My first visit to Bali was in 1975 and it's no secret that it changed my life, forever. I was still at secondary school in Melbourne and Dad had some cash in his pocket after selling the family printing business. We arrived at Hotel Tjampuhan​ in the sleepy town of Ubud​; a grass-roofed abode with a view of a lotus pond, peacocks, enormous trees and bright hibiscus. The food was among the beyond-belief experiences; satay, peanut sauce, gado-gado, frog's legs, curries and strange fruits. I returned in 1984 and never left.

SPAIN

Ketut (my husband), my mum and I visited Spain in 1991. It was a late honeymoon, shared among  the three of us. Spain was a revelation; an artistic overload of outstanding art, architecture and decoration. I especially loved the quirky yet breathtaking creativity of Gaudi​ and the tiles, orange trees and tapas. I dreamed I was a flamenco dancer in a past life (like every other girl), wearing red and white polka dot dresses, character shoes and a rose in my hair.

LABUAN BAJO

I fell in love with Labuan Bajo, Flores, on my first visit in 2013. Maybe it's because it feels like an Italian meets Indonesian - Sophia Loren on a vespa - beachside village or maybe it's simply because it's so deliciously charming, quiet and cute, but I adore this place. The water is 50 shades of turquoise and, of course, on nearby Rinca​ island are the komodo dragons, adding to a Jurassic Park feeling. From my first stay, I decided I wanted to incorporate this part of the world into my life and have all sorts of plans cooking to make it a permanent feature.

AMBON

I am fascinated by Ambon in the Molukus. The cuisine is so startlingly fabulous and unusual, it totally changed my perception of Indonesian food. They eat curious foods like papeda​, a glossy, wobbly sago jelly, with a fragrant fish broth that glows with turmeric. And they have this kind of almond madness - they drink local coffee with slivered almonds (kenari), it is ground into spice pastes and eaten sliced with certain fish dishes.

PARIS

A visit to Paris gave me a whole new definition of chic. "Even the men are stylish," said my daughter on our visit a few years ago. Paris confirmed my belief that one should be elegant at all times and that a woman should only ever wear what suits them.

Janet DeNeefe is the founder of the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival and the new Ubud Food Festival. The inaugural Ubud Food Festival is on June 5-7. See ubudfoodfestival.com.