Kyoto to Greece:
Aman Jet Expedition 2022
All touring and transfers are private with your own car, driver & guide.
Japan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, UAE, Turkey, Greece
Price—TBD
Limited to 8-9 couples.
Your Private Jet
Airbus ACJ 318- Fitted with 19 seats (instead of 130)
- Lounge configuration
- ‘Cocktail party in the sky’ atmosphere
- Two pilots, two flight attendants, one chef & one engineer
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Your journey begins at Aman Kyoto, a secluded forest sanctuary in the grounds of a former artistic community, near Kyoto’s UNESCO sites.
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Aman Kyoto’s holistic relationship with nature and Zen philosophy lends itself to deep relaxation, and private yoga sessions and mindfulness programs are available at down times on the journey. We recommend you take a meditation class by a Zen Buddhist monk.
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Japanese minimalism influences room designs, with careful attention paid to space and geometry, and natural light.
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An onsen at Aman Kyoto, drawing from local mineral hot springs.
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We encourage you to immerse yourself in Japanese culture while in Kyoto. Above: a traditional matcha tea making ceremony.
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Cultural experiences includes a private Geisha dinner, traditional sake tasting and special access to the sacred Kokedera (“Moss Temple”), where monks lead classes in kito (chanting) and shakyo (transcribing Buddhist sutra, or holy texts).
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With your own car, driver & guide, explore Kyoto’s historic sites including the Golden Pavilion, the stone garden of Ryoan-ji, and the photogenic Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine (above).
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On the morning of day four, transfer to Amanpulo, a private island in the Sulu Sea. This stage of the journey is designed to juxtapose Kyoto with the quintessential Asian tropical idyll.
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Loosely modelled after local bahay kubo dwellings, Amanpulo’s open-plan casitas are set directly on the beach or secluded within the jungle canopy, just back from the beach. In classic Aman style, all feature traditional design elements from Palawan Island.
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Above: the morning view at Amanpulo.
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This section of the journey will afford you plenty of leisure time. Explore the island with your own private golf cart, enjoy a complimentary massage at the beachfront pavilion or take advantage of the resort’s unusual floating bar (above).
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Amanpulo’s fleet includes motorboats for island-hopping, catamarans and a number of laser sailboats. There is good fishing for snapper, wahoo and tuna abundant just off the coastline. Above: the staff are always on hand to take you out on the water.
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Amanpulo features a kitesurfing center, as well as many other water sports. The island’s sand-bottomed blue lagoon, located on the windward side, makes for world-class windsurfing. In April, northeast trade winds blow, on average, at about 20 knots.
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There is a PADI dive center on site, with the reef facing the Beach Club, a popular diving stop. Sea turtles, parrotfish, rays and a wide array of coral fish live in these waters. Pamalican Island is a nesting site for green and hawksbill turtles, who visit every year from March to October to lay eggs.
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Amandari - a place of solace and peace among the verdant rice paddies of Ubud, Bali.
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True to Aman’s philosophy of design, Amandari is styled after a traditional Balinese village, with a commitment to using local materials including Javanese marble, coconut and teak wood and volcanic stone.
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All the resort’s 30 suites come with a private garden, courtyard and outdoor sunken marble bath, which is a particular highlight. Paras stone walls ensure complete privacy.
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Ubud is the spiritual center of Bali, a place where deep cultural immersion and wellness connect. Here, take a guided hike through the rice terraces and local villages surrounding Ubud, where there are several hidden temples that outsiders know very little about. During the hike, we will introduce you to a Balinese priest, who will offer you a special private blessing with holy water at a small temple in one of the villages.
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Above: children in traditional Balinese dress look out across Ayung Valley.
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Visit Tirta Empul (above), the ancient Holy Spring Water Temple. The active water temple complex is highly significant in Bali and is reputed to have healing water. You may bathe in the sacred purification pools within the temple, if you wish.
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Your next stop is Galle, Sri Lanka. You will stay at the venerable Amangalla, a 17th-century building, which for more than 100 years served as the New Oriental Hotel during the heyday of steamship travel.
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The Unesco World Heritage site of Galle has a rich legacy of Dutch and British colonial influences. It remains one of Asia’s most atmospheric old towns, exuding old-world charm among its boutique-lined streets, ringed by stone fort walls.
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Each chamber in Amangalle’s Church Street Wing faces the Fort ramparts. A gracious and authentic turn-of-the-century ambience is recreated with a four-poster king-size, planter’s chair, writing desk, dining table, pettagama chest and gleaming teak floorboards.
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Above: Freestanding baths take the center stage in the classic teak-floor bathrooms.
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An ayurvedic doctor is on hand to diagnose your dosha (energies found throughout the human body and mind according to Ayurveda), give any lifestyle advice or heal an ailment.
