Detailed Review
Amanusa (which means “peaceful isle”) enjoys a commanding position on a garden hillside in southern Bali just above the Bali Golf and Country Club. Views run from the adjacent Indian Ocean shoreline to sacred Mount Agung that dominates the far horizon on a clear day. The entrance to the lobby is a colonnaded open-air hall lined with baskets of white tuberoses. Framing the foyer is a teak sculpture illustrating scenes from the Ramayana, one of the two great epic poems of India. Amanusa has 35 thatched-roof suites linked by paved walkways and set behind foliage and mossy paras stone walls for added privacy. The Terrace offers sweeping views of Bali, embracing the golf course, the Indian Ocean, Nusa Dua and the Bukit, which is Bali’s southern peninsula. Just below, the Restaurant specialises in Italian cuisine, which is served in an elegant room with high ceilings or in the outdoor courtyard surrounded by flowering frangipani trees which overlook the pool. Amanusa’s resident masseuses mix traditional Balinese massage with Swedish massage and acupressure. Massage is available in the privacy of your suite, in the specially-designated massage suite or on one of the Beach bales. Body treatments as well as facials, pedicures and manicures are also available. Amanusa’s reiki master is on hand to redress any energy imbalances and a reflexologist is available once a week.
Press Quotes
"A minimalist temple to Balinese architecture ... A private path leads to a secluded beach." New York Times 05
Independent Reviews
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"Elegant and secluded villas nestled under Mount Agung, Amanusa is perfect for a romantic Bali retreat in high Aman style."
Far enough from the madness of the tourist strip but close enough to join the chaos, Amanusa is an intimate hideaway for a stylish Bali holiday.
Amanusa
By Caroline Major
At Amanusa there’s always mountains of fresh flowers, fruit and attention to the details that count: sunscreen in two factors, beautifully printed sarongs, locally produced products in the bathroom plus mosquito repellant and coils and candles by the bath-tub. Service is attentive but unobtrusive. Rarely are you interrupted in your villa by house-keeping or some other over-solicitous staff member to drive you to distraction. Aman is about knowing what you are up to so they can accommodate you best without interfering. Amanusa, one of three Bali properties, is a stylish and comfortable beach holiday away from the madding crowd. Down at the Beach Club, sun-loungers set in neat rows under white umbrellas compete with Bales made private with roll down bamboo blinds, and surrounded by greenery that edges the golf course. A few tables serve a great selection of beach fare, from salads and sushi plates to burgers and grilled fish. Of course, quality home-made ice-creams and sorbets make for a perfect day splashing about in the sun and surf. All of which is delivered to your comfort zone by well muscled Balinese men in shades and caps carrying the goods one handed and high above their toned shoulders. An Australian shouts out that this is better than Surfers Paradise. Back up the hill, the hotel with its Balinese village architecture executed in local stone mixes up the modern and the traditional pleasingly. Wrapped inside the mossy stone carved Balinese walls of the villa precinct, and blessed with daily offerings to the spirits, are black leather trimmed accessories and sleek lined furniture made from local wood. The outdoor courtyard with a private plunge pool, sun loungers and a Bale for relaxing in have fabulous views over the golf course and out to the sea. At night-time the legendary house-keeping staff turn down the beds, leave you goodnight surprises and light the candles in the courtyard, and leave behind an ambiance that even the least romantic would be hard pressed to ignore. Swimming naked under the stars accented with moody candle-light and the sound of the ocean is a seductive formula. If you wanted to have someone fall in love with you, this is the place to take them.
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