Amankila is one of the Aman flagship properties – it celebrated its 21st birthday this year. It is beautiful, secluded and peaceful. Over the years it has won numerous awards. In 2013 Amankila was voted number 8 out of 20 in Conde Nast Readers Awards for India and Asia and made it into Conde Nast Gold List. We’ve heard it is David Beckham’s favourite resort in Bali!
The Lux Traveller spend a few days in Amankila in September 2013 and here is a summary of our experience.
Arrival and Location
Amankila is located in a very secluded area – Manggis in East Bali. It is 2 hrs away from the airport and 2 hrs away from Ubud (Bali’s cultural capital up in the mountains).
Our stay with Amankila included transfers and the hotel kindly send 2 cars to pick us up (one for the family and a separate car for the luggage).
Great start to our Aman experience. All Aman cars come equipped with wifi and fully loaded Ipods with thousands of songs for every taste. So whether you prefer to listen to your favourite tunes or browse internet on your iPad the journey to Amankila will go quickly.
The resort also provides child seats for the little Lux Travellers and various soft drinks for the journey.
On arrival we were greeted by beautiful little Balinese girls who gave us flower arrangements and necklaces – very sweet. Many of the Aman staff have come out to greet us too – very warm welcome!
The check in was very quick and easy. After a few minutes we were escorted to our suite to settle in.
Amankila Suites
Amankila is a small boutique resort with only 34 freestanding suites. 6 of them have private pools and we were lucky to stay in one.
2 of the suites are more luxurious and more spacious – Number 1 and 31. A picture of the private terrace and pool in Suite 1 is below.
The rest of the suites are pretty much identical. The outlook is the only difference. Some have a better sea view then the others.
By today’s luxury standard the suites are quite compact. They consist of only one room, with lovely four poster bed and a study desk. There is enough room for a child bed but it will be a tight fit.
Amankila suites are designed for outdoor living. While interiors are not spectacular, the outdoor terraces are gorgeous. Especially if you have a good view.
Our pool suite had a large terrace with sea views, a beautiful double sunbed, an outdoor dining table for four people and 2 deck chairs. With this lovely set up we hardly spend any time inside the villa.
Facilities
Amankila is famous for its three tiered pools – they are truly stunning! The view from them is breathtaking.
There are 6 large cabanas by the poolside and a few deck chairs. The cabanas are family size and very comfortable for a day of lounging. There is always one or two cabanas available as the resort is very quiet.
Black sand beach downstairs can be reached by either the stairs or by a courtesy car (2 min trip).
It’s not a swimming beach – the waves are quite big (at least on the days we were there). But again, for those who prefer the ocean rather then poolside it is a pleasant place to spend a lazy afternoon. Beach staff are very helpful.
Beachside pool is lovely too with very warm water. However it felt a little deserted during our visit, as we were the only guests there. A little bit of atmosphere, some music, would’ve been a great touch.
Amankila also has a small gym and a massage pavilion.
We tried a couple of treatments by the spa therapists and they were truly outstanding. We were told that Amankila therapists train with the help of local yoga master who teaches them a way to work with guests without transferring their own worries onto a client. How smart! It must work as we felt truly relaxed after the massage.
Activities
Amankila is somewhat famous for an extensive list of fun activities on offers for its guests, both on water and on land.
To mention just a few, there are private surfing trips to secluded beaches, diving trips to the best diving spots of Bali. Manta rays are often spotted by the local divers.
Snorkelling trips on board of the Aman boat is one of the most popular activities.
Dining at Amankila
Breakfast is an a la cart selection of small dishes – everything from pancakes to eggs, fruit platters and freshly squeezed juices. All dishes were very tasty and fresh. My kids are still reminiscing about their ricotta hotcakes!
At lunch time we ordered a couple of small dishes by the pool – olives, cured meat plates and other European treats.
Dinner was the meal we looked forward to the most. Candlelit tables in the main restaurant are very inviting. The menu is a combination of Balinese and Western dishes. We tried mostly local Balinese dishes, they all were superb is a little on a small side. If you are hungry request the chef to make you a larger portion – they are very friendly and open to requests.
Entertainment
Most nights Amankila puts on a wonderful show prior to dinner. All guests gather up on the stairs in front of the pools and staff from the local village perform the most interesting and colourful shows. It was a highlight of our stay and the kids absolutely loved it!
ROMANTIC HOLIDAY OR A FAMILY VACATION?
Amankila is without a doubt a romantic destination. It is absolutely perfect for a honeymoon or a trip when you want to get away from it all.
However The Lux Traveller always brings the children to explore these wonderful parts of the world. And my little Lux Travellers (3 & 9yo) felt very welcome at Amankila.
The resort offers 4 hours of free nanny service per day and our lovely nanny was the best we found in Bali; she was young and fun and spoke excellent English!
The pool in the suite was enclosed (great for guests with small children).
The kids were presented with little activity packs on arrival.
My older girl learned how to make Balinese offerings and flower arrangements from the local girls and my 3yo loved the attention, the pools and our company.
If you are travelling as a family we would recommend to book 2 interconnecting suites or the only 2 bedroom villa at the resort – Villa Number 1.
The Lux Traveller Loves:
Three tiered pools – picture perfect!
Multitude of interesting trips offered by the hotel
Excellent food and spa treatments
Fantastic service
Wifi and iPods in the transfer cars
The Lux Traveller Didn’t Like:
Relatively small suites (for the price). The rates start from $1,000 for a garden suite (with no view & no pool)
And a little more atmosphere would’ve been welcome at the resort
All In All – Amankila is an iconic resort in Bali. It is definitely worth a visit. Possibly a few very quiet days in the beginning on your holiday to completely relax before moving onto a more happening part of the island.
