Villa Zenaya

Behind a crisp white wall in a quiet corner of Balangan, Villa Zenaya is laid out as a cluster of low white pavilions under grey hipped roofs, all turned towards a long turquoise pool. The whole house sits on one level, so every room steps straight out onto pale stone terraces, and the pool is the thread that ties it together: wide entry steps at one end, a daybed platform set right at the water’s edge, and a timber pergola that throws striped shade across the deck through the afternoon. Palms and travellers trees rise above the walls, and at dusk the pavilions glow warmly against the water.

The main living space is a single tall room beneath a vaulted ceiling of exposed timber beams and thatch. Cream sofas are arranged against a feature wall of pale textured stone with a potted palm in the corner, and a long wooden dining table with woven chairs seats the whole group for dinner. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors slide back to the pool terrace, so the room feels open to the garden from morning to evening. The kitchen runs along one side, with dark cabinetry, a gas hob, a steel fridge-freezer and a white breakfast bar with stools for coffee or a quick lunch.

Three bedrooms, one with a king bed and two with queens, each have a four-poster bed hung with white voile, air conditioning and an ensuite bathroom of stone vessel basins, granite counters and walk-in rain showers. Large glass doors open from the bedrooms onto the pool or the garden, and there is a separate powder room for guests during the day. Outside, a flat-roofed lounge pavilion with deep cream sofas and a rustic timber table makes a shaded retreat for slow afternoons and sunset drinks, oversized grey daybeds are scattered around the deck, and an outdoor shower is on hand after the beach.

Housekeeping comes in daily, and a concierge can arrange airport transfers, a car with or without a driver, a private cook, in-villa massage, a nanny or a pool fence. Balangan Beach is around eight minutes away, with Ours Bali and The Smoothie Shop close by and Bingin, Dreamland, El Kabron and Ulu Cliffhouse all within easy reach. There is no television, which suits the unplugged, outdoor pace of the place. It works well for couples travelling together, families and groups of friends who want a calm, modern base close to Uluwatu’s surf beaches.

Villa Zenaya is built for easy days by the water: an early surf at Balangan, lunch at the long table, an afternoon in the pavilion and dinner under the lit pergola. Book it for a relaxed group or family escape in Uluwatu.