Amankila Cont'd, TG to BKK and Peninsula Buffet
 

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST.

8. Near the beach, there are ceramic pots of water with wooden ladles, to wash the sand of one's feet, but there are even orchids adorning the beautiful presentation.

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9. There are orchids everywhere. I mean everywhere.

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10. When you go to the beach, the beach attendant will offer to move your lounger to where there is sun. He will bring you cold water unasked. He will not disturb you when you do not want to be disturbed and will be there instantly when you want him to be.

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It is the accumulation of such varied small touches that are everywhere in abundance, which make it unquestionable that thought and inspiration went into every fine detail of the guest experience, and that is what sets Aman apart.

The villa was simply incredible. It was huge, with a private outdoor pool, great air conditioning, extremely comfortable and well decorated in an unmistakable understated elegant Aman aesthetic.


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The food at Amankila nearly cured me from buffets. The food was just surprisingly good, as everything there is surprisingly good. It was way better than I could have expected or hoped for, consistent with the theme of "Dayanu". I really enhjoed the Indonesian dishes, but there was a massive and varied menu, and this was not, not, NOT!, hotel food by any stretch of the imagination. It was as great as everything else at Amankila.

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At meals taken at the restaurant, there was beautiful bread with special dips and sauces that changed from meal to meal. Service was impeccable. The only disappointment was that one could only possibly fit in three of these amazing meals per day. If I could choose between the Amankila menu and a great buffet....I would choose Amankila food without hesitation. Wow, eh?!

One of the great things about Aman are the really good activities. They are not cheesy ones like at other places. They are appropriate to the guests and are always perfectly arranged and presented. I had the opportunity of going on the snorkeling cruise as my selection of many great activities, as part of my included activities in the Bali Break 3-day package. I arranged to go in the afternoon, and was driven to the nearby dock to board the Amankila XII I think, which was a beautiful wooden motorized boat, with a beautifully adorned upper deck for sun lounging. The driver and the snorkelling guide were the best, and I just could not get over the beautiful aquatic life. It was a major thrill and something which I will unlikely forget. It was a major highlight. Once back aboard the boat after snorkeling (which I had ALL to myself, mind you!) coffee and deserts were ready, as was cold water and beer. In fact, they asked before hand when I booked the trip, what I wanted on board as a refreshment. Nothing is left to be desired.

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OK, so at the end of my 2 night stay at Amankila, I was transported by car and driver to a waiting Amankila rep at the airport, who then guided me all the way to the departure lounge. Having booked Thai Airway sin first class, I was disappointed to learn before my flight that the aircraft had been downgraded to a two-class aircraft, but I still got the excellent TG preflight and arrival services (buggy, escort, etc., all wonderful!), and was even given $300 cash at the gate as compensation for the downgrade. It turned out to not matter a bit, as it was a short 4 hour flight and was very comfortable in seat 1A. The lounge at Denpasar was OK, but nothing special, nor was the onboard food. That was luck for me, as I had a buffet at the Peninsula Hotel in Bangkok lined up for the 6 hour layover in Bangkok before I flew out the same night to Dubai on the EK a380.

I took an AOT limo rather than a taxi, because I did not want to risk any "I don't know where the Peninsula is" shenanigans since I was on a tight 6 hour layover.....It cost more money but was possibly more reliable.

I arrived at the Peninsula in about 40 minutes or so, and headed into the absolutely gorgeous setting of an outdoor cafe next to the river. It had a beautiful view and had a nice breeze which made the eating pleasant even though it was outdoors.

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The buffet's standout was the imported French oysters and the grill-to order section, where you could have grilled wagyu, scallops, fish, etc. This was great.

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The selection was quite varied and of excellent quality, although I did regrettably find a lot of dishes that were just "filler"...I think that this buffet really consists of oysters, grilled to order meat and fish, sushi, and deserts, all of excellent quality, and the rest, although beautifully presented, was not all that interesting. Nevertheless, with these dishes in mind, you can have a great night here by the river and enjoy top notch service and a great dinner by the river. I would therefore highly recommend it, although it was expensive. I give this an 8 out of 10.

