I just got back from Marrakech, where I split my stay between Amanjena and Royal Mansour. This post covers Amanjena, and my Royal Mansour review is coming next.

Who went
Me and my best friend from childhood. This was a full-price stay. I’m a travel advisor, but I paid my own way for both hotels on this trip as it was high season and it was a personal trip.

When we went
October 4 to 7 of this year

Overall impressions
I love the architecture and design, and the lighting at night is insanely beautiful. Our Pool Pavilion was my favorite part of the hotel. Service was good, but not Aman good, and the food was mostly fine but not great which tracks for Aman. The real reason to stay here is the Aman Private Experience in the Agafay desert, which I’ll get to below.

Location
It’s peaceful, but it’s further from the souks and the Medina. Transportation also wasn’t as good as at Royal Mansour. We didn’t go into town while we were here, we adjusted to jet lag and relaxed. We split our time between our pool pavilion and the desert, and saved the Medina for Royal Mansour.

The room
We were in a Pool Pavilion, and I loved the outdoor space. It was stunning and really comfortable, and it’s where we spent most of our time. We used the main pool briefly, but we preferred being in our own private pool area.

One heads-up: the Do Not Disturb sign is the Hamsa you hang on the door. Nobody told me, so I assumed they didn’t have one, and people kept coming in. It was annoying, so now you know.

Service
Good, but not at the level I expect from Aman. The exception was the team at the desert experience, who were incredible, truly some of the best ever.

Food & beverage
We had room service breakfast every morning, room service dinner one night, and dinner at the Moroccan restaurant another night. Most of it was fine but not great. Typical Aman. The big exception was the desert experience on our last night, where the food was phenomenal. The best Moroccan food we had while on this trip. Everything was to die for and we left uncomfortably full.

Amenities & activities
The highlight of the whole stay was the Aman Private Experience in the Agafay desert, and we saved it for our last night. We left the hotel at 4:30pm and didn’t get back until around 1am, so plan for a full evening. We rode camels in the desert and then had dinner in a private tent with lanterns everywhere. The food was out of this world, the staff were incredible, and they even had a musician. We felt like queens. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done, and I will never, ever forget it. It was expensive and worth every penny.

Final thoughts
Amanjena is a beautiful, peaceful place to slow down, especially if you book a Pool Pavilion and spend your days in your own space. Service and food didn’t quite reach Aman level for me. If you stay here, book the Agafay experience. It was the best night of our trip.

Sorry the room pics are not so great-- I had to screen shot them from a video as I forgot to take stills.

Happy to answer any questions.

Overall vibe:
Whitewashed, faux-medieval Apulian town with some Handmaid’s Tale/King’s Landing vibes going on. There are nonnas and local artisans casually hanging around the property, hand-making pasta, cutting up vegetables, or crafting, which makes you feel like you’re inside “the castle walls.” The property is lit by candles in the evening (not sure about Puglian building codes), and it seemed like the only areas with modern electrical lighting were the guest rooms.

Location:
Borgo Egnazia is in Savelletri di Fasano, right on the Apulian coast. The grounds are huge, so you still need a five-minute car ride to get to their beach club, Cala Masciola. Vintage Fiat is optional. :-)

You can fly into Brindisi (BDS) or Bari (BRI). Both are under an hour from the property by taxi.

Building:
Opened in 2010 and designed from the ground up to look like a traditional Apulian village. The owner, Aldo Melpignano, hired set designers alongside the architect for a theatrical, narrative-led approach to the spatial planning. The entire property was constructed using hand-cut local limestone to replicate authentic Apulian architecture.

The property has three different accommodation areas:

La Corte: The main hotel, where check-in and the main guest rooms are located. This building is like a maze and everything is white and there was not one instance where I did not get lost trying to get to my room.
Il Borgo: Casette (townhouses).
Le Ville: Private residences with private pools and gardens.

There are three outdoor pools: one large enough for laps, another pretty central one for families with children, + a small spa pool.

Rooms:
Pretty spacious overall. Rooms are minimalist in color, with only off-white or oatmeal furnishings and off-white stone floors. There are little earthy touches throughout, like dried herb bundles, glass bottles used as decor, and stone-carved details.

