Journey through Java with Aman: Possibly one of the most luxurious and romantic ways to travel

‘Journey through Java with Aman’ was conceived for the domestic market during the pandemic lockdown, which may, perhaps, explain why it’s still a little under the radar for non-Indonesians.

I’ve always loved trains. Not the hellish, crowded commuter versions, of course. You know the ones. Where you’re basically hurtling along in a crappy, mobile tin truck, hot air blowing in through dirty vents and soot-caked windows, and you’re packed in with every man, his mother and all their chickens. And the whole time, you’re desperately gripping your bladder, because the alternative is to visit the unspeakable toilets. No, not those trains.

The ones I love are the ones lined with plush fabrics, free WiFi, air-conditioning (or heating if it’s snowing outside); and with lovely food and wines served by attentive staff whose life goal is to make your trip onboard as memorable and life changing as the birth of your first-born.

Like the Belmond Royal Scotsman through the misty Scottish Highlands, and the Orient Express from Bangkok to Singapore, both of which I still rank as my all-time favourite train journeys.

To this list, I now add ‘Journey through Java with Aman’, a once-in-a-lifetime trip on the Aman train from Jakarta to Yogyakarta. From there, it’s a 90-minute road trip to Amanjiwo – a stunning 36-all-suite haven in light sandstone whose circular silhouette was designed by its architect, the great Ed Tuttle, to echo the lines of nearby Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist temple.

Those who know me well will tell you that to mention Aman in my presence is like triggering the Winter Soldier with a code word, except that instead of flying off into a murderous rampage like Captain America’s best friend, I start sighing and smiling like a Labrador puppy dozing and dreaming by the fireplace.

There’s just something about an Aman resort that, even after all these years, still manages to make me all warm and fuzzy inside. The wonderful locations, especially the first-generation properties opened in the 1990s, help. As does the gentle, thoughtful, proactive service that puts everyone else – even if they’re five-star – to shame. But above all, it’s that rare ability to create indelible moments and experiences that remind me of just why I travel. 

‘Journey through Java with Aman’ was conceived for the domestic market during the pandemic lockdown, which may, perhaps, explain why it’s still a little under the radar for non-Indonesians. I mean, when was the last time you equated a train trip through Java with luxury? But yet, here it is.

Kitted out in cream, dark wood accents and discreet slashes of batik, the Aman train is, in reality, a single carriage-car at the tail-end of the upmarket commercial train service, Kereta Api Pariwisata. But in its singularity, it contains an entire world that is both aspirational and dreamlike.

It accommodates a maximum of four couples with two kitchen staff, and two stewards who hover discreetly in the background, magically appearing at your elbow with drinks, endless snacks and cool towels, and invisible at all other times. Also on board is Amanjiwo’s resident anthropologist, Patrick Vanhoebrouck, an urbane Belgian who, besides French and English, speaks Bahasa Indonesian and Javanese.

The journey from Jakarta’s Gambir Station to Jogyakarta takes seven hours, which sounds like a long time, but it’s really not. There are two meal services – Javanese curries, grilled meats and soups – and afternoon tea. So there’s that. Add a few rounds of Candy Crush and a nap stretched out on the leather couches, or in a private room tucked away at the back of the carriage, and the hours fly by. 

I spent long stretches of time curled up on the couch, staring out the window at the passing scenery as we zipped eastwards towards Cirebon through increasingly lush countryside. Dusty towns with tin roofs and straggly banana trees soon gave way to leafy sugar cane fields, rolling hills, rice-fields and vast flood-plains. By the time lunch was served, the train had begun turning south-east towards Purwokerto, climbing towards the chain of photogenic volcanic mountains that stretch along the centre of Java. It’s a rugged, pastoral landscape – a land old beyond reckoning – that no one ever told me about and I caught myself wondering why it had taken me so long to get here.

Before and after lunch, Vanhoebrouck gave two fascinating lectures. Gravelly-voiced with major Indiana Jones-vibes, he set the background for the four day, three night stay at Amanjiwo, patiently bringing to life the ancient Buddhist and Hindu empires that once sprawled across Java and the incredible temples they left behind, not least of which include the 9th-century Borobudur (which is visible from Amanjiwo) and the elaborate temple complexes on Kedu Plain and Prambanan Valley.

In another lecture, he dived into Javanese music, architecture, and spirituality and how these were all captured on the temple walls like ancient versions of Instagram.

And before we knew it, the train was pulling into Yogyakarta’s Tugu train station where we were met by a phalanx of Aman staff who whisked us and our luggage off the train and into waiting sedans for the 45km drive to Amanjiwo. If you’ve ever wondered what it must be like to be Beyoncé and her posse arriving in a city for a concert, I thoroughly recommend the experience of striding through a crowded train station guided by uniformed staff and your luggage following behind.

As the sedan with its black tinted windows pulled out of the station and into the gloaming night, my bones still vibrating a little from the gentle rocking of the Aman train, I was excited for the coming days with their itinerary of guided temple tours, spiritual healing sessions, morning yoga by the rice and tobacco fields, sunset cocktails, and mountain hikes.

In Sanskrit, Amanjiwo loosely means “peaceful soul”. If you ask me, they’re seriously underselling the experience.

The 4D/3N stay at Amanjiwo including the train from Jakarta to Jogyakarta starts at US$6,050 (S$7,896), and includes airport or hotel transfer to Jakarta’s Gambir train station. More information at Aman's website.