Amankila

Amankila—'peaceful hill'—has occupied its east Bali hillside above the Lombok Strait since 1992, and its centrepiece remains one of the most photographed compositions in resort architecture: three infinity pools descending the slope in tiers, an homage to Bali's rice terraces rendered in green tile and sky. Ed Tuttle's design of thatched pavilions connected by elevated walkways through coconut palms established a template countless resorts have imitated since.

The east of the island moves at a different pace from Seminyak or Ubud: the sacred mountain Agung rises behind, the water palaces of Tirta Gangga and Ujung lie a short drive away, and the resort's own Beach Club sits on a quiet black-lava-sand shore below the cliff. Suites are freestanding stilted pavilions in Tuttle's serene idiom—canopied beds, outdoor terraces, sea horizons—with several enjoying private pools.

Days divide between the tiered pools, snorkelling and sailing from the Beach Club, and excursions into old Bali—Sidemen valley weavers, temple ceremonies, Besakih on Agung's slopes—guided with Aman's characteristic depth. Dining is intimate and Indonesian-leaning, best at the open-sided Terrace as the strait turns silver. For Bali beyond the crowds, delivered with landmark architecture, Amankila endures as the east coast's masterpiece.