A time to reflect
As the year draws to a close and the festive season ensues, Aman’s retreats across the globe celebrate reflection in all its forms.
Set on a lush hillside between rolling rice paddies and sprawling coastline, at Amankila, opportunities for adventure in the great outdoors abound. Yet, resting in the shadows of the sacred Mount Agung, the region’s history and heritage can also be discovered from the resort, where guests are invited to become immersed in the cultural and spiritual past and present of Bali’s East.
Balinese cultural blessing
Bali has a rich spiritual heritage with a unique form of Hinduism permeating the very fabric of its culture. Ceremonies to purify and harmonise relations between the human world, the environment and the world of the gods, are of great importance and take place regularly at temples around the island. Experience a traditional blessing ceremony performed by Pak Mangku, Amankila’s local priest, at Padmasana, the resort’s picturesque temple.
Lontar writing
Age-old palm leaf manuscripts containing sacred texts, poetry and ancient wisdom, the ancient art of lontar has been passed down through generations. Play a role in preserving the tradition of creating these meaningful scriptures with Guest Service Assistant, Pak Arta, who shares the process he originally learnt from his grandfather.
Living museum
Visit Samsara Living Museum in the village of Jungutan and experience the beauty, wealth, and cultural values of Bali. Discover the meaning behind the country’s unique traditions by taking part in music lessons and arak liquor making, and purchase unique artistic handicrafts made by local artisans using skills passed down for centuries.
Water palaces
Built by the late king of Karangasem, Tirta Gangga and Ujung Water Palace can be reached via a winding road through rice paddies, just 30-minutes from Amankila. Damaged during World War II and almost completely destroyed in the 1963 eruption of Mount Agung, today the palaces have been meticulously rebuilt. From the roadside, one’s first glimpse is of a grand Romanesque hall, decorated with ornate archways. Their distinctive shape, more baroque than Balinese, finds fresh resonance today in the doorways and alcoves of Amankila.
Featured Experience
Tenganan Village Visit
East Bali has an abundance of villages showcasing a way of life little changed over the centuries. While most of Bali has embraced a form of Hinduism, Tenganan still believes in its own divine origin with clothing central to its religious rituals. Today, families still painstakingly craft beautiful double ikat cloth as tradition. Guests are invited to visit Tenganan – one of the only remaining places where this rare textile is still produced – discovering the complex weaving process and meeting the local community.