Captivating Vesak is the resort’s two-night exclusive from 22 to 24 May, celebrating the most important Buddhist festival which commemorates Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. Amanjiwo guests will enjoy a special robe offering and blessing by monks, a spectacular Vesak dinner accompanied by traditional Javanese dancing, the releasing of lanterns from Borobudur, fascinating lectures by an anthropologist and traditional Javanese afternoon tea at the Rotunda.
Amanjiwo has long offered insight into Central Java’s cultural wealth through lectures, hands-on experiences and private tours, including of Yogyakarta – a 60- to 90-minute drive from the resort. Now for the first time, Amanjiwo offers an exclusive visit to Keraton Yogyakarta – the Yogyakarta Royal Palace.
Discover this historic centre of learning through two new unique experiences including a Keraton Royal lunch where favourite dishes of the first Sultan of Yogyakarta are served in the home of the prince.
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The second, reveals the secrets of chronograms known as Sengkalan, traditionally used in inscriptions to signify a given year. In a special room inside the palace, Kanca Kabujanggan, the Royal Historian of Keraton Yogyakarta, explains how certain words were assigned a specific number, and poetic phrases formed of these words to describe and date particular events.
These new experiences are exclusive to Amanjiwo guests and can be booked individually or in combination with a wider private tour of Yogyakarta, including the Unesco World Heritage Site of Prambanan Temple and the cultural museum of Sonobudoyo.
Amanwana, Moyo Island
On the beautiful island of Moyo in the Flores Sea, Amanwana is a natural paradise perfect for private group escapes. The wilderness hideaway offers full-board accommodation in just 17 luxury guest tents, designed by Jean Michel-Gathy and unrivalled access to some of the best scuba diving and snorkelling in Indonesia.
Located a short distance east of Moyo Island, Unesco-protected Saleh Bay is home to one of the largest whale shark (Rhincodon typus) populations on Earth. At least 103 of these gentle giants – completely harmless to humans – inhabit its waters year-round.