Casa Lucas

A curving lagoon of a pool, a canopied daybed perched on its edge and a lawn wide enough to lose an afternoon in: Casa Lucas is the kind of tropical garden that seems improbable this close to Seminyak’s boutiques and restaurants. Behind heavy timber gates, around five hundred square metres of house sits among palms, frangipani and bougainvillea, with the whole compound turned inward towards the water.

The heart of the villa is a soaring open pavilion under a traditional thatched roof, where deep sofas look straight out over the pool and a long rattan dining table seats the whole group. Behind it, a bright kitchen with a central island is ready for home cooking, or the staff can prepare breakfast, which is included, and Indonesian lunches and dinners on request. A jacuzzi joins the free-form pool, and sun loungers and a curtained gazebo sit around it for lazy mid-afternoon dips.

The five bedrooms are set in separate pavilions around the garden, each with air conditioning, a TV and a queen bed, most draped in white canopies, so families travelling together each get a quiet corner of their own. Step out of the gates and Seminyak Square, its cafés and the beach are all within easy reach, yet nights here are calm, green and private.