Where Mother Nature Reigns
Enveloped beneath soaring canopies and surrounded by unbounded magical scenery, Aman’s three tented camps are serene sanctuaries enabling guests to reap the benefits of connecting with nature. With these properties comes increased mindfulness, reduced stress levels and a clearer headspace – with every convenience and luxury at hand. Designed for escapism, solitude and adventure, each camp offers a unique experience. From the tiger-inhabited jungle of Ranthambore National Park in India, to the starkly beautiful Utah desert with its vermillion rock formations, and an entire tropical island in Indonesia, life at the camps is defined by their surroundings.
The intimacy, exclusive to each location, and the access to a multitude of adventures, forms an ideal escape for larger groups or families desiring an undisturbed insight into a destination or a special place for an important celebration. All three will now offer guests the opportunity to book the entire camp on an exclusive basis, with the introduction of a new experience titled ‘A Camp of Your Own’.
The new offer will enable a stay without constraints – where life without walls encourages simplicity and freedom – with dedicated Aman staff catering to every whim, transporting guests from their everyday lives and creating lasting memories with friends and loved ones.
AMAN-I-KHAS, INDIA
(A Camp of Your Own is available until May 2021)
Set on the threshold of Ranthambore National Park, a former hunting ground and home of the Bengal Tiger, Aman-i-Khas is a secluded wilderness camp in rural Rajasthan. Designed by renowned architect Jean-Michel Gathy, the camp’s 10 Mughal-style tents are 148sq-m and 6m in height, providing airy living spaces, an expansive bedroom and a light-filled bathing area featuring a deep soaking bathtub and shower.
The tent interiors comprise of fresh white linen, cotton drapes and oyster-grey cashmere throws, conjuring up zen-like sentiments of calm. All fittings have been custom-made and include ceramic pots handcrafted in Jodhpur and a sink fashioned from ancient gun metal from Hyderabad in Utter Pradesh. The teak interiors were sourced from Madhya Pradesh.
Until 31 May 2021, groups catching up with family and friends and desiring a private insight into the destination can now commandeer the camp as their own by booking the 10 tents on an exclusive basis via the new A Camp of Your Own experience. With nature serving as a base for finding balance and rekindling social bonds, guests are invited to enjoy undisturbed seclusion amongst loved ones.
Cuisine at Aman-i-Khas is influenced by its surroundings and utilises ingredients that have been harvested on nearby farms or sourced from one of the camp’s three organic gardens. Supplying over 80 different varieties of fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers, each 1,500sq-m organic garden has its own separate location in the camp to protect the produce from inquisitive wildlife. Six local farmers supply herbs and vegetables not grown at the camp such as garlic, and a local family provides ghee and buffalo milk from which the chefs make yoghurt in clay pots.
The camp’s Mushroom Hut successfully produces oyster and button mushrooms, as well as a wilder species of mushroom that has been sourced from the nearby mountains. All meals are served in a softly lit Dining Tent or in one of the camp’s many sun-dappled outdoor spots and feature both Indian and Western dishes.
The camp’s wellness offerings are defined by nature in every way and include daily al fresco yoga and meditation sessions, as well as a dedicated spa tent. The Spa Tent is centred around a bubbling fountain and houses two double treatment rooms offering an extensive menu of treatments rooted in the principles of Ayurveda, an ancient form of Indian medicinal healing. In addition, every evening, guests are invited to enjoy an aromatic bath prepared with fresh flowers from the camp’s organic garden in the comfort of their own tent.
Adventure activities abound at Aman-i-Khas and include two daily Jeep safaris into Ranthambore National Park in search of tigers, leopards, sloth bears, hyenas, crocodiles, wild boar, Sambar and spotted deer. In addition, cultural excursions to nearby Ranthambore Fort and Khandar Fort, bird-watching trips along the verdant Banas riverbed, and camel rides through local villages can be arranged. Each tent is assigned a Batman to accompany guests on their explorations of the camp’s surroundings.
Further enjoyment awaits back at camp, where guests can relax around the tree-lined swimming pool or at nightfall in the sunken firepit, where the day’s adventures form rich material for storytelling beneath a starlit sky.
CAMP SARIKA, USA
(A Camp of Your Own is available from April until October 2021)
In 2020, Aman announced the arrival of Camp Sarika by Amangiri, a luxury encampment surrounded by 600 acres of raw wilderness in the heart of the Utah desert. The camp is located a 30-minute hike, or five-minute drive from Amangiri and overlooks iconic flat-topped mesa rock formations. It is surrounded by five national parks, each offering unique and diverse scenery, as well as numerous national monuments. With just 10 tented-pavilions, the camp enables a unique back-to-nature experience for guests, with a main pavilion and restaurant, two spa suites, one main swimming pool and a Jacuzzi.
Acting as a secluded escape where the theatre of nature is perfectly balanced with pioneering standards of privacy, luxury and hospitality, Camp Sarika is now offering guests the opportunity to book the remote sanctuary exclusively throughout 2021 for up to 30 people. The ultimate group hideaway, A Camp of Your Own is available on select dates from April to October 2021, for stays of three nights, and enables a private immersion into the destination via bespoke wellness experiences, outdoor excursions and carefully crafted cuisine.
