Villa La Dolce

White muslin drifts around the open sides of Villa La Dolce’s living pavilion, framing a long turquoise pool and a garden of banana palms and frangipani behind high walls. The name borrows from the Italian for “the good life”, and the whole house leans into it: whitewashed timber, soft linen tones and terracotta roofs, all a short stroll from the cafés and boutiques of central Seminyak.

The pavilion is open on all sides, with a deep cushioned lounge and TV at one end, a whitewashed dining table for six in the middle and a bright white kitchen beside it, so meals come with a view of the water. The seven-metre pool, lined in pale stone, runs the length of the garden, with cushioned loungers, parasols, beanbags and a shaded gazebo for slow afternoons after the beach.

Three bedrooms open towards the garden, each dressed in crisp white linen with canopies or mosquito nets, carved timber details and air conditioning. The master has a king bed and an ensuite with a freestanding bathtub and rain shower, while the other two rooms hold a queen bed and twin singles, each with its own bathroom. A caretaker looks after the villa, with daily housekeeping and round-the-clock security, and Bintang Supermarket, coffee houses and Seminyak’s restaurants are within walking distance.