Amanemu revisited autumn ‘ 19

We reserved our stay a year ago to cover part of the RWC . Then HM Yoshi ( sadly for us , she too has moved on but hopefully will return to the fold - hoping in Kyoto ) was going to arrange it to be screened live in the bar lounge :)

It was a smooth ride from The Suiran , Kyoto to Amanemu with a couple of interesting stops so various ice cream flavours could be tasted and regional specialties bought ;) 

As our usual English speaking chauffeur was still tied up in Tokyo with the  Imperial Enthronement events , we were relieved to have the same one who drove us from Tokyo as his English was fairly decent .

Another storm / typhoon had passed through the Ise Mie region in the morning but had cleared by the time we were close . One did notice some ravages of it along with the stronger one before it . Thankfully , Nemu was spared the brunt of it .

We were pleased to be welcomed by Noriko & some familiar faces of her team though some had moved on .

As you can see brilliant sunshine at the arrival pavillon .

Not sure how this one got here ; figure out about this one below from the main area by the fire pits later - which day it was !

As before , check in was swiftly done in suite .

Lovely welcome juices , fruit platter , ..
Views from suite , almost sunset

A peek of entryway leading to the walk in wardroom & bath area ..

From the bathroom ( reflection ) , tub with a view

Sunrise

Like before we had delicious meals and enjoyed specialties of the season - Our last stays were November / December . It seems we came at the right time for certain items - for you to discover ..

While we were disappointed to learn that their dedicated Chinese chef had moved on , his recipes were somewhat replicated by the others with success . That is if you really needed Chinese ;)

Some of our meals - breakfasts and dinners including shabu shabu , sukiyaki and of course Ise lobster . We had lots of local fresh mushrooms & vegetables . And oh , the beef - Iga & Matsusaka Ushi - simply melts in the mouth fresh !! 

The desserts with seasonal ice creams - chestnut , persimmons , ..

The tranquility of the dining area after the bustle of the breakfast service 
One can just have a leisurely breakfast with a view of the seaweed and pearls farms

 

Arrangements were made last year so we could watch the semifinals and final of the RWC live at Nemu . At that time we were not sure if we were getting tickets to these . We already secured tickets to 2 quarter final matches .

Yoshi , who has just moved on , had it done so we could watch the games in the bar ! Well done ..

Just a few of us watching but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

We did not have time at the private onsen this stay . However , we had sessions in the spa and enjoyed relaxing by the open main onsen .

Some changes in staffing but still good therapists .

Had the relaxing watsu session , a " must " in Nemu routine now ;)

View from watsu pool

    
'From another side looking across and towards the pilates room 

Main onsen , view to the onsen / spa relaxation pavilions and changing rooms

Main onsen , view from one of the onsen relaxation pavilions 

Just outside and inside the changing area

We were told last year that a beach area was being prepared . This however is still in the works , hampered by the severe typhoons and possibly aligning with the completion of the new villas .

The path / steps leading to this beach is across the road from these villas & closer to the spa .

These photos of beach area at high tide we're taken from near our suite .

Note the hawks soaring above .

At dusk

While we did not get to use the pool this time ( there were others - a couple of noisy teenagers ? in when we were going to swim ) , we did get to relax by it at other times .

There are hawks soaring somewhere - if you see some specks in the sky ;)

Or perhaps a bird enjoying a dip

What more can one ask ?? .. Service here keeps improving , new team members have to be brought up to speed and Nemu seems to have mastered it more than some other AMANs ..

So one can relax here . Truly be " AMAN "

The handling of our emergency departure & the lead up to it was not only comforting and fantastic but also sympathetic and understanding .

Not least liaising with Kyoto to cancel our stay and also the airline to get us to New Zealand !

The Nemu family went all out , it seems like , to ease the sadness of our unexpected early departure .

We were gifted a lamp we had hoped to get from our first stay but the craftsman had not made another then . He had gifted one to Nemu . We had bought a similar . Nemu team remembered and gave us the one we liked !

Many little and big touches like this one sets the AMANs apart from other top hotels . This gesture really warmed my heart during this difficult period .

Last year , we stayed in November when the autumn colours were peaking . This year , it was just starting in Nemu .
But with weather patterns changing , planning one ' s stay to view the autumn spectacle ahead of time maybe a rather pointless exercise . Best is timing it to suit your travel and just enjoy what us in store .

The new villas are not quite ready . Interior works will possibly be completed by year end or by spring with landscaping . 
 

This is what one sees when approaching the villas area enroute to the spa . Opposite is where the planned path to the beach starts as indicated in last year ' s TR .

Another calming stay . 

Those wanting an activities filled stay have lots of options besides visiting the nearby oldest Shinto shrine in the country where the royals hail from ..

It can be as quiet a stay , perhaps for the wellness " regime " ;) or an hectic one if one is unlikely to return soon . 
 

We have done both , this time we did not leave Nemu ( or have the time too as watching the RWC and replays ;) occupied a fair amount of time ) .

The locals and corporates have found an ideal venue for enjoyable short " away " stints so Nemu is getting " buyouts " in their calendar quite often .

The opening of the villas should aid in the constraints of a small property .