Puri Ganesha Villas

Rooms

There are just four large two-storey Balinese style thatched villas, each with 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms, very spacious dining and living areas and a kitchen. Even if there are just two of you, you will still have exclusive use of the villa. Each is set in an acre of garden fronting the seashore and comes with two discreet and smiley staff, its own pool and an open-air pavilion where you can dine in private should you wish.

Diana, an interior designer, has furnished the villas with items collected from her travels. Think uncluttered authentic chic with intricately carved wooden doors, white linen drapes held back with silk ties, antique day beds and four-poster beds, colourful batik cushions (her own design), bathroom sinks made of giant clamshells, trinkets and emblems of an elephant theme ("Ganesha" is the Hindu elephant god). Amusing touches include Diana's lastest purchase: a wooden frog from Thailand that imitates a croaking sound when you run a stick across its back - you use it to call the staff. All this magically produces a stylish yet lived-in atmosphere, you feel as if you have returned to visit an old haunt.

Standard features include mosquito nets, air conditioning, CD players and huge open air bathrooms - beautiful, even if the water pressure was a bit iffy (apparently, it has since been improved). There are no telephones or TVs but bags of charm. If really needed, a DVD player can be borrowed.

Villa Senyum ("Smile") (sleeps 4) has 2 bedrooms - one master bedroom with attached shower room upstairs and an additional double/twin bedroom downstairs with outdoor bathroom. You will find touches of vivid pink and grass green throughout from its fabrics and lkat cushions to the bougainvillea that climbs up outside.

Villa Sepi ("Quiet") (sleeps 4) has 2 bedrooms - one master bedroom with attached shower room upstairs and an additional twin/double bedroom downstairs with large outdoor bathroom. You will find handmade traditional batiks in blue, white and chocolate - all soothing, cool quiet colours.

Villa Senang ("Happy") (sleeps 6) is a 3 bedroom villa with one master bedroom with attached shower room upstairs and twp additional twin/double bedrooms with large outdoor bathroom downstairs. The colour scheme here is terracotta, yellow and purple. Good for a small group or family.

Villa Santai ("Stillness") (sleeps 2) is the honeymoon villa with 1 master bedroom upstairs with a large outdoor bathroom downstairs. Picture elegant black and white checks, gold & silver threads, dark red, black and cream ikats from the east of the island. It's the most private.

All villas face out to the calm north Bali sea. Just beyond a stretch of lawn you will find your own antique beachfront rice barn. Sit here to relax, meditate or just gaze out and watch the evening fishermen try their luck across the coral reefs.