Villa Lena

Seen from above, Villa Lena is a single terracotta roof set in an open sea of green rice paddies, with coconut palms ringing the fields and nothing else for some distance in any direction. On the ground the effect is just as striking: the infinity pool runs along the edge of the terraces, so a morning swim comes with nothing but green fields and palm trees in view as the light warms up.

The house itself is bright and modern, with whitewashed stone walls, graceful arched doorways and warm teak furniture throughout. The living room is a rare thing in Ubud, a fully enclosed lounge you can close up and cool with air-conditioning on a hot afternoon or throw open to the breeze. Next to it, a long dining table sits beside a well-equipped kitchen, and outside there are loungers on the timber deck, bean bags by the water and a garden lounge on the lawn for long evenings watching the fields fade to dusk.

Three king bedrooms each have their own bathroom, two of them with views over the rice, and the open-air garden bathrooms bring the tropical planting right up to the shower. It is a peaceful, family-friendly base that still keeps the cafes, art market and rice terraces of Ubud within comfortable reach.