Where fresh air is found in abundance, Camp Sarika serves as an idyllic backdrop to any intimate celebration, whether with friends or family, and a well-awaited reunion at the camp guarantees new discoveries and an adventure like no other.
Designed by Luxury Frontiers and claiming unobstructed views of the mesas or facing west to catch the sunset every evening, the tented pavilions at Camp Sarika feature either one or two bedrooms, as well as a living area, dining area, a bar, a private spacious terrace with a fire pit and an individual heated plunge pool. The five one-bedroom tented pavilions each cover 175sq-m, while the five two-bedroom tented pavilions cover 262sq-m. Interiors are spacious, comprising of natural materials that reflect the light-transforming, undulating surface of the desert outside.
Open throughout the day, the restaurant at Camp Sarika is situated in the main pavilion, with both indoor and outdoor seating offering breathtaking views. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, with snacks and afternoon tea in between, the restaurant offers a menu that changes daily, incorporating the freshest local produce.
Serving as a springboard for exploration of the area, the camp offers desert and mountain hiking with its own trail system, morning and afternoon wellness experiences indoors and out, its own Via Ferrata route and horseback riding, as well as many other adventure activities. Guests are invited to enjoy a deeper immersion in Native American culture every evening, with storytelling and star gazing around the fire pit.
Two spa suites at the camp offer relaxation and rejuvenation with an extensive menu of spa therapies inspired by traditional Navajo wellness practices. Yoga and guided meditation are available al fresco, allowing guests to reground themselves within the astounding natural beauty of the camp’s surroundings.
AMANWANA, INDONESIA
(A Camp of Your Own is available from 15 September 2020)
The only occupant of Moyo Island in Indonesia, Amanwana is a remote hideaway framed by 32,000 hectares of protected jungle, overlooking the turquoise Flores Sea. From 15 September, Amanwana offers a new A Camp of Your Own experience for those wishing to book the camp on an exclusive basis. Guests are now able to enjoy a three- or five-nights spent at Amanwana.
With unrestricted access to the entire island once at Amanwana, each Camp of Your Own stay includes all meals, well as a group beach barbeque dinner for an authentic island experience, daily snorkelling trips and complimentary laundry to ensure a seamless return. To make group stays extra-special, visitors are invited on a waterfall excursion to Barry’s Falls, where a cascading limestone waterfall appears through the forest in an unmissable fairy-tale experience and a guided cave trek, showcasing another of Moyo Island’s hidden gems as well as visiting educational tutors for “Island Home Schooling” for children.
In addition, each tent and its guests will receive a couple’s massage to find an equilibrium to the adventure. Those opting for the five-night offer will also experience a complimentary daily diving excursion, a traditional family-style Sumbawa Feast and a cocktail and canapé sunset hour.
With only 12 guest tents, the open-air seaside sanctuary is located steps from a coral-rich shoreline that teams with a kaleidoscopic whirl of vibrant marine life. It is this rich marine diversity that enables world-class diving and snorkelling, and the camp’s Dive Centre offers daily excursions to the surrounding coral reefs guided by a team of experienced instructors.
Trips into the tranquil water offer encounters with Hawksbill and green sea turtles, moray eels, lobsters, parrot fish, banner fish, surgeon fish, trigger fish, tuna, blue spotted rays, barracuda, small reef sharks, dolphins, giant manta rays and even whales. Above sea-level excursions are available too and watersports include cruising, fishing, SUPs, kayaking and Hobie Cat sailing.
Whilst the secluded cove in front of Amanwana shelters life below its surface, inner-island exploration uncovers an abundance of nature too. A thick tropical forest of teak, tamarind, fig, coral and banyan trees extends from the shoreline to the heart of the island and provide habitats for Rusa deer, banteng, wild buffalo, boar, Macaque monkeys, and a variety of wild birdlife.
Island adventures include excursions to dramatic waterfalls, jungle treks and mountain biking. Adventure-worn guests are able to relax and rejuvenate in the open-air, Jungle Cove Spa. The dedicated spa tent features a double treatment area with a deep-soaking bathtub and standalone shower.
Each tent at Amanwana is 58sq-m and enjoys a peaceful setting beneath a canopy of tropical forest, with jungle or sea views. Interiors are light-filled and comprise of teak wood and canvas, with floor-to-ceiling windows. Fittings include an indoor living area, spacious bedroom and an en-suite bathroom with a shower and deep-soaking bathtub. Outside the tent, an outdoor area includes chairs and loungers for optimal relaxation.
Meals at Amanwana are determined by the island and all are enjoyed al fresco at the beach-side restaurant or in the bar. Cuisine includes Indonesian and Western fare, with produce sourced from the camp’s organic vegetable garden. Guests are often invited to catch their own fish, which can be served along with the catch of the day from local fisherman.
Website: www.aman.com
