Waterfront Villa with free kayaks

Watching the sunset is a daily ritual in Bali, and where better to watch it than at this absolute waterfront villa, which faces directly west across the gentle waters of Benoa Bay, offering a front row sunlounger view of its namesake.

Yet for us, Villa Sunset is not just about the view and the sunsets. It’s also about the homely comfort, the attentive service, the private speedboat complete with captain for guest use, the kayaks for exploring the mangroves, and the car and driver inclusive of price for exploring the island.

Villa Sunset is modern in design with white walls and natural wood, local stonework and a tasteful décor set the scene beside an alluring swimming pool that can’t help but make anyone feel right at home. In addition to its contemporary architecture, comfy furnishings, and colourful artwork, the villa also offers the choice of indoor or semi-outdoor living, as all of the air-conditioned rooms have glass doors that open wide to invite the cool sea breezes inside.

A hearty breakfast is included in the villa rate and will be cooked in your villa by your butler each morning. With a fully equipped kitchen in the villa it’s perfectly set up for self-catering, but you are also invited to let the estate’s, professional, in-house cook is available on request to prepare all your meals if you so desire. Our staff are also more than happy to jump on a motorbike and head out to the nearest market to buy groceries or pizzas for the kids. Tips are highly appreciated! Last but not least is in villa Spa treatments available by request from Div Spa, staffed by extremely well trained and experienced team of therapists who can perform any kind of treatment you wish with their healing hands.

THE ROOMS

The villa presents one bedroom upstairs and two downstairs at either end of a marble-floored living and dining room, together with a feature kitchen. Cushioned sofas arranged around a coffee table and flat screen TV provide a great place for socializing and hanging out. The room is equipped with air-conditioning, ceiling fans, a large, flat screen TV, DVD player and music system with surround sound, plus a collection of paperback books, toys and board games.

The two ground floor bedrooms mirror each other in size and facilities, which include a king sized bed in one room with a TV and satellite channels, and twin beds in the other, which are perfect for kids. Both rooms have en-suite bathrooms with bathtubs and outdoor showers. Both rooms open to a small stone terrace adjacent to the pool deck.

At the top of a flight of stairs, the master bedroom rests under a soaring roof along with a similarly outfitted bathroom as well as a balcony looking out over the pool and garden against the fabulous backdrop of Benoa Bay. Relish this spectacular view while lounging on the balcony in one of the rattan armchairs with a glass of wine or a cup of tea.

Outside, guarded by a gaily-painted Balinese door, which coordinates with the blues and greens of the sea and the sky, is a pretty walled garden with a flat lawn fringed by frangipanis and palms. Centrepiece is the enticing 20-metre pool, flanked by a Jacuzzi, a shingle-roofed bale bengong – literally a ‘daydreaming’ gazebo, which is the perfect spot for a massage, and an open-sided living pavilion, where afternoon tea is served and which is also ideal for chilling out with a book or an evening cocktail or glass of wine.

THE LOCATION

There’s something very special about the location of Villa Sunset. It is positioned on the sheltered side of Tanjung Benoa, just a stone’s throw from the gentle waters of Benoa Bay. This five-kilometre-long tidal estuary is replete with birdlife and bordered by mangrove forests and a mud-sand shoreline, with Bali’s main seaport, Benoa Harbour, located on the northern tip.

Take a walk across the sandflats or paddle out in the villa’s kayaks and explore the mangroves, it’s so quiet and so beautiful. If you’re an adrenaline junkie you can try out some of the many watersports on offer on the seaward side of the peninsula. Or, when the tide is high, enjoy a speedboat ride around the Benoa Harbour, which will give you the chance to get a close-up look at the hundreds of traditional multi-coloured fishing boats that are moored there. This was so cool. I mean, how often do you come across a villa with its own speedboat, complete with a captain, moored at its own private jetty at the bottom of the garden?

Tanjung Benoa, where the villa is located, is full of history; the village on the tip of the peninsula was once a bustling trading port and this is the place to explore local life. Watch the fish-drying activities of the villagers and wander through the narrow lanes of the village. Here, you will find ornately carved Balinese temples, a mosque, and an ancient Chinese Buddhist temple, where fishermen of all religions consult with a fortuneteller in the hope of netting a lucrative catch.

Finally, at the end of the day, after another spectacular sunset, there is a wonderful choice for dinner at the many nearby restaurants.