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Explore Galle Fort on foot accompanied by your private butler to learn the history of the Unesco World Heritage Site.
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Above: The lighthouse and ramparts of Galle, from the air.
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Enjoy a two-day ‘stopover’ in Dubai, on the way to Europe, staying at the iconic Burj Al Arab. The Burj is a fun and somewhat over-the-top hotel, designed in the shape of a billowing sail, and standing over 1,000ft tall with panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf from its floor-to-ceiling suite windows.
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We advise exploring the Al Fahidi Historic District (above), one of the oldest traditional Emirati neighborhoods in Dubai, full of galleries, museums, ateliers and boutiques. The following day explore the Gold, Spice, Perfume and Textile Souks at your leisure, before a visit to Jumeirah Mosque.
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To round off the ‘stopover’, we’ve arranged an optional helicopter trip to Abu Dhabi to visit the new Louvre Abu Dhabi (above), the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital and the splendid Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
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To round off the ‘stopover’, we’ve arranged an optional helicopter trip to Abu Dhabi to visit the new Louvre Abu Dhabi (above), the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital and the splendid Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
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Your next Aman is Amanruya, a Mediterranean-tinged stone retreat on the Bodrum Peninsula, among the scattered remains of the ancient Greek and Roman eras.
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With olive groves and meandering pebble pathways, Amanruya has a Mediterranean village-like feel. Each detail is meticulously-designed with local materials including Antalya marble; we particularly like the pergola daybed overlooking the heated private pools.
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Amanruya’s stone pavilions all open onto picturesque gardens with private swimming pools and open views of the Aegean. Nearly a mile of private pebble beach skirts the base of the resort’s hilltop position.
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Above: the wine cellar at Amanruya.
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Visit the medieval Bodrum Castle (above), and take a day trip to Ephesus, a Unesco World Heritage site dating back to the 10th century BC. If you wish, you may also try pottery making, a Turkish tradition since the early days of the Ottoman Empire.
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Above: The amphitheater at the ancient Hellenic city of Stratonikeia, approximately one hour from Amanruya via private transfer.
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Visit the quaint artisanal village of Etrim, famous for their hand-knotted carpets.
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To conclude your journey, from the heartlands of feudal Japan to the birthplace of Western civilisation, enjoy a rejuvenating Mediterranean sojourn at Amanzoe, a Classical-inspired hilltop retreat on the Peloponnese peninsula.
Note: You will be transferred from Athens to Amanzoe by helicopter. -
This Ed Tuttle-designed resort draws inspiration from ancient Greece with its pared-back aesthetic, strong lines, sand-coloured marble floors and dry stone-clad walls, columns and cornices. Like all Aman resorts, it is designed to create a sense of space, in harmony with its surroundings.
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Each standalone pavilion opens onto a panoramic terrace with a private plunge pool. Each is accessed via a stone-walled courtyard, leading to a high-ceilinged living area and king-size bed positioned in a marble alcove with views over the Peloponnese countryside.
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From its hilltop vantage point, 360 degrees of rich Peloponnese countryside, olive groves and Aegean azure unfold before you.
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Above: The beach club at Amanzoe. You will have the penultimate day at your leisure, and the Remote Lands team advise spending it here. There are four pools, overnight beach cabanas and water sports; the sheltered bay waters are perfect for snorkelling.
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Above: the strong lines of Amanzoe by aerial drone shot.
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Above: The storied Hydra Island, where vehicles are prohibited and a slow-paced Mediterranean ethos pervades. A short boat trip from Amanzoe, it’s a special location for a day excursion.
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Stay at six Amans in just one journey.
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Fly aboard an Airbus 318, fitted with just 19 seats (instead of 130) and furnished with sofas and coffee tables, encouraging a “cocktail party in the sky” atmosphere.
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Special experiences curated by the Asia travel specialists at Remote Lands.
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Explore the ancient world from feudal Japan to the sacred temples of Bali to Classical Greece.
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You will have your own car, driver & guide at your disposal throughout the journey, allowing you the freedom and flexibility to choose your own path. .
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Cultural experiences on this leg of the journey includes a private Geisha dinner, traditional sake tasting and special access to the sacred Kokedera (“Moss Temple”), where monks lead classes in kito (chanting) and shakyo (transcribing Buddhist sutra, or holy texts).
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With your own private driver and guide, you will explore Kyoto’s historic sites including the Golden Pavilion, the stone garden of Ryoan-ji, and the photogenic Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine (above).
Remote Lands is the world’s leading tour operator focusing on luxe and intrepid Asia.
Travel with us and you will experience the finest that Asia has to offer, from the very best hotels to unique experiences with remote cultures far from the beaten path. Our attention to detail, personalized service, creativity, and deep knowledge of Asia set us apart and guarantee you many an enthralling tale of adventure upon your return home.
Seek the Soul of Asia.
