Villa Semadhi

Snorkellers have a short commute from Villa Semadhi. The garden ends on the quiet shore of Pemuteran Bay in north-west Bali, where little fishing boats ride at anchor and the reefs of Menjangan Island lie a short boat ride away. Behind the house the dry green hills of the north coast rise steeply, so every sunset over the water comes framed by mountains on one side and open sea on the other.

The villa is a collection of thatched pavilions spread through a lush, carefully kept garden of frangipani, bamboo and shade trees, with two lily ponds at its heart and a stone statue standing in the water beside the semi-open dining pavilion. A fourteen-metre infinity pool runs along the edge of the estate towards the sea, with loungers on the deck and a thatched bale with a wide daybed beside it that doubles as a spot for massages. Down by the water, wooden deckchairs line the shore beneath the trees.

The living room is warm and traditional, filled with Balinese carvings and paintings and opening onto the garden, while the modern kitchen serves an eight-seat dining table, and there is a second table near the beach. An in-house chef cooks Balinese and international dishes, breakfast is included each day, and the resident manager can arrange dive and snorkel trips, temple visits to Pura Pulaki and treks in West Bali National Park.