Earlier this year we were lucky enough to be invited to Bali to photograph and stay in some of Bali’s most luxurious and private villas. Below is Villa Bumi – Hilary’s personal favourite, for it’s vibrant style and gorgeous location.

From the moment we landed in Bali we were blown away by the hospitality of our hosts, we were picked up from the airport and arrived at the villa to find the fridge full of groceries, spicy chilly noodles for dinner and frosty Bintangs – exactly what we needed after a long flight! We were also provided with a local mobile phone – which was perfect for those days we ordered in food and spent the day by the pool.

Villa Bumi is a tropical retreat, surrounded by lush rice paddies and gardens it is a gorgeous place to unwind. Its secluded location is perfect for those who want to stay in Seminyak – without dealing with the hustle, bustle and traffic of the city. The whole villa embodies indoor-outdoor living. There is an outdoor shower and bath, the living room is entirely open, breezy and serene, overlooking the pool and tropical landscaped gardens. The modern dining room – for lazy breakfasts by the pool and we spent many afternoons on the rooftop sun lounges looking over the rice paddies and watching the sun go down.

Even though we ate at some amazing restaurants while in Bali the culinary highlight of our visit was a traditional Balinese feast cooked by Wayan (the Villa’s housekeeper) that included delicious dishes such as Ayam Betutu which for a small extra cost is well worth adding on to any stay.

Perhaps one of the most overlooked features of the villa is the amazing staff, every morning Wayan cooked us breakfast, cut up tropical fruit plates and cooked fluffy pancakes, omelettes and steaming cups of Bali coffee. If there was anything we needed Wayan would jump on her scooter to the deli or a restaurant and pick us up french croissants or a local lunch.

With 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and plenty of space for friends, this property is amazing value from $250 a night. Bookings can be made via The Bali Agent.