About Villa Mentari
The moment you drive past the guard house, the giant teak gates and the bridge spanning the river that cuts the property in two, you enter the luxurious and spacious world of Mentari, the largest villa in North Bali and perhaps in all Bali.
If you arrive at night, the bright glass-enclosed lights along the winding road will guide you to the entrance of the main house. If you arrive during the day, you will see that the drive follows the bend of a river that oftentimes rises within its stone banks with wildly rushing storm water. If you are fortunate enough to arrive very early in the morning and walk to the front of the Villa, you will see the day star hanging like a brilliant jewel over the shining crown of the main gazebo and soon the first rays of the sun shooting across the immense stillness of the Java Sea where only a few ancient Balinese fishing boats chug on the quiet water like some insects skimming on a blue pool. And soon fishermen will wade in the ocean and slowly pull their nets out of the water while old women will sit on the beach, murmuring around a dying fire. And soon the rays of the rising sun will bathe the foothills of the northern Balinese mountains in red and gold—and a typical Mentari day will have begun
The Villa is as beautiful a spot as one could find anywhere in Bali and all its diversities make it almost a world in itself. On the eastern side of its extensive circuit is a dense banana plantation; on the west, a high wall; on the south, the river and its wild reaches; and on the north, an unusually wide swath of black sand beach.
This very private, almost naturally enclosed property supplies its visitor with nearly all the verdure he might desire. There are magnificently landscaped gardens with coconut palms, flowering frangipani and bougainvilleas near the main house, fruit groves with papayas and bananas near the plantation, rubber trees near the guest bungalow, and near the river huge bamboo groves that seem to sweep the sky and whose far-reaching stems shelter a meditation boulder and a rendezvous spot with table and chairs. And throughout the property there are romantic walks and an arching teak bridge that somehow bring all these diverse gardens and groves together to form a harmonious whole.
The main house, with its enormous iron-wood roof, its massive black columns, white walls and large sliding glass doors, stands out from the other beachfront villas—even when seen from a distance at sea. The entrance hall with its soaring Balinese wooden ceiling, two winding marble stairs, its modern waterfall with goldfish pool, and grand crystal chandelier sets the tone for the rest of the house, combining striking avant-garde features with traditional Balinese motifs. The spacious living and dining room area (decorated with colourful abstract Dutch paintings, a grand piano, and great stone vases with bamboo stems) overlooks the brilliantly white stone terrace and slate-blue infinity pool. The white kitchen with black granite countertops has all the most modern appliances, including a built-in coffee maker. The two guest bedrooms on the ground floor have elegant teak furniture, floor-to-ceiling dressing areas and marble showers and toilet areas. They look out on the side and back gardens, while the master bedroom has a spectacular, unobstructed view over the water-lily and gold-fish pond, the gardens, the pool, the beach and the ocean. On the second floor there is a fully equipped office and fourth bedroom with stunning views of the grounds and the ocean, and a large balcony with a shallow pool and fountains.
But it is at night, when the house is fully lit, that it seems to come most alive with its grandiose modern architectural lines, emerald pool and brightly coloured canvases in the living and dining area. It is at this time that the Villa takes on the appearance of a magnificent modern gallery and the lights in the nearby gazebo and gardens heighten the magical serenity and beauty that are Mentari’s when darkness comes swiftly on and stars look down upon the Villa.
Thunderstorm (82 oF • 28 oC)