Ms Lock contacted Dr Tan and did a 2-hour interview with him, realizing that there was indeed a compelling human interest story to share with her readers.

The article begins with why Dr Tan eschewed the usual hotspots of Bali in the south of the island to conceive of a property in the cool Munduk Mountains of north Bali. But building a villa to escape the frenetic busyness of the south came with challenges. Initially, realtors he asked to look for land, as well as potential villa management agencies turned him away, as the location was too remote for them. He persisted because he loved the pristine and beautiful ambiance of the northern mountains and eventually acquired a perfect piece of land at a cool altitude and where there were the most beautiful villages, the friendliest folk, gorgeous lakes and waterfalls, and cottage industries such as coffee, clove, flower and fruit farms.

It was another challenge finding a designer who knew how to use the 52 Are land with a view down the mountainside to the northern coast. Eventually, Alta Vista became a 5 bedroom villa, with each bedroom a separate unit in the expansive gardens, in a concept that combined Balinese touches with modern architecture, of a standard that was comparable to five-star luxury resorts.

It was also an ongoing process to balance the quality of hospitality appropriate to such a high-end villa, with maintaining its connection with its surrounding environment and community. For example, the villa serves mainly Balinese coffee grown by its neighbours. Its staff are also from the village of Wanagiri where the villa is situated, as well as from nearby towns. Dr Tan’s emphasis is on building relationships, trusting people, being a good neighbour and having them trust him. The families around Alta Vista have become very much part of a wider family centred on the villa. More than a holiday home, the villa sets a benchmark for how properties can belong to and contribute to the local community.

This article by Ms Lock is superbly written in how it brilliantly and sensitively captures all the nuances and human interest angles that Dr Tan wanted to share with her readers. It is written as a lovely and warm narrative, so appropriate to the actual warmth and hospitality that is very much part of Alta Vista Bali.