We can't imagine a better resort vacation

We can't imagine a better resort vacation

A group of 6 friends traveled to Hamanasi to celebrate retirements and birthdays. The visit was recommended by one of the couples, who had been there once before and loved it; now there are 2 more couples who love it and will be returning some day.
Upon our arrival at the resort, we were greeted with lime fizzes and quickly whisked off to our treehouses. The treehouses are actually lovely stand-alone apartments in the trees, raised up well above ground level, so you do have to be able to climb stairs (if you can't, or don't want to, there are ground level rooms with a very similar layout). The rooms have lovely wood floors and furniture and the bed is incredibly comfortable - it's better than my bed at home. An almost silent air conditioner and ceiling fans keep the room at the perfect temperature (if you leave for an adventure, the A/C is turned off to conserve energy; it's turned back on before you return). The bathroom has a beautiful tiled shower and vanity with 2 sinks and everything is impeccably clean. There were small reading lamps on the headboard, which I found to be inadequate, but the next morning one of the office staff checked in with us to see how we liked the treehouse and I mentioned the lamps - presto! later that day, they had replaced the lamps with better ones! Surrounded by trees, the only sounds we heard in the treehouse were birds and soft breezes. Two of our friends stayed in a ground level room closer to the beach, and they loved having the sound of the waves.
The staff were all very professional and efficient and yet very warm and friendly. We signed up for a couple of snorkling trips and were all carefully fitted with masks and fins which were checked out to us for the duration of our stay. The dive guides ensured that our gear was on the boat and provided drinking water, snacks and big towels. They also accompanied us in groups of about 6 people and guided us through fabulous reefs, pointing out fish, eagle rays, various types of coral and so on.

Meals in the restaurant were excellent: for breakfast you could select items from a European-style buffet, including fresh fruit, meats and cheeses, baked goods, freshly squeezed fruit juices, homemade yogurt and cereals, or you could order American style eggs, breakfast meats, pancakes, waffles, etc. The coffee is excellent! Lunches offered a variety of sandwiches or wraps, salads, and so on. Dinners always included a choice of fresh fish prepared however you wanted it, a chicken dish, beef or pork, ceviche, salads and dessert. The servers were wonderfully attentive. A lot of the staff have worked at Hamanasi for years and appear to really enjoy their jobs.

Hamanasi is an "Eco-resort", and they really are committed to energy conservation and minimizing waste. You're given a metal water bottle upon arrival, so there's no need to have plastic. When lunches are served at day-long outings, they provide real dishes, silverware and cloth napkins - again, no plastic waste. Kitchen waste is composted and the gardener is working to increase the amount of vegetables he can provide to the kitchen (we arranged to have a tour of the garden). The groundskeepers work constantly to keep the pool, walking paths and beach areas clean; leaves and fallen fruit also go into the compost.

We had an absolutely fabulous time at Hamanasi; you will too!