When planning your next Bali holiday, it can be extremely challenging to find the right type of villa to suit your budget, style and, of course, one that everyone is happy with.
There are so many gorgeous villas to choose from. With pretty photos, enticing descriptions and photos of smiling happy staff, it can be hard to select a suitable villa.
Do you look at villas near the beach, family villas, honeymoon love nests, perhaps on a cliff top, surrounded by rice fields or a villa in a secure gated estate?
Once you’ve worked out the area in Bali you want to stay and you know what you want to be near (shops, beach clubs, cafes, day spas etc.), you need to look at the style of the villa as in Bali there are three distinct Villa Styles, and they all offer something unique for holidaymakers. These are Bali-style villas, Javanese Joglo and sleek contemporary modern villas that come fresh from a Vogue Magazine cover. Let’s take a closer look at each of these in more detail.
Also read: My Review of our fantastic Bali Villa experience
Balinese villas
Natural materials such as teak wood, coconut wood, bamboo and thatch are used to build Balinese villas. These villas have a personality, and you get a real sense of being in Bali once you step inside one of these villas. You can immediately see the detail and attention that goes into the building, and the styling of the woodwork and the thatched alang alang style roof is gorgeous. The villa has wooden floors, and peppered throughout the villa will be Balinese artefacts, pictures, artwork and rugs. The furniture will be wooden with a Bali-style island tropical vibe to get you in the mood for a holiday with lots of large lounges and big comfy sitting areas. The living areas are all open-plan with easy access to the garden and pool area (no doors to enclose the living areas), allowing the warm tropical breeze to flow in easily. Occasionally the villa owners will build glass doors to enclose the villa so the guests can have air-conditioning. In the garden, there will always be a bale or gazebo where you can chill out and escape the hot midday sun in typical Balinese style. Bali-style villas have always been popular and are found, as you can imagine, around the island. Newer upcoming tourist areas like Canggu and Pererenan are shying away from this style of architecture, preferring more modern Mediterranean boho villas.
What we love about traditional Balinese Villas
- Build with natural materials with harmony with nature in mind
- Open living room and dining areas – great for entertaining and families
- Lots of Balinese artefacts, artwork and wooden finishes
- Thatched rooftops
- Gazebo in the garden by the pool
- It can be cheaper to rent than modern villas
- Found throughout the island, especially in areas like Ubud & Tabanan
Villa Laut in Tabanan is a great example of Balinese-style villa design.
Javanese Joglo Villas
Joglo houses come originally from the main island of Java in Indonesia. They are rustic classic wooden houses with large soaring alang alang thatched style roofs. There are loads of Javanese wood carvings inside, and like the Bali-style villas, the floors and furniture are all wooden. The main difference is the roof size, as the Javanese believe that the higher the roof, the better the socio-economic status of the homeowner. The house will have wooden doors and large breezy open-plan spaces, including the verandahs. The garden has lush tropical plants and a gazebo area for a calming afternoon nap. The pool size will depend on the land area, but nearly all Javanese villas will have a swimming pool. For holidaymakers staying in a Java-style villa is a great experience and one not to be missed. If you are worried about modern-day luxuries like hot water, air conditioning and modern bathrooms, don’t, as all the Bali Villas for rent on this website come with these.
What we love about Javanese Joglo Villas
- Gorgeous wooden house from Java
- High-pitched thatched rooftops with intricate design
- Large garden areas with lush tropical plants and foliage
- Wonderful woodcarvings on the doors and throughout the villa
- Perfect for families as there are large verandahs and ample space for outdoor dining
- Most Java villas will have a swimming pool and gazebo
Villa Desa Roro in Canggu is a wonderful example of a Javanese-style holiday villa.
Modern villas
Suppose you’re not into the traditional design of Bali or Java-style villas and prefer to go down the modern path. In that case, areas like Seminyak, Canggu, Umalas, and Berawa (the most popular tourist areas) are now teeming with new stylish wizz-bang swanky villas. You can go from modern luxurious Bali villas to Mediterranean-style villas to the more traditional concrete and glass style. But as you can imagine, with the explosion of development in southern Bali, so too has the prevalence of modern villas. Generally, these villas are all tiled and have separate bedrooms with private en suite bathrooms, large enclosed living areas and parking for your car or scooter. If this seems a tad boring, we can promise you that these villas are perfect for a family or group holiday as they have large pools and great garden areas, and some villas are on the beach or clifftop with sensational views. Modern villas have A/C, modern fit-outs, great lighting, great wifi, flat-screen TVs, biy plush sofas, CCTV, modern kitchens, super comfy bedrooms, and stunning ensuites with bathtubs.
What we love about modern villas
- Swimming pool and some with jacuzzis
- Lots of various design styles – in Bali, the planning laws can be very relaxed so that some villas can be pretty eclectic
- AC inside the living and dining spaces
- Modern furniture
- State-of-the-art entertainment, including smart TVs, wifi and PlayStation.
- Modern kitchen, en suites and living areas
- Parking
Villa Noya in Canggu is a good example of a modern Bali villa – lots of glass, a big pool and modern living areas.
If you are reading this and still need to figure out what’s best for your next Bali trip, you can always reach out and contact us online. One of the villa reservation team will point you in the right direction and make s few villa recommendations based on your villa style, travel party, budget and the destination of your choice.
Steven is a die-hard Bali island addict and committed surfie. When he's not writing or taking videos of the latest restaurants or cool places, he's at Echo Beach surfing or riding his scooter around Seminyak, Berawa or Canggu. Steve is part of the Bali Villa Escapes marketing team and has been living in and out of Bali for the last 15 years.