I still had time to go buy some souvenirs at the night market before heading to the airport for my flight to Dubai.

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A very good 6 hour layover!

Bangkok to Dubai via Emirates First Class on the a380
 

Originally I was planning on going to Dubai non-stop from Singapore, but because this would have entailed an extra night in Singapore at a transit hotel (after returning back from Bali), and more importantly, because EK was apparently swapping out planes with the F suite for old F seats on a 50% of the time basis, I decided that I did not want to risk the old F seats. Although it was not a terribly long flight, I had a bad experience with the old F seats (as per my previous trip report; see my signature) and therefore decided to avoid this altogether by going via BKK which had the a380 with the F suites on a consistent basis.

The EK lounge at BKK was very good. This flight was leaving close to 1 am, but the food selection was excellent. This flight turned out to be chock full even thought Expert Flyer was showing a lot of empty seats in economy and F for the last 2 months...Apparently it all filled up in the last couple days before the flight, somehow...

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In any event, since I planned on sleeping on this flight since I would be arrive at like 6 am in Dubai and didn't want to waste my only full day there before heading back to Toronto, the full flight was not an issue, nor would it have really mattered as the crew was excellent. Prior to boarding however, since I had a couple hours in the lounge, I had a shower there, rather than waiting for one aboard. I received pajamas and a leather toiletry kit, and had a glass of Dom Perignon before retiring to my bed for a good 4 hours or so of uninterrupted sleep. The F suites are just the best in the sky IMHO, although I am sure that SQ's suites are equally as good, although near impossible to try out except with a big cash payment...

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I did however visit the bathroom and shower aboard, and as expected, it was just so cool to see. THe bathrooms were huge and very comfortable.

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I skipped having a nighttime meal, although the menu was very nice, although I did have a cappuccino and omelet before landing, with freshly squeezed orange juice, which was very good.

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Upon disembarking, I collected my luggage and proceeded through immigration without any difficulty. I was traveling on a British Passport so I did not have to deal with any visa issues such as the one that Canadian passport holders have recently had to deal with.

I had a coffee at the airport since it was still only about 5:45 am, and I did not want to get to Al Maha - a forty minute drive away into the desert, too early. The General Manager who I had corresponded with prior to my trip, said that it would be no problem to arrive early although my villa would not necessarily be ready.

One of the reasons that I chose Al Maha for this trip, was that I wanted to take advantage of the EK chauffeur service for such a long transfer both ways between the airport and the resort. The service is free for F and business class customers, so why not use it for this longish trip...

The EK vehicle was a nice Volvo.

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Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa, Dubai
 

We took the highway to the nature reserve for about half an hour, and then saw the gate to the Al Maha grounds which are part of the nature reserve. Even from there it was quite a distance to the main resort building, and we saw camels and oryx along the way.

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The car dropped me off out from of the main Al Maha building. Al Maha was originally an Emirates owned and operated resort in the desert near Dubai, located within a nature reserve. Now it is Starwood operated (as of November, 2010), although still Emirates-owned. The idea behind it is to be in the desert environment but have luxurious accommodations. I had read some excellent reviews of it so was really looking forward to it. The Emirates flight crew said that they often go as they get a good rate as EK crew, and really enjoy it as well.

Upon arriving I was invited to sit down at the check-in desk, was given a cold drink and wet towel, and then listened to a 10 minute recital of the Al Maha accommodations, amenities, rules, and regulations. It was a decidedly professional and to the point appraisal of what was on offer, and was distinctly different in tenor from the welcome and introduction that I had received at both Amandari and Amankilia.

Since it was shortly before 7 am and my villa was not yet ready, I decided to take advantage of one of the two included activities in this all inclusive resort. I went dune bashing in a Toyota Landcruiser, driven by a guide. This was an exhilarating experience which felt quite risky with the vehicles not adhering to any established paths, and were quite literally bounding over dunes at full speed. We even got stuck in sand at one point. This was nevertheless a lot of fun and I would highly recommend it. One caveat however, and that is the guides, all of which are South African except for one Swiss one, advised that people threw up from this experience on a daily basis...so it is obviously not for everyone....

