PRACTICALLY EVERY TRAVEL MAGAZINE FROM PEKING TO PARIS HAS WRITTEN ABOUT AMANJIWO OVER THE PAST DECADE. EDITORS GUSHED ABOUT ITS UNIQUE AND ROMANTIC LOCATION AMID THE PADDY FIELDS WITH DIRECT VIEWS OF BOROBUDUR, THE WORLD’S LARGEST BUDDHIST MONUMENT. TEN YEARS ON, DOES AMANJIWO STILL MAKE THE GRADE? MICHAEL KEATING WENT TO FIND OUT

You can feel your shoulders physically drop as you arrive at Amanjiwo. Everything about the place is calming, from a design that mirrors nearby Borobudur to the muted tones, exotic smells and gentle tinkle of the Javanese gamelan orchestra who play under the central dome. Even the word Amanjiwo means peaceful soul.

The site is located in a natural amphitheatre with the Menoreh Hills rising directly behind, the Kedu Plain in front and four volcanoes Sumbing, Sundoro, Merbabu and Merapi on the horizon. The main limestone building is framed by just 36 suites, so the whole place feels quiet and very personal. My suite had a high domed ceiling, separate his-and-hers open bathrooms, sliding glass doors onto a private garden with an outdoor bath and a cushioned lounging area overlooking paddy fields. The views are so inspiring that rooms are stocked with a watercolour set in case you are overcome with artistic inspiration.

There is a hi-fi, but with just one local CD and no TV, some may want to take up the option of a post-dinner movie in bed, especially given how little there is to do. This hotel really is remote, so it is definitely not the place to have an argument with a loved one. And don’t expect any local restaurants. Fortunately, the hotel kitchen serves up consistently good Indonesian and Western cuisine in a stylish silver-ceilinged open air dining room. Try the Makan Malam, a seven-course tasting menu, and if you have a special request, the charming Portuguese food and beverage manager Felipe Lencastre bends over backwards to oblige. Although service is definitely slower, it is always discreet, genuine and with a smile.

One of the main reasons people go to Amanjiwo is the 4am trip to Borobudur. The hotel has special early access to the site that allows guests to climb to the very top of the monument and watch the sunrise. It’s a privilege to see this great monument without hordes of tourists. Standing almost alone adjacent to Borobudur’s great eighth century stupa at daybreak is mystical, moving and touches your very core. From here, through the morning mist you can see the several kampungs that are within walking distance from the hotel. You can even opt to ride through them by elephant.

There are certainly things to do if you want to fill your time – jungle treks, cooking classes, cycling, lectures in the library, charcoal sketching with a local artist, or day trips to local markets and Jogjakarta. But for me, Amanjiwo is about escape, stillness and tranquillity. You can spend days without seeing more than just a few guests. While there is no spa, good masseurs come to the room and there is a beautiful infinity swimming pool, overlooked by banyan trees and set into the rice paddies.

A decade on, does it still measure up against new contenders and stalwarts like the Four Seasons? Absolutely. But bear in mind that the management style is decidely more relaxed. By day two, Sean the laid-back Aussie general manager was calling me “mate” and joining us at the dinner table for drinks. His friendly British wife was shouting “hello” over the garden wall while walking her dogs. For better or worse, that wouldn’t happen at the Four Seasons.

Rates from US$650 per night Tarif mulai dari US$650 per malam tel +62 293 788333 www.amanresorts.com