I visited in February, and there had been a recent snowfall, a once or twice a year event, but it was pleasantly warm in the day at 20 degrees and cooler in the morning and evenings. Temperatures can rise to 40 degrees in the summer months.
With snow on the ground, it made for an even more special adventure trekking the West Coyote Trail from the hotel back to Camp Sarika. It’s an easy 40-minute hike with a little bit of rock climbing along the way, but it was the utter silence that struck me. With zero human encounters, just the sound of my breath and the occasional bird circling above to keep me company. I realised, as a city dweller, how little I am surrounded by complete silence. It made me focus on the present and being there in this special landscape, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I also had to suppress thoughts on what I would do if a coyote actually showed up!
The Spa
It was easy to settle into daily life at Amangiri. After my first morning sunrise experience, I woke early to catch the phenomenon again before ordering a delicious breakfast of homemade granola with acai sorbet or spicy eggs to be delivered to the pavilion. Next, I’d jump in the golf buggy and head up to the spa for the complimentary morning class with Connie, featuring a mix of Pilates, mediation, breath work and sound healing. She pulled open the spa window so we could meditate in the fresh air, with the view of the rocks out ahead.
The spa is an experience in itself, you enter by candle and firelight via the reception. Every treatment starts with a white sage burning ritual to cleanse and heal. Inside the dark, wood-lined cabins you feel yourself slipping into a deep relaxation. During my massage, the therapist used warm stones to soothe tension in the body and encourage lymphatic flow – both I can confirm were sleep-inducing
My favourite post-treatment spot was the Water Pavilion, with a plunge pool and steam room and a spa pool outside. I floated on my back staring up at the blue skies and surrounding cliffs, with the pool to myself. The space, the quiet, the solitude, is a divine moment of headspace for calm reflection in nature.
There’s a spiritual feel here that’s hard to describe, a calming peace and a special energy radiating from the land and the surrounding hills. It felt powerful, like a sense of awakening and a renewed sense of gratitude for the experience of life and being present in this otherworldly spot on earth.
Now home, I enjoy recalling this sense of calm and reconnection, using the power of scent and memory. For me, this is invoked by the warm, rich scent of the Aman Grounding collection, featuring ingredients such as amber oil, sandalwood, geranium and rose, designed to soothe stress and induce calm.
Adventure at Amangiri
On the flip side of the wellness experiences, there’s also daring, fun-filled adventure to get the adrenaline going. One of the hotel’s excursions on offer is sunrise yoga on a nearby mountain plateau, complete with helicopter transfers! There’s also plenty of hiking, horse-riding and water sports available on nearby Lake Powell in the Summer.