Best-kept secret

BASK Gili Meno, Indonesia

Possibly one of the world’s most remote luxury locations, bask’s new villas, on the tiny, unspoilt, car-free island of Gili Meno, a short helicopter ride from lombok and bali, have started to find a following among those searching for what indonesia used to be.

Respect for the environment and local culture is at the core of the development, which includes 87 stylish new properties, designed by balibased, multi-award-winning british architect Gary Fell, whose celebrated theme is ‘blurring the distinction between architecture and landscape’. once complete, they will form a contemporary spin on neighbouring fishing hamlets, combining a mid-century modern look with balinese ethos and will be virtually surrounded by water, facing the bali sea and backed by a natural salt lake. What’s more, Gili Meno is extraordinarily private—the island is less than a square mile in size, despite having the best beach in indonesia (as voted on Tripadvisor), and the local population is only 500.

At its heart, bask Gili Meno is a resort (set to open in 2019), offering tropical sanctuary, as well as a spa, restaurant, cocktail bars, beach club and an enormous 43m beachfront infinity pool. There is world-class diving, fishing and watersports and the waters are home to an array of exotic species and rare turtles, as well as an intriguing underwater sculpture, Nest, from acclaimed Jason Decaires Taylor. The scheme offers owners—david Hasselhoff is among the first buyers—30 days at their villa per annum, with initial guaranteed rental returns of 7.5% for the rest of the year.

Considering that luxury in the Gili islands is scarce, and indonesia boasts one of the world’s fastest growing tourism industries, prices are remarkably reasonable—from $200,000 (£145,000) for a studio and, up to $1 million (£724,495) for a three-bedroom beachfront villa. Visit www.baskgilimeno.com for further information. AE