Alternatives for Monitoring and logging changes anywhere in file system [Ubuntu 14.04]

Question

I would like to monitor and log following changes in file system:

1. Opening and closing of any file by any user.
2. Creation/deletion of file by any user.
3. Files downloaded by any user.

After some research I could find only 2 solutions:

1. Zeitgeist
2. inotify (Disadvantage: lack of recursive support in directory)

Are there any other alternatives through which I can perform the above mentioned task or can I implement this somehow using some system calls?

What will be the best way to perform the above task?

OS details: Ubuntu 14.04, if it helps.