Batujimbar Villa

The Villa
Immersed in a rich history and set on spacious grounds surrounded by outstanding Balinese paintings, stone carvings and wall murals, Villa Batujimbar is a historic inspiration.

The estate was the realization of a dream by Donald Friend, considered one of Australia's most important artists. Friend resided in Sanur for much of the 1960s and 1970s. Villa Batujimbar is a testimony to Friend's strong interest in traditional Balinese architecture and its reinterpretation.

Sri Lankan Geoffrey Bawa, an internationally recognized prolific and influential architect helped bring Friend's vision to life. The overall concept was inspired by the nineteenth century palaces at Klungkung and Amlapura. In 1975, Bawa designed various additions to the house, including a large museum building to house Friend's collection of Balinese artworks and artifacts as well as Friend's own paintings.

Made of Majapahit red brick and rectangular in shape, the museum is set formally in the center of the compound with a moat around it and a long pool in the front.

Following Friend's departure from Bali, Adrian Zecha, the founder of the Aman resorts became the estate's owner. Subsequently, Zecha's in house designer, Ed Tuttle (designer of many award winning hotels) was called in to refurbish the estate. Tuttle's renovation gave the estate a new organized look emphasizing clean lines and space. The next owner, international entrepreneur Graeme Robertson faithfully restored the estate to capture lifestyle opulence with the addition of a tennis court, gym and an impressive collection of art for the museum. Now for the first time Villa Batujimbar has opened its magic for special experiences, Value Link Investments presents the opportunity for corporates looking for unique Board Meeting experiences or families, special experiences.

The estate is spread over 1 hectare of landscaped gardens and ponds and made up of a number of separate buildings following the design of Balinese compounds with the kitchen in the south, the temple in the north-east, and the main house in the west. With wonderful indoor-outdoor relationships, orienting its various structures to catch views and breezes, and using traditional materials such as alang-alang thatching, bamboo, brick and paras stone, Villa Batujimbar creates its own magical ambience. Villa Batujimbar has five generously sized suites, each with an open-plan en-suite bathroom.

Two of the suites (suites three and four) are next to each other, located on the east of the estate. The other two suites (suites one and two) are located across the courtyard. The fifth bedroom is situated in the backyard with its own gate and connecting door to the pond. The suites are luxurious, yet simple and uncluttered.

Pool
Located by the private museum, Villa batujimbar's swimming pool stretches 25 meters. A pool pavilion lies adjacent which has a bathroom as well as a large sitting area.

Gym
Villa Batujimbar's gym has a wide range of equipment including an elliptical runner, treadmill, multi-purpose station, hamstring machine, a range of dumbells and swiss balls.

Tennis Court
Villa Batujimbar's tennis court is situated towards the front of the estate. A tennis pavilion with fridge, sitting area, and toilet is situated beside it. One of our staff members, Made, himself a fine tennis player, is also able to be a hitting partner.

Spa
Massage, body scrubs, facials, pedicures, manicures and hair braiding are just a few of the treatments which can be enjoyed at Villa Batujimbar.

Museum
The private museum has a large collection of Balinese art and artifacts by local and western masters, many of which depict scenes from Villa Batujimbar. Paintings showcase the development of art in Bali and present artists who found inspiration in Bali. It houses a superb collection of original Donal Friend paintings from the Value Link collection.