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The main resort building was nice but was rather unremarkable.

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One nice touch is that they serve morning snacks and afternoon tea in the lobby. They were OK but nothing particularly lavish or special.


It is however the landscape which is the most attractive part of this resort.

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One often seas the oryx within the grounds of the resort, sometimes even taking a drink from each villa's private pool.

The villas were quite private and one takes a buggy to get to each one down the pathways, as it is too hot to walk. I was there in the end of June and temperatures approached 50 degrees in the desert. It was simply too hot to walk or sit outside, except in the evenings, and therefore activities took place starting at 5:30 am or took place in the evenings...Even at other times of the year, I think it would generally be prohibitively hot to sit outside for very long in the desert heat.

The villas, although large, spacious, well furnished, and well air conditioned, had a decidedly Bedouin aesthetic, which is of course rustic.

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Now, although the Bedouin aesthetic was appropriate, I personally would have preferred "flowing white Lawrence of Arabia Sheikh styles", which would have been equally appropriate :D. As it were, although well maintained and comfortable, the decor was not particularly appealing or particularly tasteful. Furthermore, for some insane reason, the villa pools were HEATED. Yes, that is right! :eek: It made cooling off in the pool, impossible. Since it was so hot, other than the activities and the evenings, I was stuck in my villa, and could not even enjoy a nice cool pool which would have made things more manageable.

The welcome amenity was a dried fruit and nut plate, including beer nuts for some reason, which were the kind I used to get at the circus as a kid. Very underwhelming and inappropriate. There was however a good single cup cofee machine with a wide variety of capsules, and a very nice selection of tees. There was even a complimentary bottle of Sherry.

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I had some fun taking a camel trek in the evening. Getting on and off a camel is a little scary however. It was a good experience though and worth doing, if a little cheesy...

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The guides were all good and very nice. They were all fairly new as apparently there was a mass exodus of the guides once Starwood took over. It was a little strange though, having South Africans guide you through the Arabian desert...was not exactly an appropriate fit, although par for the course in a country that is staffed nearly entirely by expatriates.

Aside from the dune bashing and camel trek, there were a few other activities like falconry, archery, horseback riding, and a nature walk. Not terribly exciting, and certainly not enough to fill in any more than a few days at Al Maha. They gym only opened at 7 am and closed at 8 pm, which was unfortunate, since it prevented me from using the gym early in the morning prior to an activity, or when I woke up..., but was well equipped.

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The meals were included in the rate. I tried a lunch and a dinner, but based upon those two experiences, I decided I would have breakfast in the EK lounge on my day of departure. The food was OK and the menu selection was alright, but it was nothing special and not particularly tasty or well executed.

I had a steak and fries for lunch with a tomato and cheese salad. Both were OK, but nothing special, and service was very slow.

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For dinner, I opted for the "Arabic" special dinner, which I had to order in advance. It consisted of some tasteless Arabic appetizer salads and some overcooked and dry skewers. I skipped the "arabic bread pudding desert" based upon the preceding courses, which were served very slowly. The food was not bad, it just was not great. It was fairly standard.

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Most of the guests were couples on a romantic retreat, some of whom were living in Dubai as expatriates. I think that the food and accommodations were all superior, but nothing particularly extravagant or special. It was a fairly standard 5-star destination, but cannot be compared to Aman; it was not an Aman in the desert by any means. It was good, but nothing beyond that, but I think many people probably like it for the beautiful desert scenery and nature reserve. I think that at most a single night there would be more than sufficient, but would instead recommend staying in Dubai proper in one of the many fantastic hotels there, and just doing a desert day trip for that aspect of the experience.

On my day of departure I was looking forward to leaving and beginning my return trip to Toronto. The EK chauffeur picked me up on time, early in fact, and we let for the 40 minute or so ride to the airport in Dubai proper.

