Bali is the most obvious exception to my predilection for small islands. Its population is now almost three million, and it is boosted by nearly four million tourist arrivals a year. The fact that most of Bali doesn't feel anything like such a crush can only be the result of some astute zoning of the island's land resources by the Indonesian government many years ago. Its smartest move was to realize the hidden potential of the Bukit Peninsula, a flat, arid, limestone wasteland connected by a narrow isthmus to the southern tip of Bali.

These suites are not just decorated with Balinese motifs, but each one is also organized in the traditional manner as a series of open pavilions inside its own walled enclosure. A new Ritz-Carlton-somewhat more conservative, although it breaks with house style by having thatched roofs-has just opened next door, confirming Jimbaran as Bali's current beach hot spot. The beach at Sanur, Bali's original choice for posh seaside holidays, has changed little since my first visit sixteen years ago, although the village behind has grown alarmingly. Kuta/Legian, on the other hand, now bears no resemblance at all to the picturesque hippie hangout it once was. It has become surprisingly ordinary and- with a few honorable exceptions (the Oberoi and Legian hotels and Poppies restaurant)-extremely sleazy. Shopaholics might want to spend a little time pitching their wits against Kuta's street traders, but my usual instinct is to head immediately inland for Ubud. This gentle little town, at the core of Bali's artistic and cultural life, is my (and practically everyone else's) reason for counting Bali a favorite island. On this visit, I had a sudden pang of doubt when I arrived to find Ubud seized in a steadily mounting traffic jam, but I needn't have worried. There was a temple ceremony going on in the main street, and the Balinese, with their sublime indifference to the demands of the modern world, were simply leaving the traffic to take care of itself. Ever since anyone can remember, doomsayers have been predicting the collapse of Balinese culture in the face of tourism. Miguel Covarrubias, the great chronicler of Balinese customs, published his thoughts on the matter in 1937, and even then was far from the first. But what always amazes me is how the Balinese seem able to conduct their lives on two levels at once. The matterof-fact girl who that morning served you in the cafe, you later see balancing a pyramid offruit on her head as she goes to make an offering to placate the gods; and then in the evening you see her again, still in her temple finery, racing home sidesaddle on the pillion of a highpowered motorbike. I can think of nowhere but Ubud where ceremony and art are such a part of everyday life. Temples are not just maintained; new ones are built, and painters, carvers, dancers, and musicians grow steadily in number. A sign of the times is the profusion of shipping agents in the artisan villages around Ubud: "Bali international" is a voguish decorative style throughout the Pacific Rim and fans the demand for Balinese exports. It would be churlish not to want the Balinese to get rich in the process, but prosperity and what comes with it-s-videos, canned music, and cars (Bali already has Indonesia's highest rate of vehicle ownership )--could threaten traditional life more than tourists have ever done. But in the meantime, reports of the death of Balinese culture are somewhat exaggerated. Strangely, it took the luxury-hotel business some time to discover Ubud. The stylish Amandari led the way eight years ago, and it was the first to realize that a vanishing-edge swimming pool strung out over sculptured rice terraces would look even more dramatic than a vanishing-edge pool strung out (a la Hayman Island or Eden Roc) over the sea. But now the Amandari suddenly has competition. The Tjampuhan, the famous old Ubud hotel owned by a member of the royal family, has just spawned a more luxurious sister hotel named the Pita Maha, perched over a ravine to the west ofUbud, and in August a Four Seasons resort is due to open next door to the Amandari. Both have the nowmandatory vanishing-edge pool. Source: Conde Nast TRAVELER

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