Villa Sarasvati

Sarasvati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, wisdom and the arts. She has four hands representing mind, intellect, alertness and ego. She carries sacred scriptures in one hand and a lotus - the symbol of true knowledge - in the second. With her other two hands she plays the music of love and life on a stringed instrument while she rides upon a white swan.

The Villas
Villa Sarasvati comprises two distinct areas that can be rented independently if required, featuring separate entrances as well as a shared entrance, both heralded by carved stone murals introducing Sarasvati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, wisdom and the arts, after which the villa takes its name.

On one side is the main villa, comprising a stand-alone multipurpose studio room, a long entrance hall, four bedrooms, a living & dining pavilion with a feature kitchen, an air-conditioned TV lounge, a pergola garden room, flat lawn and 18x5-meter lap pool.

The contemporary tropical architecture utilizes local materials including Palimanan stone walls, marble, and recycled wood, capped with ironwood shingle for the roof. The eclectic interiors ooze with style, visual texture and rich fabrics, following a stylish coffee and cream theme with modern teakwood and rattan furnishings, eye-catching framed photographs taken by the owner, and a unique collection of Taiwanese antiques and artifacts.

The second area, incorporating a one-bedroom suite known as the `master suite`, is located alongside the main villa but is hidden from view. It is a complete contrast to the modern architecture, featuring a series of antique wooden buildings from Java set within an exceptional rambling garden.

ACCOMMODATION

The Bedrooms
The master suite is an antique, wooden Javanese house, private and separate from the main villa and set within a romantic water garden. This gorgeous old house is a traditional high-peaked teakwood building, representing a bygone era. It was disassembled and transported from a small town in central Java, famous for its intricately carved woodwork.

The house is entered via a set of wooden steps, and the raised verandah at the front is a great place to sit and relax, overlooking the beautiful garden. At night this porch is romantically lit by glass globe lanterns. Inside is an air-conditioned bedroom, with the alternative facility of a ceiling fan. The room is stunningly furnished with a king-size bed and an antique wardrobe, complemented by comfortable soft furnishings, and equipped with a satellite channel TV and DVD player. The rustic en-suite bathroom is semi open air, sheltered by a pergola roof and extending out into a private, walled garden. It is equipped with a hollowed out, river rock bathtub for two, a walk-in rain shower, toilet, twin washbasins and a non slip floor. There is also a rain shower, open to the sky, in the garden.

The other four air-conditioned bedrooms, complete with their en-suite bathrooms, are arranged on two levels in the main two-storey building, which presides over the lap pool and one half of the extensive gardens. The bedrooms on ground level open onto an elevated terrace with three wide steps that lead down to the pool deck. There is also a ramp, which makes it easy for wheelchair users. Both the ground floor bedrooms have recycled wood floors, while the upstairs bedrooms have cool polished concrete floors. The upstairs bedrooms, as well as the central communal TV room, open onto a broad balcony with fabulous views over the meandering gardens, pool and rice fields.

The master bedroom is on ground level of the main building, entered via an anteroom with shelves and alcoves filled with books, a Buddha statue and antique artifacts from Taiwan. Long curtains divide the sleeping area from the anteroom and the huge dressing room, which is fitted with abundant hanging and storage space as well as a make-up table with a large wall mirror. The en-suite indoor/outdoor master bathroom is accessed by sliding glass doors from both the bedroom and the dressing room. The indoor area is fitted with polished black granite twin vanities with washbasins, as well as a toilet and a rain shower in separate cubicles - both with two sets of glass doors providing access to the indoor and outdoor areas. The piece de resistance is the freestanding terrazzo bathtub for two, positioned within a glass walled area all to itself, with doors that can be slid open to the private garden for a semi-alfresco bathing experience. There is also a rain shower in the spacious shrub-filled garden, open to the sky and very private.

Each bedroom, including the master, has a built in cushioned daybed along one wall, a four poster, king size bed hung with diaphanous cream chiffon drapes, teak furnishings, a shag pile floor rug, a TV/DVD player, and a dressing area.

Each en-suite bathroom is fitted with twin washbasins, toilet, walk-in rain shower and bathtub. The downstairs guestroom has a semi open air bathroom bordered by an ornamental pond with ornate Ganesha statues spouting running water. The two upstairs bathrooms are characterized by open air rooftop terraces, each with a romantic outdoor bathtub resting under a pergola.

Living and Dining
The single-storey living & dining pavilion features creamy white Palimanan stone walls and a polished concrete floor under a soaring roof. This long room runs the length of the pool with sliding glass doors that open onto the pool deck on one side and a lily pond with stone carvings and water features on the other. When these doors are open, the room is cooled by natural cross ventilation and ceiling fans, or alternatively the doors can be closed for air-conditioned comfort. At one end of the pavilion is an open-plan feature kitchen linked to the dining area by a wide, marble service bar. The splendid dining table seats 14, with bench stools and a grand cane planter chair at either end. Five giant, clear glass bell-jar lanterns hang over the table and the room is lovingly adorned with a collection of antique wooden artifacts including a pair of ornate panels from a Torajan house. There is also a tactile wooden sculpture that pivots on its stand to form a screen between the dining and living spaces. The living area is furnished with two cane sofas and armchairs with deep, comfortable cushions, together with a glass topped coffee table, a shag pile floor rug, lamps and more wooden artifacts. The ambience is enhanced by the sound of running water from the spouting statues that feed the lily pond outside.

At the far end of the living & dining pavilion, overlooking the rice field, is an open air sitting room with a slatted pergola roof supported by wooden pillars. The floor is composed of recycled ironwood decking, which extends around two sides of the pool, while flowering thunbergia cascades from the clear roof - designed to let in the light. This enchanting, sunny room flows into the living pavilion, yet can be a separate area when the sliding glass doors are closed. It is furnished with a large sofa and coffee table, as well as a smaller glass topped table with three planter chairs.

