The magical Ariara Island is truly an exciting new frontier for luxury travel. It might sound clichéd, but Ariara really does have it all: an incredibly pristine hideaway location, superb craftsmanship, inventive design, fabulous cuisine and a team that is absolutely

And the food, oh the food! Among the rich and varied things we sampled were wonderful, exotic fruits – some picked off wild trees on the island, giant lobster, imported beef steak barbecued to absolute perfection, pastas and salads made with organic cheeses, herbs and vegetables, fabulous desserts including orange and basil sorbet and the local rice and coconut bico treat. Being a remote island, getting fresh food in (aside from seafood, which fishermen bring directly to shore daily) is a big undertaking, and coordinating it all is a chef on the island and a Swiss chef based in Manila who operates her own organic dairy farm and expertly sources the finest imported foods and wines. Ariara was six years in the making by a very resourceful, creative and passionate team. With its potent combination of ground-breaking standards of service and a wild, largely undiscovered marine wonderland, we believe that it won't be long before Ariara is the place that others in the super-villa business will be scrambling to imitate.

As spiritual souls with environmentally and community-aware leanings and a thirst for local culture, this one-of-a-kind villa has our name all over it. Villa Hansa (no coincidence it’s named after the Goddess of Knowledge) offers visitors so much more than just another

And it’s refreshing to find a villa where the owners are committed to eco-friendly practices, a healthy lifestyle and giving back to the community. These surfing and yoga devotees support local organic farmers, practice recycling in the kitchens and insist on biodegrable household cleaning. We also learnt about their wonderful trust fund, the Hansa Foundation, set-up to educate local children in traditional culture, arts, music and the environment.

We thought that Villa Hansa would be ideal for groups and, as the bedrooms are on the compact side (with romantic four-poster beds), particularly suitable for groups of couples.

We thought Illuketia was a charming villa in a delightfully peaceful, rural location. The house has a fabulous colonial design, is airy and spacious and filled with an interesting collection of art and antiques. The wraparound veranda is a great feature and perfect for informal

We love the rural wilds of north-west Bali with its dry, almost Mediterranean climate and total lack of tourist hordes, so we are almost loathe to share news of this little gem of a villa for fear that it will become so popular that we will never get a chance to go back.

Despite the remoteness of the area (or is that because of it?) there are many adventure activities to be had and experienced: snorkelling for the laid back, scuba diving for the more intense, mountain climbing, mountain biking, nature trekking, kayaking, bird watching and all round general rural exploration, which always turns up a few unexpected goodies such as stumbling across a Hindu village ceremony or witnessing fishermen bringing in their catch at dusk. Alternatively, like us, you can just do nothing and lie beside the pool and read books, drink beer and watch the gardeners cutting the grass.

The staff are all from the local village and haven’t wasted time in tourism school learning how to unfold starched white linen napkins in your lap - that’s not what this part of Bali is about. But even so, expect great tasting Western and Indonesian dishes, honest service, smiles and a glorious welcome.

We love the rural wilds of northwest Bali with its dry, almost Mediterranean climate and total lack of tourist hordes, so we are almost loathe to share news of this little gem of a villa for fear that it will become so popular that we will never get a chance to go back.

Surrounded on all sides by thick lowland forest with towering mountains to the rear and ocean views to the front, the villa is an oasis of lush lawns and gardens and glorious contemporary-Bali-style architecture that fair cries out “Love me. Enjoy me. Never leave me!”

As chilled out as we were, we were keen to seek a deeper state of atrophy through the art of massage, which turned out to be only a phone call away with the choice of a female therapist or a local healer man from the nearby village. Both massages come highly recommended but do not exceed one per day or else you will turn to jelly.

The staff are all from the local village and haven’t wasted time in tourism school learning how to unfold starched white linen napkins in your lap - that’s not what this part of Bali is about. But, even so, expect great tasting Western and Indonesian dishes, honest service, smiles and a glorious welcome.

We love the rural wilds of north-west Bali with its dry, almost Mediterranean climate and total lack of tourist hordes, so we are almost loathe to share news of this little gem of a villa for fear that it will become so popular that we will never get a chance to go back. But share

Surrounded on all sides by thick lowland forest with towering mountains to the rear and ocean views to the front, the villa is an oasis of lush lawns and gardens and glorious Bali-style architecture that fair cries out “Love me. Enjoy me. Never leave me!”

Despite the remoteness of the area (or is that because of it?) there are many adventure activities to be had and experienced: snorkelling for the laid back, scuba diving for the more intense, mountain climbing, mountain biking, nature trekking, kayaking, bird watching and all round general rural exploration, which always turns up a few unexpected goodies such as stumbling across a Hindu village ceremony or witnessing fishermen bringing in their catch at dusk. Alternatively, like us, you can just do nothing and lie beside the pool and read books, drink beer and watch the gardeners cutting the grass.

The staff are all from the local village and haven’t wasted time in tourism school learning how to unfold starched white linen napkins in your lap - that’s not what this part of Bali is about. But even so, expect great tasting Western and Indonesian dishes, honest service, smiles and a glorious welcome.

We thought that Kadju House would be ideal for anyone looking for some serious R&R – especially as it comes with its own ayurvedic spa: an excellent addition, especially as the villa’s location is so tranquil. A locally-renowned Ayurvedic doctor can come and

A villa with the ambiance and amenities of an exclusive private-island-hotel, but one where guests have the luxury of dictating their own schedule and choosing who they share precious holiday time with. This was the impression we took away with us following our recent stay at

As a company we generally steer clear of villa complexes, especially those tucked down the back streets of Seminyak, but Villa Kubu is something very special. It has a charm and personality that give it uniqueness. Here you do not feel you are just another room number in a resort.