Rarely do people travel to walk in circles. But, in the right place, it can become a meditative experience and an unexpected salve for urban nine-to-five malaise.When in Yogyakarta, visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site of Borobudur temple is a must. But, what if you could also stay in a place that made you feel like you were almost dwelling within it — just with running water, fluffy towels, high-thread-count sheets and a Toto loo?That is the idea behind Amanjiwo, the Aman property in Central Java built out of honey-hued local limestone and designed to mirror the 9th-century temple’s tiered ascent towards a symbolic Nirvana.
(Photo: Amanjiwo)
“Amanjiwo” means “peaceful soul” and, as it turned out, the concentric, curving, walled structures of the iconic resort where people come to do nothing but bask in the beauty of the famous ancient temple complex did, in fact, reveal themselves to me as gentle pathways to serenity.WHERE ARCHITECTURE SLOWS THE SOULSince it opened in 1997, Amanjiwo has ranked up there as one of the most architecturally significant luxury resorts in Asia and one of Java’s most emblematic retreats. The reason is that it was conceived almost as an extension of the sacred landscape surrounding Borobudur. The resort, framed by the Menoreh Hills and four volcanoes — Merapi, Merbabu, Sumbing and Sindoro — directly overlooks the 9th-century monument that inspired nearly every aspect of its design.
