Nova Oasis Berawa 2

A pair of tall timber doors in a white wall gives nothing away, and then you are standing at the head of a swimming pool that runs almost the whole depth of the plot. Nova Oasis Berawa 2 is built around that strip of water. Pale stone paving flanks it, banana palms and traveller’s palms lean in over the boundary, and at the far end an arched alcove has been cut into the plaster and cushioned into a shaded daybed you can sit in with your feet still in the shallows. Opposite, a wall of rough coral crazy-paving carries an outdoor rain shower. It is a small courtyard used completely, and it belongs to two people rather than twenty.

The ground floor has no separation from it. Full-height glass slides back along the pool edge and the living room simply continues outside. Seating here is built rather than bought: a plaster banquette wraps in an L around a round timber table on a jute rug, low and deep, facing a television mounted on dark timber slats. Arched niches are set into the white walls above, holding ceramics and dried grasses, and rattan pendants hang in loose clusters from the ceiling. Beyond, a dark timber table seats eight under two oversized rattan shades, which is generous for a villa that sleeps four and useful when you would rather cook than book.

The kitchen faces the water across a white marble-look island with the sink and hob set into it, so whoever is cooking is still in the conversation. Timber cabinetry runs below, a lit shelf above, and the essentials are all here: fridge and freezer, stove, microwave, coffee maker, proper knives and wine glasses. A plaster staircase climbs from beside the dining table to the two bedrooms, both upstairs, both with their own bathroom, and a guest cloakroom stays downstairs so nobody trails wet feet through the house. Air conditioning runs throughout, there is a dedicated workspace if a morning of email is unavoidable, and the whole ground floor can be shut behind glass or opened to the courtyard depending on the hour.

The bedrooms are the surprise. Each has a plaster platform bed under a long timber ledge that works as a headboard and a shelf, terracotta and rattan pendants at either side, a macrame hanging on the white wall, and a linen armchair on a round jute rug. One looks out over red-tiled rooftops and palm crowns; the other takes a wide picture window full of green. The bathrooms are lined in pale limestone mosaic with poured concrete trough basins, black tapware and walk-in rain showers. Staff clean daily, there is a welcome drink on arrival, and the Bali Management Villas concierge handles transfers, massages, a nanny or a table somewhere good.

Nova Oasis Berawa 2 suits two couples, or a couple who want room to spread out, within striking distance of everything Berawa does well. Take it for a week, swim before the heat arrives, eat at the long table with the doors pushed back, and let the concierge sort the scooters and the dinner reservations while you decide which beach club is worth the walk.