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Amanjiwo Resort is located in the rural heartland of central Java, within a natural amphitheatre of 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 stone. The resort`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.
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. |
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All suites include a thatched-roof pavilion with a day bed 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.
Amanjiwo’s personalized cultural excursions bring central Java to life. Many of the ancient and important Asia’s religious monuments and temples are rooted to the plains and volcanic slopes here. The 8th-century Buddhist sanctuary known as Borobudur can be visited, privately, at sunrise. From Borobudur, return to Amanjiwo aboard one of the three 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 the temple of 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. |
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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 designed by Piers Thompson is a scenic haven for both golfers and sightseers. At an altitude of about 1,000 meters, it’s also a cool escape! The resort also has a fabulous restaurant with live local music, a bar, library with a collection of books, CDs and games, a spa, and a 40-meter swimming pool, two tennis courts and an art gallery. |
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