Amanjiwo

Amanjiwo (which means “peaceful soul”) is fashioned out of limestone and takes its inspiration from the surrounding culture of Central Java. The resort is located within a natural amphitheater with the limestone Menoreh Hills rising directly behind the Kedu Plain in front and four volcanoes - Sumbing, Sundoro, Merbabu, and Merapi – gracing the horizon. Amanjiwo looks out onto Borobudur, the largest Buddhist sanctuary in the world.

Buddhist monuments as a backdrop don’t come more dramatic than here in Java’s cradle of civilization - Silhouetted at sunrise, Unesco-listed Borobudur is sure to stir up artistic tendencies - not only because the landscape includes Mount Merapi’s volcanic peak, smoldering in the background, but because Amanjiwo provides guests with sets of watercolor paints. Here in Indonesia’s artistic and intellectual heartland, Borobudur, one of Buddhism’s most sacred Mahayana temples, was reclaimed from the jungle in the 19th century. Its significance is echoed in the resort’s design. The temple-like hideaway, built entirely from blush-beige local paras Jogja limestone, has soaring ceilings, colonnades, and a central domed stupa roof that mimics Borobudur in the distance.

Suites - Inspired by the 9th-century Buddhist sanctuary of Borobudur, Amanjiwo’s Suites feature four-pillar king-size beds on raised terrazzo platforms, spacious garden terraces, some with private swimming pools, and lounging pavilions. Views include terraced farmland and the Menoreh Hills, or the valley and Borobodur itself. Amanjiwo’s suites feature terrazzo flooring, high ceilings, domed roofs, and sliding glass doors that open onto a garden terrace with a view of Borobudur or surrounding farmland. Fifteen suites come with private swimming pools. All suites include a thatched-roof kubuk (pavilion) with a daybed for outdoor lounging and dining and two loungers. 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 large sunken stone outdoor bathtub.

Javanese Dining Experiences, Amanjiwo - The hypnotic sounds of gamelan resonate through the colonnaded Restaurant, with views over rice fields to Borobudur and the volcano-fringed horizon. Amanjiwo’s garden and nearby farms supply most of the ingredients used by the chef in a range of Javanese and Indonesian specialties – including a Makan Malam degustation dinner menu, updated daily. The rotunda Bar is a circular salon, with columns and drop fans, a coconut-wood bar, and acid-etched bronze-drum tables. With its silver-leaf ceiling swirling with muted colors, the Dining Room is defined by a double row of stone columns. Indonesian and Western cuisine is served in an open-air setting with panoramic views over Borobudur's rice fields and its surrounding volcanoes. The Terrace's view is particularly arresting at dawn and twilight, or after a cleansing rain, when the views open up over the Kedu Plain. Borobudur is directly ahead. Drinks, snacks, and light lunches are also available at the colonnaded Pool Club that stretches into the rice fields. From the deck or from the 40-meter, green-stone pool itself, guests can enjoy views of Mt. Merapi.

A 40m infinity swimming pool, lined with green tiles and overlooked by banyan trees, is set into the rice paddies below the resort. Other facilities include a large library with a selection of books, CDs, and games, an Art Gallery and Studio, two tennis courts, and a boutique with a wide variety of Javanese clothing and textiles.

Java Spa & Wellness Experiences, Amanjiwo - The Spa, with its outdoor relaxation bale, is home to treatments informed by Javanese healing and beauty rituals handed down through generations. Tennis courts overlook the Menoreh Hills, and yoga is practiced both at the gym and outdoors. The 40-meter swimming pool, surrounded by loungers and parasols, offers respite amid rice paddies and banyan trees.

Adventure Experiences, Java, Indonesia - Borobudur – the world’s largest Buddhist monument and one of many religious sites in the area – is a short drive from Amanjiwo resort. Time-weathered Hindu temples on the Dieng Plateau date from the 7th and 8th centuries, and the ancient complex of Prambanan boasts towering Hindu temples dotted across the plain. Java’s dramatic landscape is ideal for trekking, whether up the steep flanks of Mt Merapi or into the lush Menoreh Hills, replete with villages, clove plantations, and rice fields.