Villa Portsea

Rooftop gardens spill over the clean white lines of Villa Portsea, a two-storey modern home in Petitenget designed by a couple who have spent more than twenty years returning to Bali. It is a villa built for two couples or a small family who want the heart of Seminyak on the doorstep, yet a calm, walled sanctuary to come home to, with Batu Belig beach around fifteen minutes away on foot.

The ground floor wraps around a turquoise pool, with a shallow end for wading and a deeper stretch for proper laps, and sun loungers shaded by bright umbrellas on the deck. Both bedrooms sit on either side of the living room, each with full-height glass doors onto the pool and garden, so you wake to the water. Between them, cream sofas face a large flat-screen TV, a dining table seats six, and glass doors fold back to let the tropical air in, with a fully equipped kitchen alongside.

Upstairs is a second retreat: an air-conditioned media lounge with a big screen and its own bathroom, opening onto a rooftop terrace that looks over the pool, a lovely spot for sunset drinks while the children splash below. Two staff look after the villa day to day, and a car with driver, scooters, massages and a private cook can all be arranged, leaving you free to explore the cafes, boutiques and beach clubs of Petitenget and Seminyak.