Set in a hectare of tropical gardens next to the ocean, Wantilan Lama has been our family’s private holiday escape since the 1970s. We are extremely lucky to be able to call this little piece of paradise home and we are delighted to be able to share it with you.
Designed by Geoffrey Bawa, the father of the “tropical colonial” architectural style. Having made his name in his native Sri Lanka by blending traditional buildings with western functionality, Bawa took the Wantilan, a traditional Balinese meeting place, and, by adding rooms, and the first ever spiral staircase in Bali, created the first liveable Wantilan. Since then, countless other properties have copied the style, all over Bali.
Next, Made Wijaya, Bali’s most famous landscape designer, laid out the gardens to showcase the extraordinary local plants and flowers, working in perfect harmony alongside the villas and the sea.
Yew Kuan, the darling of modern tropical style, designed the subtle, yet stunning Bale Flamboyan, as well as taking on the delicate task of renovating Wantilan in such a way as to preserve the original character of Bawa’s seminal work.
The swimming pool, with its waterfall, cave and large wild stones, was the first independent creation by Bill Bensley, architect of the most exclusive spas and boutique hotels in Southeast Asia. In 2019, we were thrilled to welcome Bill back to design Wantilan Baru, a set of new villas, a 25-meter tropical free- form pool and the ‘Flying Carpet’; multi-function space.
To see the work of all of these luminaries in one place is to witness a snapshot of the progression of Bali’s architectural heritage, and there is nowhere else on earth quite like it.
Wantilan is the archetypal Bali-style 2-story, 2-bedroom villa overlooking the beach, with a wide open living space.
Downstairs is the spacious master bedroom with an additional daybed and a bathtub large enough to fit 8 people. Upstairs has the best view of the fabled “morning of the world” sunrise over the Lombok Straits.
In one area of Wantilan Lama there are 5 other villas; Bale Flamboyan, Pond House, Frog Cottage, Bale Karang, and Bale Kambang.
Learn more (https://wantilanlama.com/)