Villa Asli

Step through the carved doors of Villa Asli and Canggu’s traffic seems to fall away. Nine traditional pavilions, most crowned with steep thatched joglo roofs, are scattered across around three thousand square metres of lawn, lily ponds and tropical planting, linked by timber boardwalks and stepping stones. It feels less like a holiday house and more like a private Javanese village, filled with antique carvings, tribal art and the scent of frangipani.

At the heart of it all lies a twenty-five-metre pool, long enough for proper laps, flanked by cushioned loungers and a massage bale at each end. The main pavilion holds a high-ceilinged lounge with deep sofas and a long timber dining table, while the kitchen sits in its own pavilion, run by a resident chef who prepares breakfast each morning. After dark, lanterns glow across the water and the whole estate takes on a quietly romantic mood.

Each of the five bedrooms is its own bungalow set beside a pond, with a canopied bed, a private veranda and a semi-open garden bathroom with a freestanding tub. A guest assistant, chef, pool attendant, gardener, housekeepers and security look after the estate, and Berawa’s cafés, boutiques and beach clubs, including Finns, are a short drive away.