Amanusa, Bali, Indonesia

Amanusa is a luxury hotel where there’s always mountains of fresh flowers, fruit and attention to the details that count: sunscreen in two factors, beautifully printed sarongs, locally produced products in the bathroom plus mosquito repellant and coils and candles by the bath-tub. Service is attentive but unobtrusive. Rarely are you interrupted in your villa by house-keeping or some other over-solicitous staff member to drive you to distraction. Aman is about knowing what you are up to so they can accommodate you best without interfering. Amanusa, one of three Bali properties, is a stylish and comfortable beach holiday away from the madding crowd.

The facilities

Down at the Beach Club, sun-loungers set in neat rows under white umbrellas compete with Bales made private with roll down bamboo blinds, and surrounded by greenery that edges the golf coursehome-made ice-creams and sorbets make for a perfect day splashing about in the sun and surf. All of which is delivered to your comfort zone by well muscled Balinese men in shades and caps carrying the goods one handed and high above their toned shoulders. An Australian shouts out that this is better than Surfers Paradise.

The villas

Back up the hill, the luxury hotel with its Balinese village architecture executed in local stone mixes up the modern and the traditional pleasingly. Wrapped inside the mossy stone carved Balinese walls of the villa precinct, and blessed with daily offerings to the spirits, are black leather trimmed accessories and sleek lined furniture made from local wood. The outdoor courtyard with a private plunge pool, sun loungers and a Bale for relaxing in have fabulous views over the golf course and out to the sea. At night-time the legendary house-keeping staff turn down the beds, leave you goodnight surprises and light the candles in the courtyard, and leave behind an ambiance that even the least romantic would be hard pressed to ignore. Swimming naked under the stars accented with moody candle-light and the sound of the ocean is a seductive formula. If you wanted to have someone fall in love with you, this is the place to take them.