(too many decorative pillows)

Dining:

Due Camini: One Michelin star. Traditional Mediterranean food with some contemporary dishes.
La Frasca: Traditional Apulian rural trattoria, where breakfast is served.
Il Porticato: Informal all-day restaurant with fresh catches, local veggies, and light dishes.
Cala Masciola: Beach club serving fresh local catch, raw or cooked.
Ossolungo Braceria: Fire-grilled meat restaurant serving regional specialties.
A Pizzeria: Wood-fired pizza.
La Cantina: Wine tastings.

Plus three bars casually located throughout the property.

There is also a sort of “town square” where they have outdoor dinners for guests + weddings and events.

Service:
Service was extremely high-touch and personalized. The property prioritizes buy-outs so I do believe the service can vary depending on the occupancy and season.

Wellness:
Beautiful spa with local products. They have an extensive treatment menu + Roman baths, cold plunges, a dry sauna, stone-washing experiences, and some wellness journeys and rituals. I think a wellness getaway could easily be planned with the options available.

Experiences:

• ⁠Culinary experiences
• ⁠History tours, like visiting the Apulian Trulli
• ⁠Cocktail creations
• ⁠Olive oil tastings
• ⁠Renting vintage Fiats to explore the nearby towns

They have a weekly “Festa del Borgo” in the summer, where they throw a big party, filling the resort’s piazzas with traditional food stalls, folk music, dancing, fire breathers, and the list goes on.

Additional cool stuff:
The owners are extremely well-connected in the region, so pretty much anything is possible here. In 2024, they held the 50th G7 summit at the property. They've closed the Ponte Borbonico di Lama Monachile in Polignano a Mare, for special events and private experiences, bringing in local restaurants to cater so the surrounding businesses benefit as well.

I personally really loved this property for its design language and overall uniqueness (in addition to feeling like I was in King's Landing). More and more properties are attempting to replicate it, but they did such an over-the-top job that I think it’ll be difficult to match.

*They also own Masseria San Domenico, another traditional Apulian-style building that they turned into a 40-room luxury boutique hotel.

I posted in this group a few months ago asking for suggestions to pivot from our proposed plan to go to Congo to see gorillas and thank you for the wonderful suggestion to do a combination of Chinzombo (Zambia) and Miavana (Madagascar) for our trip. We planned the trip with the wonderful help of Abbie (from Sarah’s team) and team and we had the time of our lives!

Firstly - a note on logistics, they weren’t the most straightforward and we took 6 different airlines this trip including a few helicopter rides but Abbie’s team and Time + Tide made it as seamless as possible but tbh unless you fly private (if that’s possible) you have to be prepared for some discomfort (I.e. the domestic airlines like proflight Zambia/Madagascar airlines are very basic - even if you book business class, same for Ethiopia airlines). NGL it was tiring af as I was also lugging 25kg worth of duffel bags farmer carry style and a 10kg backpack of camera equipment (partner has a bad back and can’t carry heavy loads) across various airports/tarmacs but the destinations were 120% worth it. Shout out to Abbie also for constantly reminding me to book the different flights with different airlines - we needed to get back to Paris by a certain date to make it to Celine Dion’s concert so only certain flights would work lol.

Chinzombo

Zambia as a destination was wonderful - the time we went was shoulder? season so not that many guests - we saw small groups of agents visiting from time to time but their stays were usually very short (1-2 days) but otherwise we pretty much had the property to ourselves for our stay (5 nights) and enjoyed the attention of the entire staff. The camp manager Philip and sometimes his wife, Christina would come and greet us each time we arrived at the main area whether it was before our game drive at 5am, when we came back at 10-11, during lunch time, before we went out for afternoon drives at 330 and when we came back as well as during dinner - really insane service when you consider how they probably work from 5am to 9pm or even later… we only ever saw camp managers like once a day during our stay at camps in Kenya.

