The wisdom of water

This year, alongside eye-opening voyages on the Flores Sea to the Unesco-protected Komodo National Park and the astonishing reefs and islands of Raja Ampat, Amandira sets sail to two new destinations. The spectacular volcanic Alor Archipelago, at the easternmost tip of the Lesser Sunda Islands, is a haven of biodiversity, with opportunities for spectacular diving excursions, breathtaking island hikes, and picnic breakfasts on hidden sandbanks.

In the Kaimana Regency, of West Papua Province, Triton Bay is an unspoilt coral wonderland, home to an extraordinary array of rare sea life, including pygmy seahorses, as-yet unnamed species of cuttlefish and squid, and the world’s largest fish – the whale shark. A true diver’s paradise.

Turkey’s Aegean coastline is blessed with extraordinary natural beauty suffused with ancient history. Picturesque relics and Classical-era temple ruins hark back across the centuries to the earliest days of Western civilisation, while – unchanged since the days of the ancients – vivid ultramarine waters and golden-sand coves summon present-day explorers to the Bodrum Peninsula.

The sheltered bay in which Amanruya rests proves an ideal playground for watersports such as snorkelling, kayaking and paddle-boarding, as well as some of the best sailing in the Mediterranean, whether a full-day excursion, an island-hopping afternoon picnic or an atmospheric sunset cruises.

Few cities are as intimately connected to the sea as Venice, known, among its many monikers, as the City of Water and Queen of the Adriatic. At the heart of this beautiful and historic cluster of islands, waterways and bridges, the 16th-century palazzo that houses Aman Venice stands beside the Grand Canal, bearing witness to the everyday rhythm of the city’s water-borne life as the boats drift by.

Unsurprisingly, one of the best ways to uncover the secrets of Venice is by boat. Aman’s tailor-made boat tours introduce guests to the famed glories and hidden wonders of the Lagoon. Visit Murano, the renowned island home of Italy’s artisan glass blowers, and discover the spectacular basilicas of Santa Maria e San Donato, and San Pietro Martire. Call in on the tiny, lesser-known island of La Certosa and explore the ruins of medieval cloisters and idyllic green space. Take a picnic lunch in the vineyards of Sant’Erasmo; spend the afternoon strolling around the peaceful monastery of San Francesco del Deserto, and end the day on the fascinating former leper colony of San Lazzaro degli Armeni, a trove of Armenian cultural treasures.