Villa Canggu

Set among the last remaining rice paddies of Canggu's Pererenan neighbourhood, Villa Canggu is a compound of three traditional joglo pavilions relocated from Java, restored, and set around a 25-metre pool. Each pavilion functions as an independent suite with its own living area, outdoor bathroom, and private garden. The compound includes a yoga shala, a cold plunge, and a staff cottage housing a live-in chef and two housekeepers. Echo Beach and its surf break are a five-minute bicycle ride along the paddy paths. Pererenan is the last section of Canggu's coastline where rice paddies still survive. Development has consumed the paddies in neighbouring Berawa and Batu Bolong, but Pererenan's zoning has so far protected its agricultural land. Villa Canggu sits among these paddies, and the view from the compound - flooded green rice fields stretching to the coconut palms along the coast - represents a Bali that is rapidly disappearing. The property's position here is a significant part of its appeal. The three joglo pavilions are the architectural heart of the property. A joglo is a traditional Javanese wooden building with a distinctive layered roof supported by four carved teak columns. These three were sourced from villages in central Java, where they served as community meeting halls and noble residences. Each was carefully dismantled, transported to Bali, and reassembled around the central pool by a team of Javanese master carpenters. The carved teak columns in each pavilion are between 80 and 120 years old. Each pavilion functions as a self-contained suite. The sleeping area occupies the central space beneath the layered roof, where the teak columns rise to their full height. A living area with a daybed and a writing desk occupies one side; the outdoor bathroom, with a garden shower and a soaking tub surrounded by tropical plants, occupies the other. Private gardens with stone pathways and ornamental ponds separate the pavilions from each other and from the central pool. The 25-metre pool runs the length of the compound, flanked by a sun deck of local andesite stone. At one end, a shallow lounging area allows guests to recline in the water at the level of the surrounding rice paddies. At the other end, the yoga shala - an open-air wooden platform with a thatched roof - hosts daily yoga sessions with a visiting instructor. The cold plunge pool, set behind a screen of bamboo, provides a post-yoga or post-surf recovery option. The live-in chef prepares three meals daily, with menus that range from traditional Indonesian cuisine (nasi goreng, gado-gado, rendang) to lighter international dishes adapted to the tropical climate. Ingredients are sourced from the Pererenan morning market and the organic farms that dot the surrounding countryside. Echo Beach, a five-minute bicycle ride along the paddy paths, is one of Bali's most popular surf breaks and has a row of beachfront restaurants that serve cold Bintang and grilled seafood as the sun sets.