Bali idle

IT is as if Singapore's Raffles Hotel has been shrunk and shifted - lock, stock and parlour palms - to a laneway in fashionable Seminyak.

Batavia

IT is as if Singapore's Raffles Hotel has been shrunk and shifted - lock, stock and parlour palms - to a laneway in the fashionable Seminyak precinct.

The colonial-style Villa Batavia is an oddity in Bali's world of holiday rentals. The accommodation on this Indonesian isle is almost squarely divided into thatched and traditional or ultra-modern and uber-glam. Batavia is none of these things.

The Swiss-based owners wanted a contemporary interpretation of colonial classic and that is exactly what Indonesian architect Putu Edy Semara delivered in 2008, complete with black and white granite-tiled colonnades and breezeways, pillared verandas, shuttered windows, teak four-posters and all the trademark tropical flourishes. The owners have added artwork that includes framed vintage postcards, maps, etchings and retro posters.

There are colourful Tiffany lamps, rattan furnishings, glass lanterns, cushioned cane furniture and slatted blinds. There's even a small massage salon and a tiled Moroccan-style steamroom.

Just off Jalan Laksmana and at the head of a secure laneway where other Prestige Bali Villas properties are discreetly tucked away, Batavia sleeps eight in two smaller ensuite doubles (Lombok and Sumba) and two master suites (Java and Flores) of lord of the (colonial) manor proportions. It is a splendid grown-up party pad but also one where the urge to wear planter's white linen and pith helmets seems rather irresistible.

Batavia was the Dutch colonial name for Jakarta and a thoughtfully provided copy of a book on the history of the then capital of the Dutch East Indies includes photographs of buildings that surely must have inspired this villa's design. The character and charm of the 19th-century Hotel des Indes, for example, could have formed part of the vision. In 1869, British anthropologist Alfred Russel Wallace described its accommodation thus: "The Hotel des Indes was very comfortable, each visitor having a sitting room and bedroom opening on a veranda, where he can take his morning coffee and afternoon tea.

"In the centre of the quadrangle is a building containing a number of marble baths always ready for use; and there is an excellent table d'hote breakfast at 10, and dinner at six, for all which there is a moderate charge per day."

Villa Batavia has more dignified bathing arrangements (the two master bedrooms come with copper tubs; all the toiletries are bespoke, in sweet combinations such as starfruit, passionfruit and pear), but there's still the air of a small hotel where old Asia hands of the ilk of Somerset Maugham or Noel Coward could drop by at any old tick for a pink gin.

With manager Juniartha (Jun) in charge of a dedicated team, Villa Batavia feels like a family home where retainers are on call. Whether or not one approves of the idea of servants (I always feel uncomfortable summoning, say, tea or towels), this team is particularly proud of their work and their place within Bali's tourism framework, where staffed villas are becoming as popular as hotel stays. Somehow, Jun, Billy, Made and driver Fanny are there when required and absent when not, with a radar-like efficiency.

Our little party of three barely fills a corner of Batavia. Even in the saltwater garden pool, which meanders past palms, orchids and waterfalls like a tiny river, we find our private spots to bob about as blue dragonflies buzz and falling pink frangipani petals gently plop. Lounging spots abound: low planter's chairs (naturally), garden loungers and big seats in the upstairs lounge, with its open windows on three sides and district views across tiled rooftops.

Batavia is arranged over three buildings linked by pergolas, and such companionable separation is the key to successful house-party living. Every morning I take my coffee in the upstairs lounge and am joined, at a companionable distance, by a squirrel that runs along the laneway's power lines, swinging madly, like a tiny acrobat. Women pass by with offerings to the gods on their head, bound for Hindu temples and moving with the graceful ease of models.

One night we eat in, expecting a homely meal, but what we get is a restaurant-quality a la carte menu by candlelight, with monogrammed napkins and crested silver, served under ceiling fans in the long and airy upstairs dining room. There are Vietnamese ricepaper rolls, black-pepper lobster, Thai beef salad and banana fritters (dozens of other options can be pre-ordered, even Australian beef tenderloin or schnitzel).

With such a well-situated base, you are within easy distance of Petitenget Beach and its Pura Petitenget, the fourth largest temple in Bali, plus cafes, galleries and shops, and such standout restaurants as Sarong (see below).

Or you could just stay put, as we do, and treat Villa Batavia as the most civilised of rest homes.

Checklist
Villa Batavia is a member of the Prestige Bali Villas collection; from $US945 ($865) a day (sleeps eight). Rates include airport transfers and breakfasts. Well-priced drinks available; lunches and evening meals on request (there are two chefs in attendance). There's a computer in the upstairs lounge for guest use and free wi-fi throughout. More: www.prestigebalivillas.com.

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IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Ku De Ta: Still Seminyak's buzziest beach club, bar and restaurant, with killer martinis, mojitos and splendid food from Australian chef Phillip Davenport.

Sarong: Go to Ku De Ta for the scene but to Sarong for the superlative nosh; in a setting of bedroom-bling chandeliers, swagged curtains and mother-of-pearl placemats, chef Will Meyrick serves up specialty hawker food turned fine dining.

La Lucciola: Seminyak's best breakfasts, in a two-storey pavilion by the sea, or front up to the Sunset Bar for a smashing lychee-tini.

The Colony Hotel: A new project by Prestige Bali Villas, this 20-room boutique hotel (pictured) with courtyard pool has just opened over the fence from Villa Batavia. Great opening specials, no children under 16, Miami-inspired white decor.

Potato Head: The newest beach club in the precinct, Potato Head is a vast party space, its snail-like curved exterior covered with row upon row of old Javanese window shutters. Try a Campari and blood-orange juice to the sound of the sea.

Woo Bar, W Retreat & Spa: The just-opened W has a cool beachfront bar with daybeds, cocktail tables shaped like coral formations, rooftop hang-out, cool club lighting and beanbags.
Susan Kurosawa