Our guide, Moses, was WONDERFUL, in stark contrast to our guide from Angama Mara 2 years ago, Moses had a genuine passion and love for animals. He taught us so much about animal behaviours, constantly spotted various animals from owls to genets and also advised us to wait with a pack of lions so we could witness a kill. His energy was infectious and we enjoyed every minute spent with him - he also seemed really proud to work for Time+Tide considering their conservation contributions in Zambia and genuinely wanted to promote Zambia as a safari destination so more guests can visit, never was there any mention of tips or anything for his own personal benefit. Just to illustrate how different our previous guide at Angama Mara was, the Angama guide kept telling us how much his previous guests tipped/how a Singita would possibly be opening in Kenya and why they would be better than Angama and also how he planned to leave Angama LOL! We had so many animal sightings including lions mating, lions making a kill, wild dogs playing in the river, leopards etc. Zambia also has lower density of tourists compared to Kenya/Tanzania so there was never really any overcrowding and vehicles would automatically move off once there are more than 6 vehicles without any need for rangers to patrol to enforce those rules.

Food was great and changed everyday. They remembered our drink preferences and we really enjoyed getting to know the service staff, Raphael and Florence who were so attentive and went above and beyond for us.

Minor minor points to note - it’s in the wild so there are insects / frogs in the tent from time to time. Wasn’t a big deal for us but I also have friends who would freak at the idea of frogs so just something to keep in mind…

Overall - beautiful beautiful place and my partner who is usually super picky absolutely loved our stay and keeps saying he wants to go back (which is RARE for him haha) and try the other camps/properties in other parts of South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi.

Miavana

We took Ethiopia Airlines from Lusaka to Nosy Be and Time+Tide did a great job arranging for our airport transfers and making them as pain free as possible. As our flight to Addis Ababa was at like 2am, they also organised a stay at Ciela hotel for us to freshen up before our flight (they did book the wrong date for us as the hotel said we were supposed to check in the day after lol but we managed to sort it out with no issue). Once we reached Nosy Be, the staff also assisted us with our bags and helped us get our visas on arrival - their credit card didn’t work though so we ended up paying for our own visas which again, really wasn’t a big issue.

The helicopter ride was less scary than I thought it would be hahaha the pilot was excellent and now we are big fans of helicopter rides! Once we arrived we were greeted with cold towels and coconuts and driven for a short tour around the common areas and our villa. Everything was gorgeous, shall let the pictures (only taken on an old iPhone - nice wildlife pics from partner’s DSLR) do the talking. We had two butlers assigned to us and they did an excellent job - we had a whatsapp group we communicated in to arrange meal times/locations and be reminded of activities.

Food was good - they have a changing menu but can also accommodate any request you might have so please ask away (reasonably) and they will try their best! Again, drink preferences are always well remembered and the butlers place different snacks/refreshments in your villa each day after each excursion. Alcohol is also included but tbh the ones included in the all inclusive really wasn’t what we would normally drink so we just didn’t drink at all but obviously cocktails/spirits/wine etc (excluding reserve wines/spirits) are free flow.

Activities - only mentioning the ones we tried:
- Quad biking - highly recommend! Was such a fun experience driving across the island and visiting the lighthouse / climbing up and seeing the view - face got caked in dust as a result but 120% worth it, our butlers also prepared a nice warm bubble bath with sparkling wine for us to enjoy after so that was lovely

- Diving - a bit of a mixed bag, for context we have tried amazing dive locations such as Palau/Fiji before so our first dive I think they dropped us in the wrong location? We spent 10-15 mins finning against currents and seeing nothing (just a sandy bottom) and when we finally got to the reef wall it really wasn’t much to write home about as there aren’t that many fishes, apparently due to spearfishing (as per our guide). When we surfaced, our DM’s DSMB didn’t inflate properly and our boat didn’t see us so we spent like 10-15 minutes floating about with waves crashing over us haha - my partner’s BCD also had a leak so he had no air by the time he surfaced and had to manually inflate his BCD. My partner is a qualified divemaster so all these issues weren’t big issues for him but I can imagine it might be chaotic and distressing for less experienced divers. We cut our dive short after we got back onto the boat because our guide couldn’t fix the BCD and there wasn’t a point of him diving with a leaky BCD. On the other hand, another guest we spoke to who went diving at a different spot had a great time! Think they might want to give their gear an overhaul though as another guest we spoke to also had issues with their gear… overall I don’t think we would dive at Miavana again as it’s rather high effort low rewards compared to other places we have been to/plan to visit, maybe Kisawa (if we ever visit - high up on our list) since there’s more to see! But FYI the guides do a good job in setting up the gear and helping you put it on before you get in the water just that they should probably do better checks/overhaul the gear. They also help wash your own personal gear (if any) after the dive so in that sense it’s very fuss free!

