Bali has a unique culture and there is no better place to gain a good understanding of it than in Ubud, the island's cultural heart. In tune with the traditions and beliefs that surround it, Amandari reflects the upcountry village culture of art, dance and music of Ubud, and of Bali in general. Away from the beaches and the crowds, Amandari is at one with nature in Bali's 'Green Capital' - Ubud.

Ubud offers a wealth of arts and crafts with many small shops, art galleries, museums, painters' studios and the colourful Pasar Seni market, trading in a wide range of clothing, sarongs and gifts. The local villages of Tegallang and Jati are renowned for their woodcarvings, and the village of Celuk has numerous jewelers. Some will even custom-make pieces to your design. South of Tabanan, in Pejaten, one finds plenty of traditional pottery.

Amandari resort can arrange personal guided tours to any part of Bali. Popular day trips include Gunung Kawi - 11th-century temple monuments dedicated to King Anak Wungsu, Lake Batur, Mount Agung and Ceking, famous for its thousand-year-old rice terraces. Our guides have a thorough knowledge of the island and will develop a tour tailored to your needs. You may want to ask them to take you to locations not on the main tourist routes, or to less crowded, and therefore more peaceful, parts of Bali.

Amandari was designed as a Balinese village. The property contains special walkways, and high stone walls surround the suites, offering the ultimate privacy. For hundreds of years, Balinese from the village of Kedewatan, near Amandari, have taken a path through the resort down to a pool of holy water. Just above this spring-fed pool sit three modest shrines and a 7th-century tiger carved in stone.