Villa Tao

Quiet, location, outlook, traditional, quirky, sunken lounge, bedrooms, amazing hosts, gardens, fantastic holiday.

Lack of balustrade in master bedroom bathrooms and wonky verandahs.

Where to begin? Villa Tao is a dream. Impressive and tasteful architecture, lots of space (we were 4, but this easily houses 8-10), very comfortable beds, AC worked impeccably, no AC necessary in common area because it is open towards the ocean and a constant breeze from the sea makes it comfortable. Very large infinity pool (bigger than on pictures), deep and clean without chlorine smell. You can hang out in it and watch the surfers... We used the ping pong table a lot. The constant swell from the ocean makes for great background sound. And, best of all: Made and his two helpers, housekeeper, cook, funny and sweet, and source of advice and great suggestions for tours. Wonderful cooking (better than restaurants in nearby village), we felt very pampered and extremely well looked-after. He is in the villa all the time but very discretely in the background, so you get the feeling of being on your own, with the commodity of a butler... Organized massages for us and surfing lessons at our doorstep, all worked out perfectly.

It's a bit off the beaten path, so if you want to go visit other spots in Bali, you tend to have to take the coastal highway which is VERY busy with trucks and very slow (we had rented a car - if you have a driver, it might be less of a hassle). But who wants to go anywhere when you have this villa? Also, the ocean, while right outside and with a sand beacht, is wild and not ideal for swimming (true for a lot of the southern coastline).