Bendega Nui was designed in partnership with internationally renowned architect Glenn Parker to respect the style, proportion and symmetry of traditional Balinese architecture within a modern tropical design. The villa’s name reflects the owners’ love for Bali (Bendega means ‘fisherman’ in Balinese), and their native New Zealand (Nui means ‘grand’ in Maori).
Set in almost an acre of serene tropical gardens overlooking the rice fields, the villa is a short walk from the beach and a short drive to the chic restaurants and bars of Seminyak; close to the excitement of Bali but far enough away to ensure a traditional Balinese experience.
There are five large bedrooms at Bendega Nui, each with ensuite bathroom and a balcony, terrace or private garden area. A further one-bedroom suite, with plunge pool, sun deck and relaxation balé set in a private walled garden, can be added as an optional sixth room. A reading balé, library with 50-inch plasma TV, a games room complete with pool table, and a sun deck hidden below the pool provide ample opportunities for relaxation. There’s also a stunning open sitting area that overlooks the rice fields, a separate air-conditioned dining room with a table that seats up to 20, a pool pavilion for outdoor dining and a large infinity-edge pool, both situated to catch the fabulous Bali sunsets.
The villa’s contemporary design is enhanced, outside and in, with the highest quality materials, all chosen for their natural beauty and durability. Thoughtfully chosen Balinese and Javanese sculptures, cabinets and artefacts – many of them antique – as well as bright floral fabrics and custom-printed traditional ikat textiles bring the stylish dark-wood furniture to vivid life. State-of-the-art facilities include a Sonos digital music system that can be programmed to match musical moods in several different ‘zones’, a modern kitchen, satellite television and DVD players and air conditioning in all the indoor areas.
The extensive gardens surrounding Bendega Nui are very special, and make an idyllic setting for a wedding or other special celebration. Lawns are dotted with frangipani, oil palms, jasmine, yuccas, African tulip trees and an abundance of tropical fruit, and feature several serene, koi-filled ponds.
Finally, a dedicated, discreet team of staff, including a knowledgeable, multi-lingual manager and an excellent chef, is on hand to look after visitors with wide smiles and willing service, leaving you free to indulge in the special charm and beauty of Bali.
Villa layout
Bendega Nui has been carefully designed to maximize its 3,900 square metres of land amidst the rice terraces of Canggu. The villa is entered via gates that slide open to reveal a two-metre-high black-stone Buddha head serenely welcoming visitors to the property. The entry courtyard provides ample room for parking and is dotted with frangipani, oil palms, jasmine, yuccas and African tulip trees. Guests walk over sandstone steps across a large koi-filled pond to the main entrance doors.
The villa buildings form an ‘H’, with the main living and sleeping accommodation in the middle, and two of the five bedrooms, the pool pavilion and the staff quarters forming the four prongs of the H. This pleasing symmetry is carried through to many elements within the villa, including the 11 x 11-metre swimming pool, which is bordered by a large sunny garden and overlooks the rice fields.
Living areas
Living room
Two sets of tall sliding doors open to reveal a spectacular open-air, double-height sitting room facing the gardens, pool and rice fields. This fan-cooled space, which seats 12, is simply but stylishly furnished with two oversized black teak sofas and armchairs set around matching coffee tables. The black upholstery is brought to life with vibrant contrasting green and orange patterned scatter cushions.
Along the back wall of the sitting room, an ancient canoe has been topped with glass and transformed into a 6m-long table; a stunning centrepiece for a buffet dinner. Above the canoe, a set of antique carved panels are framed against a wall of golden sandstone. A galleried walkway runs above the sitting area providing another opportunity to enjoy the views.
Dining and kitchen
To the right of the sitting room, glass doors lead into the wooden-floored, dining room, showcasing a massive, five-metre-long solid Merbau dining table that seats up to 20 people. More glass doors open onto the garden at the front, while a large mirror is set in an antique door frame at the far end of the room. A charming glass-fronted cabinet houses glassware and crockery next to a door leading through to the kitchen.
The kitchen at Bendega Nui reflects the owners’ love of cooking. This fully fitted, air-conditioned room has such appeal that it’s almost tempting to give the chef a day off! Dark wood cabinets, cream-colored Corian work tops and glass splash-backs create clean lines, while a large central island ensures plenty of work space.
