If you’ve read Eat, Pray, Love, seen the movie, have a friend who’s honeymooned on Bali, or have seen pictures of Bali in a magazine, you probably have some images in your head of what Bali will look like – deserted beaches with palm trees swaying, single lane roads lined with huts and smiling locals. You’ve probably imagined yourself leisurely riding a bike down a quiet road, past rice fields, stopping occasionally to pick some fresh fruit off a tree for an afternoon snack… That is Bali. But first, this:
You’ve been traveling for 20+ hours. You’re tired. You’re hungry. You need a shower. And a drink. The visa and immigration lines are chaotic, and long. Outside the airport are throngs of people offering to give you a ride to your destination. The roads are crowded with motorcycles that don’t seem to follow any rules. It’s a noisy, overwhelming mess and not at all what you imagined.
Unless…
Unless you are in the capable hands of Aman Resorts. There are 3 Aman properties on Bali. If you stay at any one of those 3 resorts you will be whisked to the Bali of your dreams in no time. It starts with someone inside the airport waiting for you with a smile as you exit the plane. He’ll assist you in getting your luggage, then will ask you to wait while he takes your documents to the front of the visa and customs lines and handles everything for you. You just have to stand there and look pretty. (Which, let’s be honest, is no easy task at this point in your journey.) You’ll then be escorted outside where your driver is waiting with a cool cloth and cold drinks. He’ll navigate through the motorcycles and get you safely to your resort.
[box] PRO TIP – If you’d like, you can stop to visit some local artisans along the way. (You should know, though, that these are a bit touristy. Similar to the glass blowers on Murano, near Venice, they’ll put on a little show for you and walk you through the shop before you leave, hoping you’ll purchase something.)[/box]
If you transfer from one Aman resort to another (there are 3 on Bali) the staff will transfer you in the same comfortable, air conditioned vans stocked with drinks and snacks. Like before, you can stop along the way to visit artisans, and they’ll deposit you at the airport in the same comfort at the end of your trip. So, when you book your stay in Bali with Aman, you’re really taken care of from day one without incurring extra charges and hassles involved with transfers.
All of the Aman resorts on Bali are small with just 30-36 suites connected by walkways and stairs. Views vary from ocean, garden, valley etc. and some have private pools. ALL are beautiful, spacious and very zen.
You’ll get everything you would expect from a super deluxe boutique resort – breathtaking views, wonderfully fresh and delicious meals, and a whole bunch of little surprises thrown in. (That I’m NOT going to tell you about, because i want you to enjoy the surprises just like I did!) But let me tell you about my favorite thing about staying with Aman and why I think they’re such a special brand of resorts.
There’s something different about Aman resorts. Something effortless and comfortable. You feel at home, but not in a “sleeping in mom’s spare bedroom” kind of way. You just feel known.
It’s a big deal, but it’s very subtle. You don’t really know it’s happening. It’s something you feel and it’s very difficult to explain.
I was traveling with another travel agent. We stayed in different rooms and paid separate bills but ate together, went sightseeing together, transferred to the next property together etc. Not one time did anyone ask us for our name or our room number. I drank wine, she drank beer. We ordered different items for lunch and dinner. And without ever having to verify anything the wine was always charged to me, and the beer was always charged to Joy.
When it came time to check out and move to a different resort I sat at the desk while my luggage was loaded into the van and had to be reminded to hand over my credit card to pay the bill. I knew there was going to be a bill but the whole stay was so comfortable and effortless – so different than any other resort or hotel stay I had ever experienced – that I seemed to have forgotten how to act and what to do at checkout. This didn’t just happen once. This happened all three times I was checking out of one of the resorts.
I’ve only stayed at the Aman resorts on Bali so this may just be a Bali thing. I guess I’ll just have to make the HUGE sacrifice and stay at a few other Aman resorts to be sure.