“Everyone was building on the beach, but in 1988 Zecha goes off to Ubud looking for a site to ... bar overlooking a jungle-clad gorge. After Amandari, Zecha cast his eyes on east Bali, home ...

That includes the calm garden setting of Aman Kyoto; the ancient-meets-modern villas of Amanyangyun in Shanghai; the private island oasis of Amanpulo in Palawan, Philippines; and the intimate retreat ...

Sidemen, free of traffic congestion and overdevelopment, offers a slower pace of travel.Credit: iStock “We came to Sidemen because we read it was the next Ubud,” one says in a Dutch accent.

Once a lush sleepy corner of Bali, Ubud is now home to a thriving culinary scene that boasts some of Indonesia's top restaurateurs and chefs ready to tantalise those tastebuds. It's a bit of a shock ...