Amanwana — Hotel in Pulau Moyo

You know you've found somewhere special when you really don't want to leave. Especially when it comes to saying goodbye to the people who had taken such good care of you. | On departure day, the staff of Amanwana stood on the jetty waving goodbye to us as we caught the resort's boat to the city of Sumbawa Besar, about 45 minutes away on Sumbawa island in eastern Indonesia. | The staff at the resort, like the staff at every other Aman resort we've stayed, really do their best to look after you and anticipate your needs while not being intrusive. It's a delicate balance but one that Aman does well and it's much appreciated when you arrived stressed from work and in dire need of unwinding to renew yourself. | Amanwana is special for other reasons. In particular because it is the only resort on remote Moyo island. There's no Bali-style tourism development here, just local villages and large areas of forest -- and a remote and beautiful waterfall named after Princess Diana, who visited in the early 1990s and stayed at the then newly opened resort. | Amanwana is designed for people who just want to get away from busy lives and relax. Accommodation is large tented rooms with all the usual amenities. All are close to the beach and crystal clear calm water and a large coral reef right out in front to explore. There is an abundance of fish, as well as turtles and black-tipped reef sharks. | However, while the resort's beach is kept clean, plastic pollution is an issue in the area, as it is in most parts of Indonesia. | We stayed 4 nights after flying from Singapore to Bali, staying overnight there and then on to Sumbawa Besar via Lombok the next morning to catch the boat across to the resort. It takes a bit of effort to get to Amanwana but it's worth it. | We did trekking, a sunset cruise to see the sun setting behind Mount Rinjani on Lombok (an incredible sight), a safari trip to the waterfall and visited a remote bat cave. | At every step, hotel manager Faisal Lubis looked after us. He loves his job and clearly enjoys looking after his guests. He was our snorkelling guide and he escorted us on the sunset cruise. | And he helped organise fabulous meals. | This is one of the biggest highlights of Amanwana. Head Chef Pak Ikrom and his team created heavenly food, from local dishes to western staples, such as tuna pizza. Pak Ikrom's team try to cater to everyone's requests and the menu changes daily. And he always comes out to greet guests to make sure everything is in order. | We got to know many of the staff who are always happy to chat and to share stories of their culture -- many are from Bima in eastern Sumbawa. | We'd like to also thank Ibu Fiah, Pak Eka, Pak Robert, Pak Sidik as well as Oby, Heru, Haer, Busran, Susan and Aril. | We are very much looking forward to returning and visiting the wonderful Amanwana...

You know you've found somewhere special when you really don't want to leave. Especially when it comes to saying goodbye to the people who had taken such good care of you. | On departure day, the staff of Amanwana stood on the jetty waving goodbye to us as we caught the resort's boat to the city of Sumbawa Besar, about 45 minutes away on Sumbawa island in eastern Indonesia. | The staff at the resort, like the staff at every other Aman resort we've stayed, really do their best to look after you and anticipate your needs while not being intrusive. It's a delicate balance but one that Aman does well and it's much appreciated when you arrived stressed from work and in dire need of unwinding to renew yourself. | Amanwana is special for other reasons. In particular because it is the only resort on remote Moyo island. There's no Bali-style tourism development here, just local villages and large areas of forest -- and a remote and beautiful waterfall named after Princess Diana, who visited in the early 1990s and stayed at the then newly opened resort. | Amanwana is designed for people who just want to get away from busy lives and relax. Accommodation is large tented rooms with all the usual amenities. All are close to the beach and crystal clear calm water and a large coral reef right out in front to explore. There is an abundance of fish, as well as turtles and black-tipped reef sharks. | However, while the resort's beach is kept clean, plastic pollution is an issue in the area, as it is in most parts of Indonesia. | We stayed 4 nights after flying from Singapore to Bali, staying overnight there and then on to Sumbawa Besar via Lombok the next morning to catch the boat across to the resort. It takes a bit of effort to get to Amanwana but it's worth it. | We did trekking, a sunset cruise to see the sun setting behind Mount Rinjani on Lombok (an incredible sight), a safari trip to the waterfall and visited a remote bat cave. | At every step, hotel manager Faisal Lubis looked after us. He loves his job and clearly enjoys looking after his guests. He was our snorkelling guide and he escorted us on the sunset cruise. | And he helped organise fabulous meals. | This is one of the biggest highlights of Amanwana. Head Chef Pak Ikrom and his team created heavenly food, from local dishes to western staples, such as tuna pizza. Pak Ikrom's team try to cater to everyone's requests and the menu changes daily. And he always comes out to greet guests to make sure everything is in order. | We got to know many of the staff who are always happy to chat and to share stories of their culture -- many are from Bima in eastern Sumbawa. | We'd like to also thank Ibu Fiah, Pak Eka, Pak Robert, Pak Sidik as well as Oby, Heru, Haer, Busran, Susan and Aril. | We are very much looking forward to returning and visiting the wonderful Amanwana...

I had an amazing weekend at Amanwana on Mojo island. After an existential crisis i needed solitude, isolation and a whole lot of pampering. The notion of filming whale sharks was also an attractive prospect, so this secluded resort seemed to tick all the boxes. The venerable resort was set up in the 90s and, though still luxurious, is, understandably, showing its age in terms of fittings and facilities. Nevertheless the immaculate service provided by the staff lived up to the legendary reputation of the Aman brand. Every activity was personalized to my liking and convenience. If i preferred something off menu, even if it was lobster or steak, it would be arranged without hesitation. The room was serviced and turned down, not at prescribed times, but only when the staff perceived that you had left the villa. Luggages were moved spontaneously without the need to call the concierge. Kudos must be given to the obliging manager Mr Adis, who anticipated my needs and saw to my every request with a calm demeanour and quiet efficiency. At departure i was accompanied from the resort, throughout the 45min speedboat ride, overland in the suv, to the airport, and was assisted at every step of check in till the departure gate. It helped that Aman, in its infinite wisdom, had invested in the infrastructure of the local settlements and staff members were given deferential treatment by the security and airport personnel. But Mr Adis' ultimate feat had to be arranging for an airport concierge to meet me at Bali airport when the domestic connector between Sumbawa and Bali was a whole 2 hours late, throwing my planned connector to Singapore in jeopardy. The veteran operative whisked me from the baggage area, sprinted with the trolley and spirited me through check in and security in record time ( an amazing 30minutes after touchdown); such that i arrived at the garuda departure gate with minutes to spare. I am certain that my otherwise idyllic weekend would have been marred by a missed flight had it not been for the thoughtful foresight of the intrepid manager. I find myself blown away by this phenomenal level of personalized service that has drawn so many to be ardent proselytes of the Aman brand. A must visit for those yearning for privacy and peace in a remote and unspoilt...