Dubai to Toronto via Emirates First Class on the a380
 

I checked in at the First Class counter which had no line up. I then went to the First Class lounge but was told that there was a brand new First Class lounge which had just opened up and was much closer to my departure gate. I decided to go there. It was about a half hour walk, but good that I got to a location nearer my departure gate, rather than have to take this walk when it was time to board....By this time I had regretted not staying at the Burj al Arab or another great Dubai hotel that I have been meaning to try, as I think that I would have enjoyed being in the City more and would have made better use of my limited time in Dubai.

The new first class lounge was very nice with a good spread that was comparable to the one in the other lounge, but was missing the free Spa services. I had a very nice breakfast there.

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I was stuck waiting in a line-up to board, as the gate was closed in between boarding various sections of the aircraft, and there was no attendant to let first class passengers through. This was a bit disappointing.

Once on board I was delighted to be back in an EK suite. I settled down with a glass of Dom Perignon and sum mixed nuts.

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The movie selection was just awesome with many new releases. One could easily pass by the time on this 14 hour flight.

The menu was also just excellent with a wide variety of attractive dishes.

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I had some nice canapes, followed by caviar, a mixed Arabic mezza (far superior to Al Maha's one), a huge mixed salad with Tandoori chicken, rack of lamb, and mini deserts.

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Emirates offers an amazing first class product and is a great way to travel. If not for wanting to sample other airlines, I would not hesitate to fly Emirates exclusively.


Epilogue

Well, this was a terrific trip and I was pleased that I got to enjoy some on-land locations, and did not just focus on the air travel itself for a change. I am now consider myself an Amanjunkie, or at least Aman-spoiled, as it will be very difficult to go anywhere else from here on in....Maybe Al Maha fell victim to this....

I had to conclude that although Singapore had a great number of good quality and expansive buffets, other than the Fairmont one which was very, very good, none of them compared to the ones which I previously visited in Hong Kong and Dubai, which continue to be the reining buffet champions in my opinion. That being said, Singapore is indeed a foodie city, perhaps the world's foremost one, with massive selection of great restaurants, types of food, inexpensive selections, and a great native palate. I think that for Singapore, one should perhaps skip the buffets for the most part, and dine a la carte at specialty restaurants. That will be a mission for someone else, or for me for next time.

It was a pleasure sharing this Trip Report with you, and I want to thank all of the FT'ers who answered my innumerable questions beforehand, and for the inspiration that came from people like Lucky and Gleff, who are still my idols!

Thanks for reading and please post as I would love to hear your thoughts.

very nice Trip Report, I loved the pictures I look forward to your next trip reports.

Thanks for sharing-

Love the buffeting concept added to a premium TR! truly inspiring, I might have to ask you for some advice on my upcoming trip to Asia!
Thanks

Great report w/ very nice pics!

Out of curiosity, on what date did you fly out to HKG? I was booked in First on the 3:30 pm flight on Jun 17, but had to reroute at the last minute. I'm also surprised the F cabin filled up like that on the day of departure -- do you know if J was oversold?

Excellent report so far!

I hope someday you will also do a trip report of the buffets in North America. There are some wonderful buffet brunches at luxury hotels in America.

Great so far. Obviously love your fish? :)

Great TR so far! Looking forward to more buffets and FC travel! :) The Amandari TR is quite exciting too!

Dude, you're killing me.

I had just an espresso, a yogurt, and a stale croissant at 7:30 a.m.

I absolutely love seafood as you do, the MO Singapore seems to have excellent offerings, it's a pity lobster does not pair up to the rest of the experience.

Excellent TR so far! Thanks!

Wow, great TR so far, looking forward to the updates (of which there appear to be plenty!)

Many thanks! :) Remarkable; you would have been on my flight!! And there was in fact a single empty seat in F, which must have been yours! Business and Economy were totally full I believe.

The frustrating part was that for every single flight which I was monitoring with Expert Flyer, they were all rather empty for weeks on end, even in economy until the day before or the day of the flight! And then they were totally full. The only exception was Garuda, which I was unable to monitor with Expert Flyer....

There is clearly some prawn obsession going on in this thread!

What an amazing trip and an amazing report blueline7! Looks like you have a real love of food.

Interested to see that you flew on a 787 with Garuda! Perhaps you meant 737? :D