Villa Taman Sorga

Villa Taman Sorga

The majestic 6-bedroom residence known as ‘Taman Sorga’, meaning ‘Heavenly Garden’ is located just five minutes’ walk from the beach in the historical village of Sanur on Bali’s southeast coast. Resting on 3600 square metres of land in a magnificent tropical garden, this luxury Bali rental villa can sleep up to 12 guests. It is comprised of a main two-storey house furnished with Indonesian antiques, a contemporary styled two-storey guest wing, a traditional Balinese Wantilan living pavilion, a state-of-the-art gourmet kitchen, an indoor/outdoor dining room, a gym, a pool house, and a 17-metre freeform swimming pool. All bedrooms have audio visual facilities, water is solar heated and WiFi is accessible throughout. The villa has been featured in numerous architectural magazines and books showcasing 'Contemporary Balinese' luxury lifestyle, and is perfect for weddings, events and entertaining. It is ideally suited to large families or discerning groups of friends looking for space, grandeur, comfort and privacy with close access to the shops, restaurants and beach.

Main House

The main house is a two-storey pavilion, roofed in alang-alang thatch, comprising two double bedrooms and one single bedroom, a wrap-around terrace on the second floor, an open-air living room on ground level, an office and a wine cellar. The architecture and antique furnishings showcase the old Bali style – eclectic, historic and romantic.

On the ground floor terrace is an open air living room, heralded by Balinese welcome statues and furnished with a sofa, three armchairs and an opium table. This is a very peaceful place to sit with the sound of running water from the various ponds and water features.

The downstairs, air-conditioned master suite features a timber floor, a king size canopied four-poster bed, a traditional Kartini sofa, and beautiful antique carved Javanese doors. It is equipped with a TV and DVD player. The splendid ensuite bathroom is long and narrow, complete with a glass roof. At one end is a toilet and bidé behind carved Balinese doors, while at the other end an archway opens into a walk-in circular marble space with a shower. There are also twin washbasins and mirrors in carved frames.

A staircase leads up to the air-conditioned master bedroom under a soaring roof. The room is furnished with a regal pair of queen-sized beds resting within an antique four poster Balinese ‘bale’ pavilion, which comes from a palace in Singaraja and was originally used for ceremonies. A carved griffin stands guard upon the canopy, and a scene from The Ramayana Hindu epic is depicted in coloured paintings on the headboards. There is also a walk-in closet, and a 42” TV and DVD player. The ensuite bathroom is fitted with a large glass-walled walk-in shower, twin marble washbasins, and an ornate elephant-themed mirror from Thailand. Steps lead up into a large sunken bathtub and there is also an old apotik chest. Louvre doors from the bedroom open onto a broad wooden balcony, positioned on two sides with gorgeous views of the garden, and furnished with a carved daybed and a lazy hammock for truly chilling out.

Guest Wing

The guest wing is situated away from the main house on the opposite side of the swimming pool. This two-storey building is characterised by colonial-inspired modern architecture with an ironwood shingle roof, a colonnaded covered terrace and a wide upper balcony running the length of the building. The rooms are spacious and light with high ceilings, polished tiled floors, contemporary furnishings and a cream and white décor. This wing can comfortably accommodate up to six guests in its three air-conditioned bedrooms. The air-conditioned studio can sleep up to two people if required. The terrace is punctuated with modern Balinese statues.

The master bedroom in the guest wing is furnished with a king bed and a daybed, a desk, chairs, and an ottoman. It is equipped with a TV and DVD player and surround sound, an iPod dock and a safe deposit box. Adjacent is a large dressing room with loads of storage and hanging space, and the ensuite bathroom in cream marble is fitted with a large Jacuzzi bathtub, positioned centrally, twin washbasins, a bidé, a toilet, and a state-of-the-art Appollo massage shower, incorporating a multi-positional overhead shower, a handheld shower, and eight hydro-massage body jets.

The second bedroom is very similar, in the same décor with a king bed, a dressing area at the back, and a cream marble bathroom with an Appollo massage shower.

Additionally, there are two twin rooms, both with beds that can be pushed together to make a double bed. Each has an ensuite marble bathroom with a small tub, twin washbasins and a massage shower. All bedrooms are equipped with safes, iPod docks and audio visual facilities.

