Villa Ku Besar

A long ribbon of turquoise water runs almost the full length of Villa Ku Besar’s garden, edged by a timber deck, a row of sunloungers and a thatched gazebo at the far end. It is the kind of pool built for proper laps as much as lazy floating, and it sets the tone for a five-bedroom villa that feels generous in every direction, yet sits down a quiet lane in the very heart of Seminyak.

At the centre of the villa is a soaring open-sided pavilion under a high alang-alang roof, with a sunken L-shaped lounge, a long dining table, a bar counter with stools and a billiards table, all looking straight out to the water. A separate kitchen handles everything from floating breakfasts to home-cooked dinners, and upstairs there is a private gym for anyone keeping up their routine. The five bedrooms open onto the garden and pool, and several come with garden bathrooms and freestanding tubs set among tropical planting.

Villa Ku Besar is one of two villas on the small Ku Estate, each with its own private pool, and the two can be booked together for larger groups. The street outside leads within minutes to the cafés, boutiques and restaurants of Seminyak’s Eat Street, a convenience store and ATM are close by, and the beach is an easy taxi or longer stroll away.