Activities, Sports & Relaxation
The Beach Club is located at the base of the cliff five minutes below the main resort. Guests can either walk to the beach or be driven there in one of Amankila's open-air buggies. Set within a grove of coconut palms and partially shaded by a frangipani tree, is Amankila's largest swimming pool. Windsurfers, boogie boards, kayaks and Hobie cats are located at the Beach Club. For cruising and snorkelling, Amankila offers two outriggers, designed after the jukung, a traditional Balinese fishing craft. Aman XII, a 50ft vessel with a large sundeck and shaded area, is used for the daily morning and afternoon cruises. Aman XVI is a 36ft vessel with sundeck and some shaded area used mainly for private sunrise or lunch cruises across to Nusa Penida. Snorkelling equipment is available onboard both boats. East Bali has some of the most beautiful dive sites in Indonesia catering to all levels of experience. Elephant coral, schooling barracuda, banded sea snake and a WWII freighter shipwreck include some of the marvels divers can enjoy.
Amankila's staff will assist guests with water sports and provide lessons or sailing partners if required. Eight private lounging bales are set in the sand, each secluded amongst the foliage for added privacy. Drinks and light meals can be enjoyed here.
Cooking classes begin at dawn with a guided tour around a nearby market, where guests can choose fresh ingredients for the Indonesian feast they will learn how to create back at Amankila.
The Amankila bales: Tirta Sari bale is located up in the hills of East Bali offering spectacular views of rice fields, banana trees and Amuk Bay. Bale Abian Canang ('garden of offerings') is also set high on a hill overlooking coconut plantations and Indrakila Hill where Amankila is located. The ocean and coastal views stretch to Nusa Penida and even Lombok on a clear day. The scenic drive to Bale Abian Canang takes 15 minutes through a local village, Ulakan, where guests can glean insights into authentic Bali, as they see the locals going about their daily life. These bales are ideally placed as a picnic spot after a jeep tour, trek or cycle through the countryside.
Trips can be arranged to several Balinese villages famed for their crafts. In Sideman, textiles from Bali and all over the archipelago can be purchased in an idyllic countryside setting. In Tenganan, there's more on offer than the rare double ikat cloth. From simple wood tables set out along the main town walkway, boys sell lontar-leaf calendars coloured with the resin of the macadamia nut. Painted wooden eggs, masks, bamboo hats and wayang puppets hang from shop walls. Baskets too are of the finest quality. In Kamasan, just south of Klungklung, a distinctive style of Balinese art is produced. Named after the village, Kamasan-style painting makes use of figures resembling the puppets of wayang kulit, Bali's shadow puppet theatre. For generations, a number of goldsmiths and silversmiths have produced temple crafts and containers in the village of Budakling, at the foot of Mount Agung. In recent years, a few shops have also opened to sell jewellery. Handicrafts can be found in the village of Candi Dasa, just beyond Amankila.
Tennis is available in Candi Dasa, about five minutes from the resort.
East Bali offers some of the island's finest trekking, ranging from walks through rural villages, tropical forest and terraced rice fields, to mountain climbs and temple visits. Amankila's guides are experts on the local terrain.
Amankila provides a number of full-suspension mountain bikes for guest use. Countryside trips can be arranged to the many villages around Amankila. The downhill route leading to Sideman is among the most popular, passing terraced rice fields and ending at one of the island's famed textile villages. Guides are available for personalised tours.
The Library is rimmed with floor-to-ceiling windows. Oversized daybeds allow guests to relax and enjoy the wide selection of books, newspapers and magazines. Games, CDs and a laptop for Internet access are also available.
The Boutique has a generous selection of unique Balinese art, crafts and antiques.
Traditional Balinese massage and beauty treatments are available in the privacy of the guests' suites, in the specially-designated massage pavilion or at the Beach Club where two teakwood massage tables are hidden away in a grove of coconut palms and flowering bushes.
Yoga classes can be taken amongst the coconut trees by the Beach Club or in the privacy of guests' suites.
Aside from the 41 metre Beach Club pool, Amankila's signature three-tier pool dominates the landscape just below the lobby. Set into the cliff-edge, the blue-tiled pools face the sea and flow one into the other down a stepped gradient similar to terraced fields.
Wireless broadband connections are available in all suites and public areas.