Villa Semarapura is a sprawling haven that seems to reach for the skies and the horizon beyond the ocean. Villa Semarapura was originally designed by long-term Asia-based expats as a spacious family home in classic Balinese compound style. After a no-expenses-spared, architect-led transformation, it is now available to guests as a stunning contemporary-meets-traditional sanctuary with an abundance of both social and private living spaces, and charming staff with strong attachments to the villa and total focus on making their guests happy.

Start the day with a gentle stroll along the near-deserted, black sand beach, followed by a hearty breakfast on the living room’s breezy ocean-view deck. After an energising game of volleyball, laze by the 20-metre pool and let the butler mix you a ‘Semarapura Breeze’ at the poolside bar and lounge. A leisurely lunch prepared by the villa chef and served in the air-conditioned dining pavilion might be followed by a little siesta or a reviving dip in the master suite’s jacuzzi, then a visit to the spa balé for a restorative massage. Evenings at Villa Semarapura are equally enchanting: sundowners at the sunset balé, a welcome dance performed by local villagers, a seafood barbecue on the pool terrace to the hum of the bamboo rindik played under a canopy of stars.