Villa Pantai Kubu

From the lawn at Villa Pantai Kubu, the outrigger fishing boats of the village are pulled up on the black-stone shore just beyond the hedge, and on a clear morning Mount Agung rises behind the thatched roofline. This is Bali’s quiet north-east coast near Tulamben, where the day is measured by the light on the water rather than by traffic, and where a long tropical garden of palms, flowering shrubs and soft grass runs right down to the sea.

The house itself is a single-storey, thatch-roofed home finished with care, its glass doors sliding open onto the garden. An infinity-edge pool sits out on the lawn with red loungers, beanbags and umbrellas facing the ocean, and after dark it glows under the palms. Inside, an open-plan living and dining room with a long timber table, a deep corner sofa and a fully equipped kitchen keeps everyone together in the cool of the air-conditioning, while a separate pavilion houses a private gym with a treadmill and free weights.

The three bedrooms are bright and airy, each with its own bathroom and doors to the garden, so the sound of the waves carries you off to sleep. The sea in front is made for snorkelling and diving, with the famous USAT Liberty wreck at Tulamben only a short drive along the coast, and hikes on Mount Agung and visits to the local village are close at hand. A small resident team keeps house and garden in order, so the only decision left is whether to swim in the pool or the ocean.