Amantaka, Luang Prabang
It is 8am and I am steadily trekking up a soft path to the Kuang Si waterfall. My sneakers sink gently into the ground as I walk, but the sound of gushing water pulls my attention away from the mud rimming my soles. A few more steps and I arrive at one of the most spectacular sights I have ever witnessed.
From a 100-metre drop, crystalline spring water cascades over tiers of white limestone, flowing into a shallow pool glittering in teal. The colour of the water is difficult to describe—or believe—for it looks almost like a sweet cocktail, a swirling mix of sky blue and sea green, capped with creamy foam. Behind this staggering view, a small army of Amantaka staff have laid out a gorgeous picnic, linen-covered tables laid with perfectly baked croissants, fruit, yogurt and glistening pots of freshly brewed coffee and tea.
The pristine scenery and fresh air are a welcome change after the winding hour-long car ride through villages and rice paddies to get here from Luang Prabang. Fed from a nearby spring, the main majestic Kuang Si waterfall is joined by several smaller waterfalls that stretch for miles, each with its own pool of fresh water inviting passers-by for a dip. The surrounding rock can be dangerously slippery, so my experienced tour guide (hired and trained by Aman) is best-equipped to point out the pools that are safest for swimming in.
There is no fixed trail through the forest but the path is easy and pleasant to walk on. Soon, I find myself at a sprawling bear sanctuary, signposted with informative boards about the illegal wildlife trade in Laos, which has left its sun and moon bear populations devastatingly endangered. The Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre, a non-profit, rescues them from poachers and gives them lifelong care.
When I arrive, the bears are lounging in hammocks, lazily sunning themselves and basking in the heat of day. I am positioned a safe distance away that is unintrusive for the (deceptively cuddly-looking) bears, but seeing these gorgeous animals in their natural habitat is a once-in-a-lifetime experience I would not soon forget.
Which, one may come to understand, is the point of the Amantaka experience. The gorgeous resort is situated in the heart of Luang Prabang city (though the absence of traffic noise makes this difficult to believe), seated at the foot of the sacred Mount Phousi in a protected heritage area. The purpose of a stay in the hotel—beyond taking in the French colonial splendour of its compound—seems to be aimed towards exposing guests to the underrated allure of what Laos has to offer.
At Amantaka, expect everything to be down-to-earth and handmade. In place of sterile refinement, you’ll find a charming rusticity that extends to everything from the rough-chopped vegetables you are served in the main restaurant to the quiet but attentive service of the dedicated staff.
“At Amantaka, you’ll find a charming rusticity in place of sterile refinement”
In contrast, the property itself is visually arresting and palatial, set on a historic garden estate and in an elegant 19th-century building. Each sprawling suite (to call them spacious would be an understatement) opens its louvred doors to a lofty-ceilinged bedroom with a romantic four-poster king bed right in the centre, shrouded in billowing silk mosquito nets.
In the living area sits a handsome colonial desk carved from deep red mahogany, complete with a cushioned bench made for you to stretch out languidly on while writing letters home. A honeymoon destination for the books, this certainly is.
The bathroom is a playground in itself, with twin vanities, dedicated dressing areas and a separate island bathtub. Slip out through the door and you’ll find a private backyard pool with a wraparound courtyard and lounge chairs. Leaving the suite, then, might prove a mighty task, but make the effort, if only to go to the Aman Spa located across the gorgeous common garden filled with sculptural bushes and shaded by tall indigenous trees manicured to perfection.
Amid utmost serenity and privacy, the spa offers an indulgent treatment menu of full-body massages, facials and wraps, incorporating traditional Southeast Asian techniques, ingredients infused with local herbs, and Aman’s signature organic skincare products. Experienced technicians gently guide you through the entire process, leaving you relaxed and basking under the welcome pressure of their hands. Such is, after all, the Laotian way of life.
Amansara, Siem Reap
The tone for a stay at Amansara is set as soon as you step out of the airport, when a vintage Mercedes limousine pulls up along the side of the road. It feels like something out of a film noir scene from the 1940s as you get in, greeted by a congenial chauffeur who gives you the lay of the land as the scenic drive begins.
The resort is located centrally—across the road from Angkor National Museum, where Aman can organise a private tour with the museum curator for guests—and a short drive from the Angkor Wat UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is at the latter destination that I arrive at 5am, a tour guide (again, trained by Aman) breezing me through the registration process to ensure I beat the morning crowd and catch a spectacular sunrise.
The walk into the heart of Angkor Wat lends perspective of just how large the temple complex is. Stretching out over 163 hectares, the ancient temples are hallmarks of Khmer architecture—frozen in time since they were built in the 12th century. Hulking multi-level sandstone pyramids sprout from the ground in a labyrinth of lintels and colonettes, each lined with narrow stairways that allow visitors to climb in.
My guide, who has been visiting Angkor Wat nearly every day since 1999, shows me the easiest spots to enter the steeples from. “Each day I come here, I still discover something new,” he professes.
“The immense spirituality of Angkor is captured thoughtfully within Amansara”
Each temple is, in itself, a gallery. The walls are filled with intricate carvings—ornamental depictions of Hindu mythology. It is staggering to experience this in person and moving to think about the temple labourers who carved each figure delicately by hand in devotion to their faith.
This immense spirituality of Angkor is captured thoughtfully within Amansara. The resort’s sandstone pillars and stone walls are made from special grey sandstone sourced from a sacred local quarry, which otherwise only supplies stone to temples.
The resort’s programming, too, is built around the sacred temple experience. In the spa, a 60-minute Temple Walk treatment (best tried once you return to the resort from walking for hours around the ruins of Angkor) comes with a crystal salt soak and foot scrub to clean and refresh tired feet, followed by a 100 percent natural Aman cooling lotion wrap and soothing foot and leg oil massage. My spa therapist, Lynin, even managed to sneak in a quick shoulder and head rub while my foot wrap soaked in. Indulgent and thoughtful, it is just the treatment to experience while at Amansara.
The rooms here are built around simplicity and utility. In contrast to the natural sand and stone palate of the common areas, the suites are finished in stark black and white monochrome, contemporary in style and carefully balancing indoor and outdoor spaces for seamless open-plan living.
A combined king-sized bedroom and living area steps down into a light-filled bathroom with an island bathtub, which offers views of a private courtyard and reflection pond. Outside, Amansara’s manicured gardens, curvilinear pool and canopy of mature trees add to a tangible sense of tranquillity and seclusion, even in the heart of a bustling city.
As for dining at the resort, executive chef Sattar Seikh Rabul is as versatile as they come; as adept at whipping up an Indian menu as he is Italian, Japanese and Thai. But a stay at Amansara calls for at least one unique culinary experience organised specially by the resort, whether it’s an intimate private dinner by the gorgeous lap pool, a sunset cruise with live fishing or an immersive dinner hosted at the Prasat Kravan temple. From temples to local dance troupes, the resort works symbiotically with the local community to immerse guests in the Khmer way of life.
The river cruise, which takes place on a well-renovated motorboat, offers a glimpse into the lives of the inhabitants of Chong Kneas, the floating village. As you recline on the cushy day bed with a lavish picnic spread and a knowledgeable guide sharing insight on how this community has evolved and why their ecosystem is so important, it might strike you that there is no better way to experience the hospitable luxuries of Khmer culture—and you’d be right.
