Amanusa is located in Nusa Dua in southern Bali, which I’ve heard described as “an enclave of luxury hotels”. Not very exotic or romantic sounding, is it. Unless you’re lucky enough to be staying at Amanusa.

I already told you about the VIP treatment Aman provided at the airport. It only got better from there. I was welcomed to the hotel with a cold drink and escorted to my suite, which had a private swimming pool (!) and a view of the ocean. There were no honking horns or car fumes, just the sound of birds chirping and the scent of tropical flowers. There are only 31 suites at this resort so I rarely saw other guests as I walked around. And because of the way the suites are situated, I couldn’t see any other suites from mine – I felt like i had the whole place to myself.

Amanusa was a great place to recover from the long flight. After getting settled in our rooms, Joy and I decided to head to the beach. Amanusa is not a beach-front property and while I’m not usually a fan of properties that require a drive to the beach, in this case it was painless. We went to the front desk with the beach basket, hat, and sunscreen the hotel provided and announced that we wanted to go to the beach. “Sure, Ibu Camren.” and within seconds a car pulled up to take us to the beach. Vehicles are on hand and ready at a moments notice – both ways – and it only took a minute or two to get to the beach. When we arrived it was again “Welcome Ibu Christy” and we were taken to our private beach bale. Waiting for us was a pitcher of ice water, sunscreen, a refreshing purified water mist, pillows, towels a drink menu and in front of us a wide open view of the ocean with no one else in sight. Have I mentioned that this is paradise?

After some time lounging, enjoying our tropical drinks and purchasing sarongs from a local woman, we decided to walk down to the water. This was literally our view all afternoon and aside from Aman staff, a few other Aman guests and two women selling sarongs we hadn’t seen another soul. We felt like we had the whole beach to ourselves. After walking a few yards we approached a slight decline to the water and realized that we weren’t alone after all. Children were splashing in the water, parents were walking their toddlers on the shore and a few tourists were snorkeling. It was wonderful to see and such a surprise. It’s the best of both worlds, really. Great people watching and hanging out with the locals OR quiet privacy – take your pick. (I didn’t get a pictures, sorry – I was so surprised that I didn’t think about it!)

There are a lot of other things to do at Amanusa – They’re right on a beautiful golf course if you enjoy golf. (I don’t) Or you can have a massage in your room, on the beach or in one of their treatment rooms. (I did.) You can also have a private breakfast or dinner on the beach. They have bicycles you can borrow to explore on your own or go on a guided bike ride, go shopping, take a cooking class, charter a boat for the day…

What we love about Amanusa:

The beach. It’s easy to get to, everything you need is there or will be provided by the Aman staff. You’ll be pampered and will feel like you have the whole place to yourself. And, if you get tired of that scene you can watch the local children playing in the ocean.

It’s close to the airport and is a great place to recover from the long flight.

What you should know:

You have to walk a bit at this property. It’s not a hotel enclosed in one large building with elevators etc. Each suite is a seperate unit connected by meandering walkways and small sections of stairs.

There are only 9 suites with private pools so book early to reserve yours. The garden suites are beautiful with private terraces, just like the pool suites, but it’s so nice to look out your door and see that pool. I don’t even swim but I sure missed that pool when it wasn’t there.

This is a tropical island – you might find a friend or two in your suite. Call the staff and they’ll remove any party crashers, but if a bug in your room is going to ruin your vacation, Bali might not be the place for you.

Call us to book your stay at Amanusa and receive:

* Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability

* Daily breakfast for up to two in-room guests, served in the restaurant or via room service

* Complimentary a la carte lunch for two people, once during stay

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