Villa Gendang

Villa Gendang is a newly built Seminyak retreat that trades ornament for calm: dark timber, pale stone and walls of glass, set around a long turquoise pool on a quiet residential lane. Step in past the lantern-lit bamboo walkway and the noise of the town simply falls away, even though the beach, Petitenget and Eat Street are close by.

Life here revolves around the pool, fourteen and a half metres of clear water lined with loungers and white umbrellas, and the deep covered terrace at its head, where a huge sunken sofa looks straight down the water. Inside, an open-plan living room, a long dining table and a sleek kitchen with a breakfast bar flow out to the garden, while a home cinema gives everyone a reason to come in from the sun.

The five bedroom suites are spread across separate pavilions for real privacy, each with air conditioning, a TV and a stone-clad bathroom with a freestanding tub; two of them are generous master suites. A villa manager and daily housekeeping keep the house immaculate, breakfast is included, and a chef can be arranged for lunch or dinner, so a long family holiday runs smoothly from the first morning.