Hotels • May 2015
Paradise in Southeast Asia: Top private villas
Private villas are Asia’s new accommodation sensation. Deliciously designed and decorated, they’re far more exclusive than a boutique hotel. Fairly brimming with chefs, butlers, chauffeurs and the like, they make the perfect base for loved-up couples, revved-up families or even up-and-coming executives looking for a super-select meeting venue. Travel writer Ed Peters chooses his favourites
Lombok: Villa Sapi
Why go? Lombok is one step on from Bali, calmer, greener, more chilled. Villa Sapi’s five bedrooms are slotted into a futuristic building that’s right by Sira Beach. There are four pools, a home theatre and open-air living and dining rooms. Mountain bikes and sea kayaks stand ready in the unlikely event of cabin fever. From £870 per night.
USP: The traditional rice barn converted into a massage room.
Bali: Kaba Kaba
Why go? Part art gallery, part regal residence, but 100 per cent luxury pad, Kaba Kaba sits on a rolling estate on the southwest coast of the ‘Island of the Gods’. Comprising a series of pavilions, Kaba Kaba can comfortably sleep 18, so it’s often used as a wedding venue. Gargantuan meals at the dining table tend to last for hours. From £3,370 per night.
USP: Skinny dipping in the master-suite plunge pool.
Nusa Lembongan: Villa Voyage
Why go? Hankering after a tropical idyll? Try this: in front of Villa Voyage is the infinity pool, and in front of the pool is the beach and ocean. This is barefoot luxury at its most pristine, southeast of Bali. There are five bedrooms, but most guests would happily curl up on the ironwood deck’s seductive loungers 24/7. From £910 per night.
USP: Pottering about the island in the villa’s open-sided buggy.
Phuket: One Waterfall Bay
Why go? Part of a five-villa estate on ‘Millionaire’s Mile’, One Waterfall Bay sits high on the hill above Kamala Bay. The four-storey, five-bedroom, L-shaped villa is set around the pool, kitchen and living areas, and characterised by a crisp, chic interior design. From £1,077 per night.
USP: The secluded rooftop terrace – ideal for sunbathing, sundowners and stargazing.
Koh Samui: Baan Kilee
Why go? Koh Samui is a byword for fun in the sun, and that could well be the motto of this stunning property. Best for families, reunions and similar jolly holidays, it sleeps 20 and there’s no sense of being crowded. As with all villas, guests just pay for the food and the chef whips up meals to order. From £1,407 per night.
USP: Lipa Noi beach is one vast adventure playground right on the doorstep.
Malaysia: Hibiscus Villa
Why go? Hard by Simpang Mengayau, Borneo’s answer to John O’Groats, this holiday villa is the ultimate Malaysian getaway with a breezy, open-plan layout that accommodates up to eight. Both jungle and sea invite exploration, although you could simply hole up and revel in the pool and gardens. £606 per night.
USP: Back to nature, well off the beaten track.
This article has been tagged Destination, Hotels