The chef’s biggest delight is the range of equipment available to him here – including an extra large oven, a Jura Impressa coffee machine, waffle-maker, Cuisinart panini toaster, ice cream maker and dishwasher, to name but a few. The kitchen is also equipped with two large fridges, and a freezer and wine fridge in the pantry. Just outside is a custom-built pizza oven.
Library and games room
In the comfortable library and adjoining games room, a set of floor-to-ceiling shelves contains numerous books on Bali and Indonesia as well as more popular holiday reading. The library has a 50-inch flat-screen television with DVD player and more than 50 international satellite channels. An L-shaped sofa and two floral print chairs offer plenty of comfort in front of the TV.
The games room is almost completely surrounded by glass and can be opened up to the gardens on three sides. Bar stools and easy chairs provide seating for spectators around the full-sized pool table and there’s a wide selection of other games available too. Opposite the games room is a delightful guest washroom. Finished in warm Indian Sandstone, and furnished with an antique cabinet, this washroom opens into a pretty walled garden.
Outdoor living
The 11 x 11-metre stone-tiled infinity-edged swimming pool overlooks the rice fields. As well as being large enough for some serious swimming, the pool is perfectly positioned for sunset cocktails, which can be enjoyed from the wide stone shelves set into the pool at just the right depth.
Next to the pool a breezy open-sided pavilion is furnished with a huge built-in daybed and a table for up to 10 people. This is a great place to congregate at the start of the day for a ‘come-as-you-please’ breakfast. A handy kitchenette with a water cooler, bar fridge and sink is concealed neatly behind louvered doors and around the corner is a guest changing room with toilet and shower.
To the far side of the lawn, perched over a koi pond, is a peaceful relaxation balé. furnished with a comfortable daybed, floor cushions and two petrified-wood stools.
Bedrooms
Four of the bedrooms at Bendega Nui have lovely open views across the luxuriant rice fields of Canggu, while the large and very private fifth bedroom has sliding doors opening onto a private garden area. The villa can accommodate 10 adults in three king-bedded rooms and two twin rooms (which can both convert to king-bedded rooms). There is capacity to add three more foldaway beds for children if required, and a privately enclosed one-bedroom suite between Bendega Nui and neighbouring Bendega Rato creates an optional sixth bedroom. All bedrooms are air conditioned, generously sized, tastefully furnished, and have ensuite bathrooms.
Purple room (master pavilion)
Accessed by steppingstones across a garden pond, the first master bedroom is housed in its own pavilion at the front of the gardens and overlooking the rice fields. This room is private, peaceful and perfectly placed. A canopied, four-poster, king-size bed facing a private terrace is the focus of the room. Behind the bed is a large, walk-through dressing area. At one end of the vast ensuite bathroom is a sunken double bathtub, while, at the far end, is a spacious shower area. A door at the side of the bedroom leads out to the pool and gardens.
Orange room (upstairs master)
In this upper-floor bedroom, a centrally placed four-poster king-size bed looks out onto a private terrace with daybed that, in turn, overlooks the gardens, pool and rice fields. Behind the bed, a dressing area leads through to the large ensuite bathroom where a super-size bathtub looks over the gardens at rear of the villa. Adjoining the bedroom is a study equipped with a laptop computer and printer for guest use.
Green room (upstairs master)
The Green room, also furnished with a king-size four-poster bed, looks out over a ‘wall’ of sliding glass doors that open onto a balcony furnished with a colourful daybed shared with the twin room next door. The large bathroom is fitted with a shower area and bathtub with views of the ocean.
Turquoise room (upstairs twin)
Bendega Nui has been designed with families in mind and this twin-bedded room, with its cheerful turquoise accessories is ideal for children (the beds can be easily converted to a king size if preferred). This bedroom also features a 37-inch flat screen TV. The ensuite bathroom has a spacious walk-in shower and double wash basins.
Black & White room (downstairs twin)
Tucked away in a peaceful corner of the gardens is the Black & White bedroom pavilion, with its own sitting area, twin beds which can be effortlessly converted to a king and three sets of sliding glass doors open onto the gardens. The pièce de resistance here is the huge river-rock tub, which appears to float at the centre of a fishpond in the decadent indoor/outdoor ensuite bathroom.
