Hidden in Plain Sight
Hashirin Nurin Hashimi
s we walk down a small alleyway through a path illuminated only by the flickering lights of paper lanterns, a traditional bamboo thatched house comes into view. We’ve come to the residence of Pak Bilal, whose three-generation household runs a home industry producing palm sugar, for a special dinner arranged by our host Amanjiwo to cap off our sojourn in central Java. The elfin octogenarian warmly takes our hands in his, leading us into the cosy, candlelit dining room, as the aromas of an authentic Javanese meal tickle our senses. The food is prepared and brought over from the Aman resort, but some dishes such as the ayam bumbu panggang (grilled chicken marinated with lemongrass and chilli) and pepes tahu (grilled marinated tofu wrapped in banana leaves), which we devour with steamed rice, are finished over hot charcoal here. While it may not be fancy by Michelin standards, the dining experience is heart-warming, more so when a teary-eyed Pak Bilal sends us on our way, grateful that we’ve come to his humble abode. Pak Bilal’s is just one of the many homes we’ve visited in the rural Javanese heartlands of Borobudur. The beautiful smiles and warmth of the villagers followed everywhere we went. But nothing beats the legendary Aman hospitality we enjoyed at our home base, Amanjiwo, one of Aman’s five properties in Indonesia. Tucked within a natural amphitheatre in one of the country’s most scenic spots, Amanjiwo, or peaceful soul in Javanese, is a 75min drive from Yogyakarta airport. Entering the Borobudur countryside, our eyes take in varying shades of green, from the sweeping rice paddies in the Kedu Plain and the soaring Menoreh Hills rising up behind, to the four volcanoes including the active Mount Merapi in the horizon, before we turn into a steep driveway that leads us to a circular limestone monolith, anchored by a bell-shaped rotunda. “Welcome to my home,” Ian White, Aman’s regional director for Indonesia, greets us. From the entranceway, we get a first glimpse of the Borobudur Temple, one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world, and the reason behind many a pilgrimage to central Java. In fact, the architecture of Amanjiwo pays homage to the 9th-century wonder, with its main building framed by 36 freestanding suites in two crescents. Each luxurious suite, including the exclusive Dalem Jiwo, overlooks the Borobudur and rice paddies. Most tourists flock to Borobudur at sunrise and during the day, but you also want to be there right before the sun disappears into the mountains. You get to appreciate the temple itself, and its stunning stone relief panels and life-sized Buddha statues in the evening glow. Being one of the last few people in the compound also allows you time for selfreflection and to soak in the majesty of it all. Making the experience even more special, the Borobudur itself will be illuminated on the 20th of every month, as part of Amanjiwo’s year-long 20th-anniversary celebrations. A Unesco World Heritage site, Borobudur is more than just one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in the world, it’s also