Villa Bayu Segara

A garden path at Villa Bayu Segara follows a little river all the way down to the sea, a stroll of barely a hundred metres to the shore. The villa sits in Lovina, on Bali’s north coast, between Seririt and Lovina town, a part of the island known for calm water, dolphin-watching at sunrise and a far gentler pace than the busy south.

The house pairs a sweeping thatched roof with crisp white walls and glass, set behind a twelve-metre infinity-edge pool and a wide, beautifully kept lawn. Sunloungers and parasols line the pool deck, a raised gazebo stands among palms and lotus ponds, and the open-air living area has deep sofas looking straight onto the water. Next to it, a long dining table is set for meals cooked by the in-house cook.

All three bedrooms have king beds with draped silk canopies, each room in its own colour, and every one has a modern ensuite with a rain shower and a soaking tub. Rooms look out towards the river or the ocean, and the master has an open-air shower. A friendly, English-speaking team of five keeps things running smoothly, and the surrounding coast is a launchpad for snorkelling at Menjangan, waterfalls, hot springs and rice terraces.