Bali… Bucolic Bliss or Beach Bellini? He Said/She Said

Bali… Bucolic Bliss or Beach Bellini? 

The dream of buying a second home in Bali is a reality for many Australians, particularly retirees, people working in the Asia region and those with fly-in, fly-out jobs. 

One of our most popular destinations for a quick and cheap tropical getaway, Bali has a broad range of property options. But prices are not cheap anymore due to strong consumer demand driven by wealthy Indonesians (mostly from Jakarta and Surabaya), buyers from Australia and Europe, and Asian expats from Hong Kong and Singapore. 

During the past five years, Bali has become a major investment opportunity, especially for the luxury property market. Since early 2012 land prices have skyrocketed - particularly in Legian, Seminyak and Petitenget, thriving beachside lifestyle areas with a plethora of luxury villas, upmarket hotels, shopping boutiques, world-class restaurants, bars and clubs.

Given soaring prices around Seminyak, developers and villa buyers have looked further afield. Many moved north up the coast and also inland to areas such as Canggu, Tabanan and Tanah Lot, and in the other direction to Uluwatu, a windswept area on the island's most southern tip.

A report in The Guardian states: “Development can be seen pretty much everywhere along the southern coast, with old buildings bulldozed to make way for new commercial properties, among them glittering cafes and restaurant ventures to cater to the ever-burgeoning market of wealthy clientele.”

“In the upmarket beachfront Canggu area, Echo Beach is now home to an InterContinental hotel and the Sea Sentosa project, a resort that calls itself "the benchmark for unparalleled luxury", while a Sunset Road extension is planned to link the capital, Denpasar, with Bali's more western beaches.”  

Land prices also have surged around seaside Sanur (an area inhabited since the 1960s by bule, the Balinese term for foreigners) and the cultural mountain village of Ubud, known for its yoga retreats, art galleries and brilliant green rice terraces. According to research by Elite Havens, Ubud’s land prices increased by about 55% during 2012. 

There are a range of alternatives for structuring one’s property ownership in Bali, but that is a story for another day.

This week our property contrarians, Jonathan Chancellor and Margie Blok, choose their pick of villas for sale in Bali’s bucolic inland village regions and blissful beachside areas.

HE SAID:

I prefer Bali’s inland regions for the peace, privacy and traditional village life. For me, this is the real Bali. 

I enjoy waking to crowing roosters, the distinctive sound of gamelan music drifting across rice terraces at sunset, and the ubiquitous village religious ceremonies with temple dancers wearing elaborate head dresses, women balancing enormous offering baskets on their heads, and men carrying umbrellas for the gods. 

All this and more is on offer at a blissfully bucolic villa in the charming village of Buduk in the Canggu region. While it feels miles from nowhere, the beautifully appointed 450 square metre villa is a five minutes minute drive from the new hotel/restaurant precinct of Echo Beach, and 8 kilometres (or 25 minute drive) north-west of the trendy restaurant area of Seminyak.

Built four years ago, and renovated extensively last year, the villas stands privately on an elevated 1,460 square metre block with picturesque views of surrounding rice fields and a church spire in the distance.

There are three oversize double bedrooms (each with air-conditioning, bespoke joinery and a limestone ensuite) including the master suite with a separate room suited to an office or television/media room.

Honed marble floors and soaring vaulted ceilings are features of the enormous 20 metre x 7 metre living/dining zone with a custom-designed teak and terrazzo kitchen and bar at one end. Concealed behind the kitchen is second kitchen for staff and caterers. 

Outside are a 14-metre swimming pool and a luxuriously appointed open-air living/entertainment “bale” with bespoke cabinetry and glorious views. Other features include staff quarters, a double carport, guest parking and a koi pond. 

The property is for sale at US$895,000 through Adrian Savage at Bali Select Property.

Margie Blok's choice is on the next page. Please click below.

SHE SAID:

It’s the beach for me - but not busy tourist precincts or seaside villages that take hours to reach by car.

I love Bali’s East Coast. In particular, the quiet coastal village of Saba, 15 minutes drive from Sanur, 30 minutes from the airport (via the new Benoa bypass road), 20 minutes from Denpasar and 40 minutes from Ubud.

The Saba property I would buy (if I had US$4 million to throw around) is a magnificent 5,000 square metres beachfront estate with approximately 70 metres of beach frontage, and a superb five-bedroom villa compound consisting of two dwellings that combine Bali’s traditional elements with western luxury. 

Approached by a scenic drive through rice fields, the property is at the end of very long paved driveway/private road. Surrounded by manicured gardens with vast level lawns and a sparkling swimming pool measuring 18 metres by 7 metres, the two-storey main residence has an enormous master bedroom suite (with a dressing room and stunning bathroom) on the upper level. 

At entry level are an impressive entrance foyer, vast open-plan living and dining areas (flowing to the grounds outside), a large modern kitchen, two bedroom suites (with beach views) and a beautifully appointed guest bathroom. 

Also in the grounds is a spacious wantilan (an outdoor meeting and entertainment pavilion used for lounging and dining) with a bathroom and a kitchen. 

The second dwelling is a self-contained guest house with a living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom. 

Certain to appreciate in value given its size and beachside location, the 5,000 square metre estate includes staff quarters and a 2,000 square metre parcel of vacant land which the owners have kept undeveloped as a green belt for absolute privacy.  The 2,000 sqm parcel could be developed or sold separately.

Since Bali property prices skyrocketed, it is impossible to find a beachfront property of this size with such close proximity to Sanur. When you consider the cost of land in this premium beachfront precinct, you are practically getting the house for nothing in the property’s US$4 million price.