Alamanda

On the outskirts of Ubud, perched high on a jungle-clad hillside overlooking a ravine, lies the beautiful Villa Alamanda. This four-bedroom villa epitomizes peace and tranquility and is the perfect retreat for those seeking a quiet and relaxing holiday within easy reach of Bali’s exotic cultural centre.

Carefully designed to harmonize with the environment, the villa combines traditional architecture and materials to create an enchanting tropical oasis. Fully staffed, including a fabulous in-house Chef, guests need only focus on lazing by the pool, indulging in scrumptious home-cooked meals, being pampered with deluxe spa treatments, or simply admiring the views.

When it comes time to explore, a car and driver are also on standby to escort you to the wonderful sights that lay nearby.

The family friendly advantages of a villa holiday are many, including access to your own private facilities and the freedom to use them whenever you want. Knowing that the kids can run around happily, independently and safely, without you having to worry about other guests, is a real plus – and one that means parents are certain to have a more relaxed holiday too.

While young children will need close supervision at Villa Alamanda because of its steep hillside location, it is a great villa for families with older kids. With a large swimming pool, lawn area for games and a media room well equipped with DVD's and indoor games, the kids will be kept well entertained.

The team of friendly staff at Villa Alamanda make children feel as welcome as adults too, and having these willing helpers on hand gives guests plenty of flexibility and freedom to do their own exploring beyond the villa grounds (full-time babysitting incurs a small extra cost).

Villa Alamanda is a special place. After four years searching for the perfect location to create their dream holiday home, the owners decided on the lush jungle setting near Ubud, and their affection for this tropical paradise is evident as soon as you open the villa doors.

Set high on a ravine amongst tall trees, lush green foliage and twittering birds this four-bedroom villa takes you back in time. Alamanda is part of a traditional wood-carvers' village that conjures up images of the Bali of yesteryear. Here, guests are privy to the routines of daily Balinese life from elaborate Hindu ceremonies to children playing in the street.

What really makes this villa special is the way its design complements its natural setting with alang-alang thatched roofs, wooden beams and polished floors featuring a large open-sided terrace to enjoy the balmy tropical climate. Air-conditioned king-size bedrooms with marble en-suite bathrooms provide the perfect respite from the heat along with the fully enclosed media room.

The gardens are spectacular, with an infinity pool that hangs over the ravine and a poolside balé just made for relaxing. Frangrant frangipanis, red heliconias and the bright-yellow alamanda (after which the villa is named) inject colour against the rich green foliage of the surrounding jungle.

The villa's location is convenient for accessing nearby attractions including Ubud, Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) and the UNESCO rice terraces of Tegallalang. The villa staff team, including the villa’s experienced in-house chef, will look after you well: all meals can be selected from a suggestion menu on guest account. But if guests do wish to dine out, there are plenty of dining options in Ubud catering for every taste and budget.

Perched on a hillside high above a ravine, Villa Alamanda is built on two levels. Guests enter the main living quarters through imposing antique carved wood doors that open to a foyer and long T-shaped living and dining terrace with wood floors and an alang-alang thatched roof. The master bedroom, red room and cinnamon room all face the ravine and open onto this terrace.

To one side of the main house rests the garden bedroom suite and media room, with the kitchen located at the rear. To the other side, a steep stone staircase leads down to the beautiful gardens and swimming pool area, where sun loungers, an outdoor dining table and the poolside balé beckon.

Villa Alamanda is characterized by a delightful T-shaped terrace that stretches the length of the main house. This beautiful open-sided living space features polished wooden floors, high ceilings hung with overhead fans, and wooden balustrading that makes the most of the villa’s picturesque natural environment. Two-daybeds adorned with silk cushions provide the perfect places to meditate and enjoy soothing sounds on the Bluetooth or USB speaker.

The dining area that juts out over the ravine and is furnished with a wooden table for eight, is the ideal spot for an intimate dinner party. The kitchen, which delivers exquisite meals, is housed in the staff quarters at the rear of the property.

The fully enclosed air-conditioned media room adjacent to the garden suite is equipped with a large satellite TV with DVD player, games, toys, movies, bean bags and a comfortable sofa.

Its unique jungle setting is what makes Villa Alamanda special and the owners have designed the gardens to make the most of the tropical surroundings. An arched gateway with Balinese doors marks the entrance to the enchanting garden accessed by a flight of 17 stone stairs.

A curved blue-tiled infinity swimming pool gives the illusion of disappearing into the ravine as water cascades over its edge. Sun loungers and umbrellas rest on the Palimanan stone pool terrace strategically placed to capture the sun. A round outdoor dining table is ideal for casual poolside dining while the thatched balé, equipped with bright coloured cushions and a Bluetooth or USB speaker, is perfect for sunset cocktails.

A grassed area with two carved wooden seats and a traditional Hindu shrine makes a lovely setting for an intimate wedding blessing or a private yoga session.