Stilted pavilions on a hillside above the Lombok Strait, below Mount Agung, with a three-tier pool and a private black-sand beach.
East Bali feels like a different island from the south. The traffic thins, the rice terraces of the Buitan valley climb towards Mount Agung, and the water palaces at Tirta Gangga and Ujung are an easy morning out. Amankila is the reason most of our clients go there.
The three-tier pool is the picture everyone knows, and it lives up to it. Below it, a coconut grove leads to the Beach Club, eight lounging bales on the sand and a quiet black-sand beach with kayaks and paddleboards. The resort's two traditional outriggers run out to snorkelling and diving sites such as Manta Point and Crystal Bay.
Walkways link the pavilions through the trees and there are a lot of steps, so it is not ideal for anyone unsteady on their feet. The beach is dark volcanic sand, not white. It is 90 minutes from the airport, so we usually pair it with Ubud rather than treating it as a first or last night.
A stilted, thatched pavilion of about 94 square metres set into the hillside, with a generous terrace and garden views.
The same 94 square metres facing the Lombok Strait, with Mount Agung behind. The view is worth the step up from Garden.
About 204 square metres around a private pool and outdoor terrace, for couples who want a pool of their own.
Three pavilions high on the hillside, each slightly different, set around a private nine-metre infinity pool looking over Amuk Bay.
Villas of about 250 and 302 square metres with private pools and sea views. Kilasari has an 11.7-metre infinity pool.
About 660 square metres above the beach and Amuk Bay, with a large terrace, its own pool and a private butler.
Sandikala sits above the three-tier pool and serves Indonesian and Western dishes from breakfast to dinner, with produce from the organic garden; five poolside bales take private dinners, including a rijsttafel. Arva is the evening Italian restaurant. The Beach Club serves lunch and afternoon tea, and the Terrace Bar and a Harvest Table complete the line-up.
Treatments use Balinese baths, scrubs and wraps, in your suite, the massage pavilion or a beach bale. Yoga classes run in a bale by the beach, holistic practitioners offer reiki and hypnotherapy, and a three-night Purifying Spiritual Journey adds daily blessings at sacred sites.
Families are welcome, and the Two-Bedroom Villa and Beach Club work well with children who swim. No kids club is advertised and the steep hillside paths are hard work with small children, so we suggest it for families with older children.
| From the airport | About 90 minutes by car from Ngurah Rai International Airport |
|---|---|
| Setting | Hillside above the Lombok Strait, beneath Mount Agung |
| Pool | Three-tier infinity pool, plus a larger pool at the Beach Club |
| Dining | Sandikala, Arva, the Beach Club, the Terrace Bar and Harvest Table |
| Beach | Private black-sand beach with non-motorised watersports |
| Boats | Two traditional outriggers for snorkelling and diving trips |
Manggis, east Bali, Bali
A few of the things we plan for guests in Bali.
Ubud sits among rice fields, gorges and craft villages. Walk the Campuhan ridge at dawn, visit the terraces at Tegallalang early before the crowds, and see stone carving and silverwork in the villages nearby. For a quieter view, drive west to Jatiluwih, where the terraces are watered by the ancient subak irrigation system.
Pura Luhur Uluwatu stands on a sea cliff at the southern tip of the island. At sunset, a kecak performance is held in the amphitheatre beside it, with a circle of men chanting the story of the Ramayana. Arrive early for a good seat and hold on to sunglasses, because the temple monkeys are quick. Stay on the Bukit for clifftop villas and surf beaches.
Mount Batur is an active volcano in a huge caldera, and the classic walk starts in the dark to reach the rim by sunrise. On a clear morning you see the lake below and Mount Agung and Lombok’s Rinjani on the horizon. It takes about two hours up, on loose ground, so wear proper shoes. Go in the dry season and pair it with hot springs on the lakeshore.
Five nights at a wellness retreat in the Ayung River valley with a programme of yoga, treatments and healthy food, then five nights on the quiet east coast, where terraced suites look over the Lombok Strait.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will check availability, suggest the right room and send a price.