- Kite surfing introduction - my partner really enjoyed himself whereas I was terrified due to the winds. Definitely something to try for yourself as they have all the gear, private instructors and great winds for you to learn - your butler also prepares snacks and cold drinks/tea by the beach so it’s a delightful experience! Highly recommend - obviously if you are a pro then kite surfing itself is a no brainer as the winds are stronggg (especially during peak season as we were told).

- Helicopter excursion: we booked in a helicopter excursion to visit Daraina and Anjahankely for lemur trekking and it was AMAZING. We spent so much time with the wonderful golden crowned sifakas endemic to Daraina and also the black lemurs as well as nocturnal sportif lemurs. Really well worth the time and money. If we had more time we’d definitely do some of the other tours as well.

- Mangrove cruise - quite enjoyable and a good way to understand local geography and ecology but just a heads up the wooden canoe the locals use is very narrow and not the most comfortable - if you have mobility issues/back pain might consider asking the guides to bring a boat in… but it’s a nice way to let the locals earn some extra money so would still recommend

- Random nature walk/lemur trekking on the island - really blessed to have seen crowned lemurs on the island too and a random chameleon while exploring the island

Overall: same as Chinzombo, might have forgotten to mention but for all our activities we had private guides/vehicles without having to pay extra so it was amazing! We had to pay additional surcharges for private vehicles/guides in Kenya so this was such a pleasant surprise and also makes Zambia such an attractive destination for the value. They keep emphasising everything at your own time - because everything was private - we really had the luxury of deciding when we wanted to do our activities, how long we wanted to do it for etc. We saw less of the main camp manager there, which wasn’t a bad thing because we really just relaxed and enjoyed our peace unwinding after our safari.
Same as Chinzombo as there were also mosquitoes in our villa but that’s part and parcel of nature and we really had a great stay. Somehow they also found a way to install air conditioning in each villa so that was heavenly as you come back each afternoon to a cool bedroom 😁 Overall really no complaints other than the logistical pain to get to - which actually adds to its allure for its remoteness. My partner is already daydreaming of going back to kite surf 😆 We stayed 5 nights but could easily do another 5 more 😏

PS: Time + Tide foundation also does cool conservation stuff / uplifts local communities and as I mentioned the staff seem genuinely well treated, proud and passionate of what they do and it really makes a world of a difference.

Sorry for the long winded review - had such a wonderful time I thought it better to go into as much detail as possible. Let me know if any questions and thanks again Abbie for helping us plan such a great trip! Obviously not sponsored, really wish I could get sponsored tbh…. 🤣

Just wrapped up six nights at the Four Seasons Maui with my wife, the Wailea leg of a two-week trip after a few days in Kapalua. Wanted to share a full review for anyone considering it, especially with renovations still underway.
Booking & upgrade: We booked through Sarah Lee and were told to expect an upgrade. It came through exactly as promised: we were moved from a Mountain View room to a Garden View room with no chasing on our end.
Room & renovation: We were in one of the newly renovated rooms, and it was a big step up: light wood throughout and noticeably upgraded tech. We loved the Apple TV integration, and the room controls were simple and intuitive. Work is still going on in parts of the property.
Spa, gym & adult pool: All three were fantastic. At the spa, we especially enjoyed the couples area with its mix of plunge pools and saunas. The only miss was that the steam room was down during our stay. The gym was well equipped and never crowded, and the adults-only pool was our go-to for quiet afternoons.
The one con: birds at breakfast. Breakfast is open-air and the birds are bold. They'll land on tables and go after anything left unattended. Not a dealbreaker, just something to be ready for. Try to get a table that isn't near an edge.
Bottom line: We'd happily return. The renovation shouldn't scare anyone off, and the new rooms are worth asking for.
TL;DR: Six nights booked through Sarah Lee, upgrade delivered as promised, newly renovated room with great tech, and an excellent spa, gym, and adult pool. Slight elevator noise, a down steam room, and pushy breakfast birds were the only knocks.