TV Lounge
The cozy TV lounge is positioned on the upper floor between the two upstairs bedrooms. Two long upholstered sofas hug the Palimanan stone walls, along with a two-toned suar wood coffee table and a rug under a pitched roof. The room is equipped with both air-conditioning and ceiling fans, and a large flat screen satellite channel TV and DVD player with surround sound.

FACILITIES

Kitchen
Villa Sarasvati`s immaculate, designer kitchen is crafted in creamy marble, with pots and pans hanging from the ceiling above a central island. This feature kitchen is conveniently positioned next to the dining area, and is fully equipped with an imported oven and hob, a large two-door refrigerator, a temperature controlled wine cellar, and everything else that the chef needs in order to prepare delicious meals, in accordance with the whims of his guests.

Studio
The multipurpose studio is an expansive, self contained, single-storey building located just inside the entrance to the villa. This room can be used for a number of purposes and, due to its size, is ideally suited for functions and parties.

Spa
Conceived in perfect harmony with the peaceful surroundings, spa treatments at Sarasvati take place in the privacy of the antique timber spa building, which presents two massage beds, washroom and outdoor rain shower. Combining beauty and well-being, traditional treatments such as mandi lulur, Balinese massage or reflexology, administered by skilled therapists, will make guests feel reborn, awakening the mind, body and soul.

Gardens and Pools
The main swimming pool is an 18x5 meters lap pool bordered by a timber deck that extends around two sides, complete with sun loungers and umbrellas. A flat lawn runs between the pool and the garden wall, bordered with palms and giant taro leaves and a pair of Ganesha statues. This is also the location of a pool shower. A door in the wall links the property to Villa Dewi Sri for those occasions when both villas are rented jointly by one group of guests.

The second alluring swimming pool is freeform and located beside the spa within the gorgeous rambling gardens. Punctuated with frangipanis and palms, these poetic gardens are woven together with timber walkways, pathways and lotus ponds, and concealed by taro, umbrella ferns, pandanus, travelers palms, fruit trees, flowering shrubs, and plenty more. Further explorations will reveal hidden lanterns, hand-carved statues, a giant chess set, an antique elevated relaxation gazebo, and a `pondok`, which is a traditional shelter for farmers working in the rice fields. Finally, a professionally-sized Petanque court (a game similar to boules) completes the picture. This is the very essence of a romantic `hide-and-seek` garden.

Villa Facilities
- Fully equipped modern kitchen and professional chef
- Air conditioning in all guest rooms
- Open Living Dining Room with air conditioning
- Garden shower/bathroom with every bedroom
- Patio bar
- TV room with wide LCD TV
- IDD Telephone /Printer/Scanner & Copier
- CCTV
- High-speed Wireless Broadband Internet Available
- Excellent cell phone satellite coverage
- Cable TV, DVD players and music systems in all bedrooms
- DVD Movie Collection
- Safety Deposit Boxes in all Bedrooms
- 18 x 5 m swimming pool & numerous sun beds
- 5 x 5 free form swimming pool by spa joglo
- Private garden Spa Joglo with air conditioner
- Garden Chess
- International standard Petanque field (Boules)
- 2000 square meters of private gardens with antique Bale
- Infant/Baby cot and high chair available
- Guests have full access to the facilities of the prestigious Canggu Club for the duration of their stay

Food and Beverage
The top class chef can prepare anything from snacks up to five-course dinners, or other requests as required. A full international menu is available. Continental or American breakfast is complimentary, while the full lunch and dinner service is a dining delight where guests can enjoy all manner of food service in a semi open air or air-conditioned stylish dining space.

Staff
Villa Sarasvati is supported by a carefully selected team of highly trained, friendly staff who will do their best to ensure that their guests experience a truly enjoyable stay in Bali. The team is headed by a villa manager who will oversee and coordinate the staff and property, and is available to assist guests during their stay. The team also includes an in-house chef, butlers, housekeepers, gardeners, pool attendants and security guards operating on a 24-hour shift basis. The chef is trained in the preparation of both local and international cuisine, and is responsible for all the market shopping, in accordance with the needs and the whims of the guests. The housekeepers fulfill all of the cleaning and housekeeping duties while also taking care of the daily laundry. Spa services are available in the dedicated antique spa pavilion.

Location Map
Villa Sarasvati is located within the beautiful agricultural belt between Kuta and Tanah Lot, an area that is home to some of the most luxurious private residences on the island. The trendy Seminyak area, with its wide choice of international restaurants-including the famous `Ku De Ta`, `Metis`, `Sardine`, `Hu`u`, `La Lucciola` and `Sarong`-together with a plethora of chic cocktail bars, exciting nightclubs, lavish spas and elegant boutiques, is a mere 25 minutes` drive away. Neighboring sporting facilities include the Canggu Club, offering sports, social and leisure facilities, with a state-of-the art gym, a 25-meter swimming pool and a tennis & squash centre. For horse lovers, the Umalas Equestrian Centre is just a few kilometers away, and Nirwana Golf Course-designed by Greg Norman and renowned as one of the best golf courses in Asia-is a 20-minute drive.

The nearby Berawa Beach is known for its world-class surf breaks, offering an exposed reef break with consistent surf. May to October (dry season) is the favored time for waves. Reef breaks provide lefts and rights-in fact, the neighboring Canggu Beach presents one of the few right-hand waves on the west coast of Bali. The simple warungs (eateries) next to The Beach House at Echo Beach are all surfer hangouts. The villa is 40 minutes` from the international airport, and convenient for all of the Island`s main shopping malls and tourist attractions, including Tanah Lot, Bali`s most dramatic and venerated sea temple.