Villa Ashoka

Named after the Ashoka tree — the Sanskrit “sorrowless” tree, sacred across South and Southeast Asia for its association with tranquillity and renewal — Villa Ashoka is an architect-designed four-bedroom retreat in Pererenan that genuinely earns its name. Conceived by Copenhagen-based design studio Mencke & Vagnby in collaboration with architect Peter Sand, the villa was completed in 2012 as a private residence for a Hong Kong-based couple, blending Scandinavian minimalism with Balinese materiality in a way that still feels strikingly contemporary. The V-shaped footprint — a direct response to the wedge of land between rice paddies, tropical garden, and a local sacred pathway — channels westward views across the terraces towards sunset, and makes every room feel connected to the landscape without sacrificing privacy.

The ground floor is an exercise in deliberate openness. Walls of hand-cut Balinese stone run from the garden into the interior without interruption, dissolving the boundary between outside and in. The stone flooring follows the same logic: rough-hewn around the 16-metre L-shaped pool, transitioning to a smooth matte finish inside the living spaces. The pool itself extends along the northern wing of the V, terminating at a palm-shaded sun deck that overlooks the rice paddies — arguably the finest spot in the property for late-afternoon drinks. Downstairs, a subterranean games room houses a full-size billiard table, while a separate media room with oversized screen and surround sound provides a cool retreat on Bali’s hotter days. A hidden sound system built into the living room wall panel lets you set the mood without a visible speaker in sight.

Upstairs, the white concrete upper storey floats above the ground floor like a modernist pavilion, its pale surface reflecting tropical sun and casting welcome shade over the living areas below. The four bedrooms occupy this level, each with full-height windows framing the rice paddy panorama. The master suites feature king-size beds and bathrooms finished in local stone with an almost cave-like quality — sky windows above the rainfall showers and deep soaking tubs let in shafts of natural light while maintaining complete privacy. The marble finishing, jacuzzi tubs, and the sense of enclosure make these bathrooms a genuine highlight rather than an afterthought. Full-time staff including a villa manager, butlers, housekeeping, security, and a private chef handle everything from daily breakfast to evening meals, and the welcome drinks on arrival set the tone for a properly looked-after stay.

Pererenan — named Asia’s Coolest Neighbourhood by Time Out in 2024 — has evolved from a sleepy northern extension of Canggu into a destination in its own right. The dining scene is excellent: BAKED for artisanal sourdough and brunch, Souza for interactive hibachi and modern Asian tapas, and the growing cluster of independent cafes along the village lanes. Echo Beach and its surf breaks sit five minutes away by car, La Brisa — the atmospheric beachfront restaurant built from reclaimed fishing boat timber — is nearby, and Batu Bolong’s busier scene is a ten-minute drive south. Yet Villa Ashoka’s rice-paddy setting feels genuinely rural, a reminder that this part of Bali still has breathing room.

Villa Ashoka is that rare thing in Canggu: a properly pedigreed piece of architecture — designed by a Copenhagen studio, featured on ArchDaily, and still visually arresting more than a decade on — set among rice paddies that most of the neighbourhood has already built over. It is a villa for guests who notice the difference between designed and decorated.