Our stay at Amanyara in Turks+Caicos

When I arrived at Amanyara in Turks and Caicos, I was immediately wowed by the main part of the hotel, which is very spacious and beautiful, set around big dark pools of water with hummingbirds flying around. One hummingbird was even sitting on two tiny eggs in its nest just by the front of the hotel. 

Amanyara is very Asian in style, typical for Aman properties. There is very little about it that is Caribbean apart from the staff and the incredible colours on show on the empty, beautiful beach.

We were taken to our villa in a golf buggy. It is all very private as the villas are all set apart from one another. There are bikes to cycle around the hotel for those who don’t want to take a buggy – but make sure you know the way as it is easy to get lost!

After settling in, we visited the Club House where I had a go on the indoor golf simulator, designed to help you perfect your swing before you visit the golf course, which is just a 40-minute drive away on the island. There are also four tennis courts if that’s your sport, with a resident pro to give lessons or to play with you. They have football pitches and often set up friendlies – staff versus guests. For the more casual athletes, there is table tennis, pool, table football and shuffleboard. For health buffs, there is a state-of-the-art gym with good, high-tech equipment. There are also personal trainers to be utilised as well as a Pilates studio offering a complimentary class schedule. If you would prefer a private class, these can be arranged an extra cost.

For those who would rather be on the water, we can arrange snorkelling with a naturalist, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding.

For lunch, we had a feast of freshly caught octopus and Moet poured over strawberries, blueberries and ice. There is a lovely chef’s garden where they grow their vegetables, mint, lemongrass and aloe vera and also raise tilapia fish. This means that the food is incredibly fresh and delicious – the best I had anywhere on the island.

After lunch, I lazed by the private pool at our villa and occasionally pottered down a little path to the beach. All the multiple-room villas have a host and a chef; they are fantastic and will serve you meals and drinks throughout the day at your villa. It is very indulgent and special. They could not do enough for you and provide an incredible service.

In the evening, we were served a delicious dinner at the dining table outside our private villa, lit by tiki torches and a super moon. After dinner, one of our villa hosts set up a telescope for us and we spent an enjoyable hour or so gazing at the moon’s craters.

A stay at Amanyara in Turks + Caicos is blissful and perfect for those looking to totally unwind and relax in a beautiful setting.