a wonderful view. We did 3 dives during our stay - I can't compare with other dive sites since this was our first time, but I can say that we really enjoyed ourselves. My only other point of reference is French Polynesia (Moorea and Bora Bora) - the waters in FP are much prettier than in Moyo, but the coral and sea life are comparable. I'd highly recommend our dive instructor Saya (hope the spelling's right). The snorkeling right off the property's reef is amazing too, with very large schools of fish always around.
For someone not particularly fond of snorkeling/diving, I'd say this property isn't good value for money. The tent design is uninspired and the age shows, though I wouldn't call it run-down by a long shot. The property is very open to the elements, which is a good thing. The only restaurant - very Aman in design - is situated in a very beautiful corner. There's no pool to speak of - this is something I missed, despite spending a lot of time in the sea. On the whole, the physical property is way inferior to a couple of other tented properties I've been to (including Aman-i-khas). The the restaurant staff graciously accommodated all our requests/requirements, though on the whole we found the food OK. The service standards in general here were just a notch below the Bali Amans.
Some other good things to do at Amanwana - lounging by the hammock with the forest on one side and the sea on the other, a massage in the open air spa room (somewhat run-down, but lovely natural setting anyway), spotting beautiful stags while walking from the tent to the dining area, chatting with the manager Kevin- perhaps the nicest Amanmanager we've come across, and the waterfall excursion inside the island featuring a refreshingly cold dip in a gorgeous, eerie stream.
Random - The one thing that irked us at the end of each of our wonderful stays was the bill - they got it wrong each time and took a while to fix - charged us for someone else's dinner, charged for what should've been a complimentary lunch or breakfast, etc. etc. They need to improve their billing process, period. We were asked for our room number multiple times at Nusa and Dari - this is, of course, a very small thing, but at the same time one of those small things that distinguishes Aman from lesser breeds.
I did the last-minute booking through virtuoso agent Ian (on FT he is "luxury") who was a pleasure to work with. We got a one-level upgrade and a complimentary lunch at each property through him.
On the whole, it was a truly unforgettable trip - one for old-age reminiscing. Will return to each of these properties on future trips, Amanusa sooner than the others. My overall ratings for Indonesian Amans -
Amanjiwo - 5/5
Amandari - 3.5/5
Amanusa - 4/5
Amankila - 3.5/5
Amanwana - 3/5
Our itinerary - 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.
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.
Amanwana - The property is set in a lush green island (Moyo) with ready access to warm blue waters. We stayed in an Ocean Tent (which, apparently, was once stayed in by Princess Diana... I think #20) with a wonderful view. We did 3 dives during our stay - I can't compare with other dive sites since this was our first time, but I can say that we really enjoyed ourselves. My only other point of reference is French Polynesia (Moorea and Bora Bora) - the waters in FP are much prettier than in Moyo, but the coral and sea life are comparable. I'd highly recommend our dive instructor Saya (hope the spelling's right). The snorkeling right off the property's reef is amazing too, with very large schools of fish always around.
For someone not particularly fond of snorkeling/diving, I'd say this property isn't good value for money. The tent design is uninspired and the age shows, though I wouldn't call it run-down by a long shot. The property is very open to the elements, which is a good thing. The only restaurant - very Aman in design - is situated in a very beautiful corner. There's no pool to speak of - this is something I missed, despite spending a lot of time in the sea. On the whole, the physical property is way inferior to a couple of other tented properties I've been to (including Aman-i-khas). The the restaurant staff graciously accommodated all our requests/requirements, though on the whole we found the food OK. The service standards in general here were just a notch below the Bali Amans.
Some other good things to do at Amanwana - lounging by the hammock with the forest on one side and the sea on the other, a massage in the open air spa room (somewhat run-down, but lovely natural setting anyway), spotting beautiful stags while walking from the tent to the dining area, chatting with the manager Kevin- perhaps the nicest Amanmanager we've come across, and the waterfall excursion inside the island featuring a refreshingly cold dip in a gorgeous, eerie stream.
Random - The one thing that irked us at the end of each of our wonderful stays was the bill - they got it wrong each time and took a while to fix - charged us for someone else's dinner, charged for what should've been a complimentary lunch or breakfast, etc. etc. They need to improve their billing process, period. We were asked for our room number multiple times at Nusa and Dari - this is, of course, a very small thing, but at the same time one of those small things that distinguishes Aman from lesser breeds.
I did the last-minute booking through virtuoso agent Ian (on FT he is "luxury") who was a pleasure to work with. We got a one-level upgrade and a complimentary lunch at each property through him.
On the whole, it was a truly unforgettable trip - one for old-age reminiscing. Will return to each of these properties on future trips, Amanusa sooner than the others. My overall ratings for Indonesian Amans -
Amanjiwo - 5/5
Amandari - 3.5/5
Amanusa - 4/5
Amankila - 3.5/5
Amanwana - 3/5
Last edited by rjhunjhu; Aug 10, 2011 at 12:28 am
