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Amankila is an impressive cliffside beach resort overlooking the Lombok Strait in eastern Bali. The resort is close to Manggis, Candi Dasa, Tenganan and other villages in Karangasem, Bali’s most traditional regency. The suites are elevated to take advantage of the spectacular views to the sea and surrounding hillsides.
The resort is built on four levels. Guests are received in a columned, open-air setting. The bar and the restaurant serving Asian and Western cuisine are located one level below. From there, steps lead down to the library, the gallery, the terrace restaurant and the three-tiered swimming pool. The beach club, which spreads in and about a mature coconut grove, is down at the beach.
Amankila Resort has 35 fabulous free-standing thatched-roof suites. Each suite features a large bedroom with views, a canopied four-pillar bed, a writing desk and a music system. The bathroom is divided into two distinct sections. A deep soaking tub and a divan face each other, each backing on to large, double windows. A separate shower is located next to the tub, while the toilet room is adjacent to the divan. Large coconut-wood dressing areas claim both ends of the terrazzo-tiled room. The outdoor terrace of each suite enjoys a large daybed, table and chairs. Seven of the suites have private pools. |
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The beach club is set within a throng of tall coconut palms at sea level. Its centerpiece is a 45-meter, turquoise-tiled swimming pool. This is setting for Amankila’s weekly evening barbecues and Balinese dance performances. Snorkeling equipment, windsurfers, boogie boards and Hobie cats are available for use.
Six teak-wood lounging bales, each fitted with a day-bed, are set in the sand just back of the high-tide line. Snacks and refreshments are served at the patio above the pool. Two massage beds are located in a grove of palms and flowering bushes close to the sea. You may also receive any beauty treatments or massage in the privacy of your own suite.
The library, just back of the main pool, is rimmed with floor-to-ceiling windows. Oversized day beds allow guests to relax and enjoy the wide selection of books, newspapers and magazines. Games, CDs and audio cassettes are also available.
Amankila Resort’s natural element is water. Beyond the resort’s four main pools and the beach club, there is a 40-foot outrigger, Aman Xll. Designed after a jukung, a traditional Balinese fishing craft, the pleasure craft is used for island cruising and snorkeling. Guests can also charter Aman Xll for a cruise and private barbecue at a secluded beach up the coast.
Touring is particularly rewarding in eastern Bali. Highlights include the royal palaces of Klungkung and Karangasem and the water palaces of Tirtagangga, now a public bathing area, and Ujung, a grand ruin as well as two important temples. Countryside trips can be arranged to the many villages and the rural life that spreads out from Amankila. Trekking is also fine, and Amankila keeps six full-suspension mountain bikes for guest use. |
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