Indonesia, The Bali High Life

In spite of a troubled year, Bali remains a favoured destination for discerning travellers seeking luxury living at package prices.

In between the luxury hotels and backpackers’ hostels are far more intoxicating options. The secret of Bali is the breadth of luxury villas, bungalows and estates for hire, with or without staff, at prices that would make a two-star hotel blush. This option provides an opportunity to have an authentic Balinese holiday rather than the micro-managed ‘Balinese experience’ you might expect from one of the larger hotels.

All the private villas, which are located all over the island, come with cooks, housekeepers and gardeners, who will take care of everything. You wake up in a private villa on the Mertasari estate in Sanur, an unspoilt seaside community on the southeast coast, the first rays of morning light shimmering through the coconut and banana trees. You’re greeted with a plate of fresh papaya and mango, a cup of kopi Bali (Balinese coffee) from a beautiful, handmade ceramic mug, and a view over the lotus pond. The homes have thatched roofs, air conditioning, and everything you could need to feel comfortable but not cut off.

There is a Shangri-La quality to the landscape: everywhere you look you can see lush greens and fiery red hibiscus flowers. Reading by the pool or lounging on an oversized bamboo couch, enjoying sumptuous meals of fresh grilled fish prepared by the cooks on your own private porch, it’s easy to lose yourself in the temptation to do nothing. The distinctive, Lumbung-style architecture - a traditional, Balinese rice storage barn accessed by a ladder, with a thatched roof that you sleep under - is to be found all over the island. There’s a Lumbung house for rent on Mertasari; when you wake up you’re high in the trees, or overlooking the rice paddies or the sea, depending on where you stay.

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