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Amanjiwo
Resort
Borobudur,Central Java,Indonesia
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 Amanjiwo
(peaceful soul) rests in the rural heartland of Central
Java. The resort is located within a natural amphitheater, with
the limestone Menoreh Hills rising directly behind, the Kedu
Plain to the front and four volcanoes – Sumbing and Sundoro
to the west, Merbabu and Merapi in the east – on the horizon.
Amanjiwo looks out onto Borobudur, the largest Buddhist sanctuary
in the world. The heart of Amanjiwo is a sweeping circular monolith
crafted of paras yogya (a limestone found in the Yogyakarta
area), and all but entirely open to the Javanese country air.
Amanjiwo’s major architectural motif, of circles and squares
and crescents, pays homage to Borobudur and to the centuries
of grand temple architecture that fill Central Java.
Climate
Located 6° to 9° below the equator, Java enjoys a warm,
tropical climate year-round. The weather is particularly pleasant
from June through September. It is always cooler in higher altitudes,
and Central Java is blessed with volcanic mountains. The wet
season runs from November to April. Even during the heaviest
rains, however, the sun is rarely out of sight for long.
Amanjiwo is about an hour’s drive from Yogyakarta airport. The
primary international gateways to Yogyakarta are Bali and Jakarta.
Both offer several, one-hour flights a day to Yogyakarta. From
Solo, it is a scenic, two-hour drive to Amanjiwo. 80-minute
flights service Solo from Singapore 3 times a week. Complimentary
airport transfer is provided. While visitors from most countries
do not require special visas, passports must be valid for at
least six months from date of entry.
ACCOMMODATION and RATES
 Amanjiwo’s
main building is framed by 36 suites arrayed in two deep crescents.
The walled suites feature terrazzo flooring, high ceilings,
domed roofs and sliding glass doors to a garden terrace with
a view to Borobudur. Fifteen suites come with private swimming
pools. All suites include a thatched-roof kubuk (pavilion) with
a daybed for outdoor lounging and dining. Interiors include
a central, four-pillar bed on a raised terrazzo platform, sungkai
wood screens, coconut wood and rattan furniture, old batik pillows
in classic Yogyakarta style, traditional glass paintings and
a sunken outdoor bathtub centered by a brass gamelan gong.
The Dalem Jiwo Suite is a discrete compound, complete
with a private entrance, a grand rotunda and surrounding terrace
and two detached and walled bedrooms. The suite’s 15-meter pool,
finished in a green Javanese stone known as hijau danau, is
set into the rice fields. Dalem Jiwo’s personal assistant, always
on call, has separate quarters in the compound.
FACILITIES AND SERVICE
From Amanjiwo’s entrance, five steps climb to the rotunda Bar,
a circular salon of columns and drop fans and a coconut-wood
bar. The Bar gives way to the arcing Dining Room , with its
amber-washed, silver-leaf ceiling. Indonesian and Western cuisine
are available in an open-air setting. The specialty of the house
is makan malam, a series of classic Javanese offerings served
in brass dishes. A Javanese gamelan orchestra performs at lunch
and dinner.
 The
Dining Room looks out onto the crescent-shaped Terrace,
with its banquette seating, brass tables, teak chairs and Yogya
batik cushions. The view from the Terrace shoots past the rice
fields of the Kedu Plain to Borobudur, directly ahead. Just
beyond the great Buddhist temple is the rounded hill of Tidar.
Considered the geographical center of the island, Tidar is known
in legend as the very head of the nail that holds Java to the
earth. Mt. Sumbing, in the northwest, towers over everything.
From the colonnaded Pool Club , with its 40-meter, green-stone
pool, enjoy stunning views to Mt. Merapi, one of the world’s
most active volcanoes.
A wide variety of Javanese clothing and textiles are available
at the Boutique, which also features gamelan instruments, shadow
puppets, old ceremonial baskets, jewelry and other Javanese
craft and antiques. Exquisite hand-woven, hand-dyed and painted
silk scarves, shawls and other pieces are featured in the Gallery
. Each piece is signed and numbered. Two spacious daybeds distinguish
the library. Take Javanese tea or homemade ginger beer and leaf
through a fine selection of books on Indonesia available in
several languages, including Japanese and German. A variety
of CDs, tapes and games can be borrowed. Regular exhibitions
are held in the Art Gallery. Amanjiwo’s informal artist-in-residence
keeps a studio there, and guests are welcome to make use of
the easel and paints on hand. Amanjiwo has two stone-walled
tennis courts , each with a thatched-roof kubuk for shady breaks,
refreshments and towels.
