Raja - Villa Bali Canggu | Bali Villas Bali Villa Exotic
Nightly Rate (NET): Low Season: US$650 - High Season: US$950 - Peak Season: US$950
Villa Raja is situated in the heart of tranquil Canggu, a traditional Balinese village, with postcard views onto rice paddies, well away from night club noise yet only 20 minutes from Seminyak. It is less than five minutes driving to reach the Canggu beach.
This quite extraordinary dwelling is one of newest and most opulent mansions in Bali, and yet the moment you enter Villa RaJa, it is as if you have taken a time machine back to Bali golden era of architecture. Tired of the plethora of minimalist Bali Zen villas springing up across the island, owners Ralph and Janet Hogan set out to turn back the clock and create an architectural masterpiece to showcase the myriad textures, styles, arts and crafts for which Bali is so rightly famous.
Crafted by two of the most talented traditional builders of Bali, this is a structure of great beauty with a timeless patina which weaves state of the art technology into a fabulous fabric of antiquity. 400 year old timbers, richly carved paneling, coral, pebbles, limestone, marble and even re-cut Art Deco roof tiles decorate every aspect of the building.
Basically there are two structures on the compound: Main House and Guest House. On the main house, there are three bedrooms and one bedroom at the Guest House Jineng.rn
rnBeneath this dramatic exterior, new buildings frame and stabilise an ancient 12 metre high ironwood and teak jineng, containing the ground floor media room (complete with giant cinema screen and foundation-shaking Yamaha sound system.) Upstairs, an unforgettable Master Bedroom, with soaring 6 metre ceilings and sweeping views of the surrounding rice paddies. The massive antique carved bedhead frames a king size bed and was once a prestigious house facade in Java. One visitor likens spending a night here to sleeping in the sexiest art gallery of the world, with waxed, black ironwood floors, massive teak beams and, wrapping around the room, the unfolding saga of the Ramayana in beautiful, softly lit kamisan paintings.rn
rnThe bedroom leads onto a separate walk in robe (huge) complete with safe, and an exotic, hand-formed ensuite bathroom that is straight out of the Arabian nights. This in turn opens onto the eye popping Gaudi esque outdoor shower, patterned entirely underfoot and on all sides with a dazzling collection of 1920s terrazzo tiles rescued from mansions being demolished in Java.
The villa features another 3 stunning bedrooms with beautiful ensuite bathrooms. One forms the upper floor of a separate smaller timber jineng which overhangs the huge 20 metre lpool, rimmed with carved stone and fed by spouting, 2 metre stone statues. Here you swim in drinkable water produced by a sophisticated colloidal silver purification plant. The pool also features an 8 metre waterslide made by the builders of Bali famous roller coaster waterslide centre, Waterbom in Kuta.rn
rnLike the country which inspired it, Villa RaJa is itself an unforgettable cultural experience. From the huge fantastic creatures front door (carved out of a 1000 year old sprawling lychee root) to the magnificent, carved Borobodur style taro stone gate; or the priceless antique Sumba stone ceremonial slab which serves as a bridge to the dining gazebo, which floats on a water lily pond, replete with giant fish. This is indeed a paradise for photographers.
After 20 years of tolerating wrenching gut problems, twisted limbs from shonky architecture, lying awake to an insane cacophany of flirting geckos and fighting rodents, or sweltering in the heat while drowning in mosquito repellant, the owners decided that some aspects of their villa would be quintessentially un-Balinese.rn
rnInsect screens, (practically unknown in Bali) protect all bedroom and bathroom windows at Villa Raja. All rooms are air conditioned and supplied with fans as well. The buildings have been built to Western safety design standards so no shonky, wobbly steps, cracked paths or dangerous shortcuts here.rn
rnA sophisticated advanced secondary sewerage treatment system ensures that Villa RaJa only recycles clean, safe water back into the Balinese environment. rn
rnKitchen staff have been trained in Western standards of hygiene and prepare food in two impeccably clean and modern kitchens (one for guests, one for kitchen staff) but of course training is of little use in a country where an ice block in your gin and tonic can put you on your back for a week.rn
rnIf there is one thing as synonymous with Bali as beauty, it is tourists laid down with Bali Belly. Bali water is decidedly 3rd world and everyone uses bottled water to drink, brush teeth etc. But it is pretty well impossible, if not financially unviable, to wash food in bottled water, or shower and wash in it, which is why the owners have installed a state of the art water purification plant, again using the colloidal silver filtration system, the world most effective water purification technology (as used on the space shuttle.) Pure, totally safe drinking water is piped to all showers, basins etc in the house.
* Four High Quality Bedrooms
rn * Private ensuite bathrooms and walk in robes
rn * Cinema RaJa: a separate media room with satellite TV, DVD, indoor and outdoor sound system, giant movie screen plus reclining leather cinema loungesrn * 20 metre lap pool with waterslide
rn * Separate office with Broadband satellite internet connection
rn * Dining gazebo with seating for 10
rn * Satellite TV with international channel
rn * Full house capacity generator
rn * Internal laundry is available
rn * Private parking area for 2 cars
rn * Fully staffed: local manager, house maids, gardeners and pool attendant, security guards, cookrn
