Nataraja Majapahit Villa

A walled pathway leads from the garden to a sliding door, which provides access to a 13-metre, beachside buff with timber decking and wooden steps leading down to the beach. This area is shared between guests staying at Villa Nataraja and the next-door Villa Raj.

This is the place to chill out beneath the tall coconut palms and gaze at the graceful kites scattered throughout the sky, or watch both the sunrise and the sunset create a warm pink glow across the mysterious, towering, sea-cliffs of Nusa Penida Island.

Villa Nataraja's semi-open air living and dining area borders the swimming pool. Open at each end, equipped with bamboo blinds and cooled by ceiling fans, this is tropical living at its very best. A Jacuzzi extends into the living space and overflows into the pool creating an attractive waterfall feature.

A hi-fi system with surround sound is provided for the entertainment of the guests, and wireless high speed Internet access allows guests to send and receive their e-mails inside the villa or beside the pool, in the garden or on the beach. The contemporary furniture is set off by a myriad of textures from smooth white Palimanan stone to carved antique doors framed by dark grey volcanic rock.

Impressive local artwork adorns the walls, harmonized with primitive artifacts. A rustic coffee table, and comfortable sofas and chairs, are complemented by richly colored silk cushions, together with a woven rattan and wood-skin mat resting upon the Merbau wood floor. A striking feature is the curved floating staircase, fashioned in richly patterned wood and supported by eight columns. The open plan dining area is furnishing with a table for six and overlooks a lotus pond. The pond is traversed by stepping stones that lead through a pebbled courtyard to the fully equipped service kitchen where the staff will prepare delicious meals. Every need of the guests has been considered, and a particularly thoughtful touch is the provision of a barbeque. A series of wide stone pillars create a partition, for privacy, between the kitchen and the living and dining area.

The air-conditioned master bedroom, complete with en-suite bathroom and wide balcony, covers the whole of the upper floor under a soaring pitched roof. A queen size bed is made up with top quality linens and a red and black Chinese silk bedcover. Rich drapes frame the windows, local paras stone bricks form a wall behind the bed, old photographs enhance the decor, and a wooden cabinet houses a satellite TV, DVD and CD player. Glass doors and fly screens open out onto a timber balcony deck commanding breathtaking views of the coastline and ocean.

The en-suite bathroom comprises two mirrored dressing rooms with ample storage space, together with two separate washing areas linked by a covered balcony walkway. This clever design allows the dressing rooms and bathroom to be accessed by two different doors from the bedroom, and the walkway is enclosed with fretwork wooden walls, which allow the cool breezes to permeate. One of the grey terrazzo-floored bathroom areas features a black terrazzo corner bathtub and twin washbasins. The other area features a shower, toilet and washbasin.

The two remaining air-conditioned bedrooms are located downstairs and are mirror images of each other, each with en-suite bathroom, satellite TV, DVD and CD player. Glass doors and fly screens in each room open onto a personal terrace furnished with daybeds, and a dressing area is located behind the bed. Each garden bathroom features 'his 'n' hers' washbasins, toilet, and a black terrazzo sunken bathtub and shower, bordered by plants, together with a three-tiered running water feature, and a wall for privacy.