| Simple, Sophisticated Luxury |
Bali is a paradise beyond my wildest dreams: lush, dense jungle; picturesque rice paddies; tropical beaches with world-class snorkeling among coral reefs, outdoor adventure activities, ancient temples, traditional arts, delicious dining options, endless varieties of yoga and meditation classes and retreats, and countless mystical shamans and energy healers. Truly, Bali holds something for everyone.
Therein, alas, lies a challenge: With Bali’s increasing popularity, how does one enjoy this Indonesian island’s breathtaking beauty, while sinfully savoring her serenity, hidden from the hordes?
Enter Villa Vajra, a truly magnificent vacation rental, located just minutes away from Ubud, Bali’s cultural and spiritual epicenter … and, importantly, just far enough away that you’ll start and end your days in her blissful seclusion. Heck, you’ll likely want to spend entire days just chilling there altogether.
Perfect privacy
Located in the village of Sebali, Villa Vajra overlooks the Woos river, with rice paddies and lush forest providing perfect privacy. The spacious villa was designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Guy Morgan, combining the very best of Balinese architectural elements with contemporary flair, elegant finishes and modern amenities. The furnishings were made in Bali by local woodworkers and artisans, and the paintings and sculpture that grace the villa were all purchased in and around Ubud, supporting local artists.
The villa has three bedrooms, each with its own style and furnishings, antiques, contemporary art and unique view. The master bedroom, located on the upper level of the property, is furnished with a queen-size bed, a large walk-in closet and has a big Jacuzzi tub in its garden bathroom. The sawah (rice field) bedroom, also located on the upper level, is furnished with two single beds and a shower. The guest bedroom is situated at pool level, furnished with a dreamy four-poster bed complemented by striking artwork. Sliding glass doors face the valley. The suite has its own dressing room and a garden bathroom constructed of black terrazzo. All bedrooms feature air-conditioning as well as ceiling fans to keep the rooms pleasantly cool.
The study offers an expansive view over the cathedral-like living room and serves as a media room with TV, DVD player, film and book library and quality sound system with speakers throughout the villa and garden. This room also doubles as an additional bedroom with a cozy and discreet massage area and a refreshing outdoor shower and indoor toilet on its private viewing terrace. A dining table could be set up there, away from the heart of the villa for a quiet breakfast or tea.
The elegant, spacious pavilion is furnished with comfortable teak chairs and sofas; pendulous lanterns illuminate a large mahogany dining table. Together with the timber deck which overhangs the lush river valley, it is also a fantastic venue for yoga, parties, receptions and dinners.
Abundant amenities
Villa Vajra pool
With facilities rivaling 5-star hotels, Villa Vajra’s carefully curated amenities include a swimming pool (8.5m x 2.75m, depth 2.1m) and heated plunge pool with Jacuzzi, fiber-optic internet, a small gym (including treadmill, exercise bike and weights), security (security staff and in-room safes), meditation pavilion, free airport transfers, and an 11-person Balinese staff that takes care of everything from arranging outdoor activities to booking in-house massages and, of course, daily housekeeping and turndown service.
Villa Vajra is perfectly situated as a home base for adventuring forth for a variety of activities, from a casual stroll along the breathtaking Campuhan Ridge towards the town of Ubud, to setting forth for a sunrise hike at Mount Batur, to Balinese cooking classes and trying your hand at wood-carving and batik fabric artistry.
Setting Villa Vajra in an entirely different class from any other vacation rental, however, are its amazing private chefs, Ketut and Made, who have perfected a truly delectable and diverse international menu, available to you throughout your stay for plated or family-style meals. In addition to plated breakfast (included with your rental), Ketut and Made stand ready to prepare lunch and/or dinner, utilizing the freshest organic, local and artisan ingredients whenever available … all at a fraction of the price of restaurant dining. You just cover the cost of the ingredients and a small fee to cover staff labor. In other words, incredible, affordable meals are available in a beautiful, secluded setting (see sidebar).
Dining at Vajra: a culinary feast
Sesame noodles at Villa Vajra
Chefs Ketut and Made, incredibly talented, experienced and accommodating, stand ready to sate your dining desires.
Guests can select from the Vajra menu, with options ranging from traditional Balinese-style banana-leaf steamed prawns and tenderloin steaks, to salad nicoise and cold curry-cucumber soup; or peruse dozens of cookbooks—including Italian, Vietnamese, Thai and Western vegetarian cuisine—to discover just the right dishes to suit the day. Of their many homemade specialties, some favorites include made-from scratch vegetarian pizzas, Vietnamese bon mi sandwiches, gnocchi that would make your Italian grandmother cry tears of joy, seasonal mango sorbet and coconut ice cream.
Chefs Ketut and Made make frequent shopping excursions to local organic farmers markets and specialty vendors, sourcing the best artisan breads in the region, and organic meats such as charcuterie, beef, bacon and ham at Local Parts, the butcher shop created by Ubud’s highly acclaimed Locavore restaurant. In addition to their homemade yogurt, apple sauce, passion fruit jams, spicy sambal hot sauce and mouth-watering spicy peanut sauce, they have also discovered a purveyor of perfectly balanced, locally-made marmalades. Selamat makan!
Sword of wisdom
Nirgrantha, who built the villa in 2004
Ready to be pampered even more? Schedule a masseur and masseuse for a private or couples massage at your villa, or ask to schedule a session with Bu Mangku Desak, a local Balinese priestess with truly mystical healing powers.
Villa Vajra’s proprietors, Nirgrantha, a Buddhist psychiatrist from New York City, and Joel Singer, an artist from Montreal, Canada (whose experimental film work has been shown at museums and institutions around the world and his photo collages exhibited in the U.S. and Bali), have painstakingly created a beautiful environment that welcomes your exploration. Villa Vajra was built in 2004 by Nirgrantha, who envisioned a small community of like-minded individuals at this magical villa on the rice fields. Nirgrantha, who turned 90 in 2019, is finalizing plans to create an international fellowship for vipassana meditation practitioners at Vajra. For those not well-versed in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, the “Vajra” is a quintessential symbol used in rituals to represent the sword of wisdom cutting through ignorance.
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to review dozens of the world’s best 5-star eco-resorts … but when it comes to feeling at home with simple, sophisticated luxury, absolutely nothing in my experience compares with Villa Vajra.–Michael Straus, senior editor
Master bedroom
Master bathroom
Meditation pavilion overlooking garden