Massage, Facials, Javanese Cream Baths and Beauty Treatments
are available in the privacy of the guest’s suite. The masseurs
and masseuses live in the villages surrounding Borobudur. Amanjiwo
also keeps a Meditation Garden in a corner of the resort grounds
close to the Menoreh Hills.
ACTIVITIES
 Amanjiwo’s
personalized cultural excursions bring Central Java to life.
From Borobudur and Gedung Songo to Prambanan and the Dieng Plateau,
many of the most ancient, and important, of Asia’s religious
monuments and temples are rooted to the plains and volcanic
slopes of Central Java, Indonesia’s heartland. All are accessible
from Amanjiwo. The 8th-century Buddhist sanctuary known as Borobudur
-- among the best-preserved ancient monuments in the world --
can be visited, privately, at sunrise. From Borobudur, return
to Amanjiwo aboard one of the Sumatran elephants available for
Amanjiwo guests. Borobudur does not stand alone in the fertile
Kedu valley. Legend has it that 2,000 temples once graced the
plains beyond Amanjiwo. Among those that still stand, a few
are particularly notable, including Candi (temple) Pawon and
the 8th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple of Mendut, which rises
in a park-like setting. Inside Mendut sits a three-meter-high
Buddha statue carved from a single stone. Further afield are
other grand ruins, some of which require a full day to visit.
The region’s two royal cities, Yogyakarta and Solo (Surakarta),
have much to offer visitors. Yogya, as it is often called, is
a major university town and a royal capital complete with a
functioning kraton or palace. The city’s main thoroughfare,
Jalan Malioboro, takes on the tenor of an exotic street fair
at night. In Solo, classical Javanese dance and art schools
flourish. Both cities reward antique hunters and art and craft
collectors. Two major art galleries are just a 10-minute drive
from Amanjiwo. At other Borobudur-area studios and shops, browse
for antique glass paintings, contemporary silver jewelry, handmade
batik and stone sculpture. The morning markets surrounding Borobudur
are a fascinating insight into everyday life in Central Java.
Central Java is a haven for trekkers and casual hikers alike.
Mount Merapi is one of Java’s most popular climbs. Only the
fittest hikers, however, will want to make the demanding ascent
of this active stratovolcano. The rugged Menoreh Hills rise
immediately back of Amanjiwo. The vigorous, 90-minute hike up
Menoreh offers unimpeded views of the Kedu Plain, with Amanjiwo
in the foreground and Borobudur in the middle distance.
Located on the slopes of Indonesia’s most active volcano, close
to the resort town of Kaliurang, the 18-hole Mount Merapi Golf
Club is a scenic haven for golfers and sightseers alike. At
an altitude of about 1,000 meters, it’s also a cool escape.
Less than an hour’s drive from Amanjiwo, the Mount Merapi Golf
Club was designed by Peter Thompson.
The rural villages of Central Java celebrate everything from
a harvest to a wedding or circumcision with gamelan music and
spirited dancing. Amanjiwo guests are welcome to watch the festivities,
which can include more than a hundred guests from nearby villages,
dozens of performers, games of chance and, occasionally, late-night
trance dancing .
EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES
Explore the art and culture and enduring mysticism that colors
Central Java with The Amanjiwo Cultural Experience , a new,
four-night offer from Amanjiwo. |
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ROOM
RATES - Valid
until 31 March 2004
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Rates are quoted in US Dollars, per room per night
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Room
Category
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Normal
Rates + 21% tax & service charges. WITHOUT BREAKFAST |
Internet
Rates
Including 21% tax & service |
| Single |
Double |
Single |
Double |
| Suite |
TBA |
TBA |
756.00 |
756.00 |
| Deluxe Suite |
TBA |
TBA |
937.00 |
937.00 |
| Pool Suite |
TBA |
TBA |
1.058.00 |
1.058.00 |
| Deluxe Pool
Suite |
TBA |
TBA |
1.210.00 |
1.210.00 |
| Dalem Jiwo
Suite TwoBedroom |
TBA |
TBA |
3.146.00 |
3.146.00 |
NOTE : TBA = To be Advised
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