Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Mandapa takes its name from the Sanskrit for temple, and this Ritz-Carlton Reserve is laid out like a Balinese village on the banks of the Ayung River outside Ubud, with its own temple and working rice paddies. It is small, with 35 suites and 25 pool villas, and each guest has a personal butler from the sound of the gong that marks arrival until departure. The architecture draws on the craft of a district known for its carving and temples, and every suite and villa has private outdoor space facing the river or the greenery; the one-bedroom pool villas reach 431 square metres, each with a 30-square-metre pool. Four restaurants serve Indonesian and international cooking, much of it from the resort's organic garden, and Kubu, the signature restaurant, is built of bamboo. The spa runs programmes for body and mind, yoga is held in a quiet pavilion, and Mandapa Camp introduces children to Balinese daily life on an educational farm. Materials are naturally inspired and sustainably sourced, and the resort holds Green Globe certification.