The studio is a comfortable and casual sitting room in the same cream and white décor, ideal for parties with two sitting areas furnished with coffee tables, red and cream rugs, a large antique cupboard, and segmented sofas that can be made up as beds. It is equipped with a TV and DVD player. The adjoining cream marble bathroom is fitted with a shower and twin washbasins. The studio can be converted to a 7 bedroom, if required.

Wantilan
The living pavilion is a stand-alone classic building constructed to the exact specifications of an ancient and traditional Balinese ‘Wantilan’ (village meeting place) with a high, two-tiered roof supported by gilded wooden pillars that were handcrafted by a village of carvers. Ideal for entertaining, this grand room features a parquet floor completed with oriental rugs, and is furnished with comfortable upholstered sofas and occasional tables. It is equipped with a 42” TV, DVD player and surround sound and is fitted with glass doors on three sides that can be folded back for open air living or closed for air-conditioned comfort.

Dining Pavilion
The dining pavilion is linked to the kitchen via a wooden bridge over a fish pond. It is comprised of two distinct areas offering guests a choice of two very different dining experiences. One is a formal indoor dining room, presented in classic Balinese style, with a hardwood floor, a soaring alang alang thatched roof and carved Balinese doors. It is furnished with a table for twelve under a colonial chandelier. This room can be closed and air-conditioned, or the sliding glass doors can be open to the verandah.

The more casual, alfresco dining verandah is sheltered by a roof and cooled by a fan. The elevated wooden floor is furnished Thai style with cushions and a low antique table for eight, suitable for dining or perhaps for playing cards. There is also an additional circular table with four chairs.

Pool House
The pool house is an open air pavilion with an elevated polished timber deck and two sitting areas. It is furnished with daybeds and lamps, while Balinese doors lead to a washroom with a shower. There is also an open air pool shower. The second sitting area is on a covered deck under a pitched roof that extends to a pergola roof. A cane suite with yellow and white striped cushions adds a splash of colour and comfort against a smooth Batu Yogya stone wall.

Gym
The gym is a self contained building with glass sides, adjoining a wash room and shower. It is equipped with air-conditioning, a treadmill, multi-gym and TV.

Kitchen
The large air-conditioned kitchen is a chef’s dream. Super deluxe, high tech and professionally equipped with absolutely everything necessary for catering for large numbers of quests, it has two ovens and two hobs with a total of nine gas burners, as well as wine coolers and a dishwasher. There is a central island, and work surfaces fashioned in black granite. There is also a pantry, and a day dining area within the kitchen, which is an ideal place for feeding kids under the supervision of nannies.

Swimming Pool and Garden
The lagoon-style swimming pool was designed to weave around the existing mature trees, ensuring that none had to be felled during its construction. It is traversed by a romantic hump backed bridge, and bordered by a stone deck furnished with a table, six chairs and an umbrella. The garden is characterised by rambling pathways, streams, hedges, ponds, water features and stone carvings, and is planted with an astonishing collection of trees and flowering shrubs, including towering coconuts palms and regal travellers’ palms. It is easy to lose oneself in the garden and kids love it. The lawn is large enough for outdoor cocktail parties and receptions. A marquee is available and there is also a barbeque. There is a secure car park at the entrance to the property, as well as a separate staff and service entrance beside the staff house, with access to another road.

Location
The village of Sanur is typified by shady lanes, vine-draped coral walls, sedate leafy compounds, majestic trees and a five-kilometre shoreline within a gentle reef-sheltered lagoon. The ambience is mellow, restful and cosmopolitan. Foreign visitors rub shoulders with the locals, chic fashion shops are bordered by traditional markets, and a plethora of hidden temples can be found squeezed in between art galleries and highly touted restaurants. Swimming is safe, and surfers can take a boat out to the nearby reef. Water sports include catamaran sailing, scuba diving, snorkelling, fishing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and wakeboarding. Villa Taman Sorga is just twenty-five minutes drive from Bali’s international airport, forty minutes from the cultural town of Ubud, twenty minutes from Sukawati art and handicraft market, and twenty-five minutes from the restaurants, shops and nightlife of Kuta and Seminyak. The recent construction of the Sanur-Kusumba by-pass, positions Sanur within easy driving distance of most of Bali’s tourist attractions. Chauffeur or self-drive services are available at extra cost.