Villa Nikaia

Villa Nikaia is one of those Seminyak villas that reveals itself slowly. From the lane it gives nothing away; inside, a lap pool runs the length of a deep garden, edged on one side by a raised timber deck and on the other by a wall of green so dense it works as a privacy screen. A traditional bale sits at the garden end with a mattress and cushions laid out under its thatch, positioned to look straight back down the water. For a villa this size — six bedrooms, sleeping fourteen — it feels remarkably calm.

The main pavilion is open-sided under a soaring alang-alang roof, and it is the best room in the house. Low linen sofas face each other across a timber floor, oversized woven pendants hang from the apex, and carved panels and tribal artwork give the space real character rather than showroom polish. A long dining table seats the group, the open kitchen behind it is properly equipped with a breakfast bar and full-size appliances, and the whole pavilion opens to the pool so the party naturally spills between the two.

Six bedrooms are spread across the garden and a two-storey wing reached by an open timber stair. Several have four-poster beds veiled in white netting; others are simpler, with low timber frames, batik textiles and sliding doors to their own patch of garden. One is laid out with twin beds, which helps with children or friends sharing. Every room is air-conditioned and en-suite, with microcement bathrooms and rainfall showers, a couple of them semi-open to planted light wells. The villa can also be taken as a five-bedroom if your group is smaller — worth knowing, since the reduced configuration is priced accordingly.