Ubud is celebrated as Bali’s leafy spiritual centre amid spectacular terraced rice paddies along the Sayan Ridge. As with every Aman destination, the resort promises a deep connection to people and place, with authenticity imbued in every occasion. With a seventh-century shrine at its heart, Amandari lends a true sense of traditional village life and how the Balinese are especially proud and loyal to their traditions and Hindu customs.
Amandari couldn’t be more closely connected with the Ubud community, providing grounds in which they grow crops, propagating talent from the next generation and teaming up to take care of our environment and our local landmarks together.
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Fifty percent of the team are locals from the village in which Amandari is located. The resort also works with local hospitality schools to host student internships – providing the opportunity for hands-on learning.
Organic produce from Amandari’s gardens is often shared with the people of the local village of Kedewatan. During the pandemic when the resort was closed to guests, the garden and gardening team continued to produce and harvest fruits and vegetables. The villagers were invited to plant their preferred varieties in the garden to harvest, which they continue to do.
Ubud is surrounded by many talented craftspeople – woodcarvers, stone-carvers, silver-makers, basket-weavers, painters and more. The cultural tours and visits to artisan workshops offered to guests, support the local economy and preserve centuries-old skills. In collaboration with Tonkraya, Amandari hosts exhibitions and provides an opportunity to purchase artworks, paintings, and sculptures which is a fantastically valuable support for the makers and creatives. In cooperation with Basa Bali, the Balinese Script-Writing Class – a unique experience offered to guests - introduces Bahasa Indonesia and calligraphy to wider audiences.
Weekly, Amandari guests are invited to see the Youth Organisation of Kedewatan perform their version of the famed Kunti Sraya story, a classical Balinese dance performance. The drama is a favourite from the tales of the Mahabharata epic of Hindu literature. Amandari directly supports the foundation which trains the dancers and musicians and helps keep this beloved community storytelling and entertainment alive.
Ibu Agung, Amandari’s talented in-house teacher, has been part of the resort's family for over two decades. She visits daily to teach the local children accompanied by her husband, Bapak Agung, a local music teacher. Children have been practising at the Lotus Pond Pavilion every day from 3pm to 4pm, since Amandari opened in 1989. Each month, the children’s parents are invited to attend their performances, encouraging the ongoing learning and passing down of these traditional arts.
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Aman has always prided itself on guiding its guests to the lesser-known attractions, offering unique experiences and avoiding the crowds. In doing so, it avoids contributing to over tourism, avoiding over-popular landmarks and the sensitivity of ecosystems and pressures on the environment and utilities to seasonal overpopulation.
As well as creating vitamin-rich compost for the resort’s gardens from organic waste, Amandari’s vegetable scraps are collected daily so they can be sent to local farmers to feed their chickens, pigs and ducks. The benefits are manifold — following a more circular approach to zero-waste ways on an island known not to have advanced waste-management systems. It minimises what’s sent to methane-generating landfill and leads to richer soil, which in turn triggers the production of bacteria and fungi which work their magic on organic waste.
The resort takes great pride in helping maintain Pesiraman, a very old temple at the edge of the Ayung River named known for its holy water ceremonies, special processions and offerings. Amandari’s tiger statues are inspired by those that you will find at Pesiraman, and attest to our close connection with our locale.