Villa Zen Sengkidu

From the edge of the pool at Villa Zen Sengkidu the view runs a full 270 degrees: down over a canopy of coconut palms to the sea off east Bali, across the village rooftops and back up towards the high ground inland. The house is set into the hillside at Sengkidu, a few minutes from Candidasa, and it was clearly designed around that outlook, with white walls, pale stone floors and glass on almost every side so the landscape does the decorating.

The ground floor opens wide onto a sixteen-metre saltwater infinity pool that runs the length of the garden, lined with sunbeds, bean bags and an outdoor dining table. Inside, a bright open living room and a long timber dining table sit behind floor-to-ceiling glass, next to a properly equipped kitchen with a stone island. Upstairs, a rooftop terrace with its own big table is the spot for slow sunset dinners, and a quieter terrace at the back is set aside for yoga or simply lying in the sun.

All four bedrooms have king beds, sweeping windows and en-suite bathrooms with freestanding tubs and rain showers. A team of four staff looks after breakfast, housekeeping, the garden and night security, and they can cook Balinese and Indonesian meals in the villa. Candidasa’s seafront restaurants, dive centres and trekking trails are a short drive away, while the water palaces and temples of east Bali make easy day trips.