Outdoor living
The fragrant landscaped garden at Villa Belong Dua is characterised by mature trees, a velvety lawn and open skies, and is planted with coconut palms, frangipani, lemon and mango trees, pineapple plants, ginger and lemongrass. It is surrounded by a rustic wall crafted from crushed Paras stone applied by hand and unpainted. A Balinese temple shrine sits in the northeast corner.
The dazzling 20 x 4 metre swimming pool is the garden’s central feature. The slate-lined pool is presided over by a Buddha head statue; it presents a separate shallow section for children and is bordered by a Candi stone deck furnished with one double and two single Sunbrella sun beds. An outdoor pool shower is thoughtfully provided here.
Resting beside the swimming pool is an antique bale gede from Bali’s Gianyar Regency: a traditional open-sided pavilion constructed using twelve wooden pillars which rest on Paras stone plinths and support a roof of radiating beam work crowned with alang-alang thatch. Furnished with two built-in timber beds, some step stools taken from an old sugar cane press and a prayer table, it’s a perfect spot for couples to enjoy a massage, or just relax with a good book.