Villa Lalita

Step through an antique Javanese door and Villa Lalita reveals itself slowly: a winding stone path, a deep green garden of palms and flowering shrubs, and a curved, circular pool glinting in front of a soaring thatched pavilion. Set close to Bingin, in Uluwatu, it is an intimate two-bedroom hideaway that feels utterly private, yet the beaches, cliff-top cafés and famous surf breaks of the south coast are only minutes away.

The living pavilion is wide open to the garden under a high alang-alang roof, with deep sofas, a round dining table and a timber kitchen with a breakfast bar, so mornings drift easily from coffee to a dip in the pool. A marble veranda and a row of sunloungers frame the water, there is an outdoor shower among the plants for rinsing off after the beach, and the team can cook lunch or dinner at the villa when you would rather stay in.

The two bedrooms sit in their own garden bungalows, a lovely arrangement for two couples or a small family. The master has a king bed and a bathroom with a black stone tub and an outdoor rain shower, while the second room has twin beds that can be made up as a king. Villa Lalita is one of five villas in a small estate, each with its own entrance, so neighbouring villas can be booked alongside it for a larger group.