Villa Kudus, Canggu Bali

Photos courtesy of Villa Kudus

Escape to Canggu, Bali at the beautiful Villa Kudus.

Before this trip, my only memory of Canggu was of black sand, pebbles and a remote surfing beach somewhere on the coast in Bali. Many years ago I remember an early morning surf trip with my husband Fletch who loved to get up early and take a drive to some of the more secluded beaches in the area. There was not much else around at the time I don't think. About fifteen years on we returned with our two little mini surfers Mr 4 & mr 6 in tow and made the trip back to Canggu. This time we stayed in an absolutely gorgeous Villa called Villa Kudus, just a short two minute walk from local surf break at Berawa beach, five minute drive from Canggu central and far enough away from Seminyak to be peaceful, yet close enough if needed for shopping and dining at Ku de Ta or W Hotel. I love that this luxury Villa is surrounded by the real Bali, a few grazing cows, green open spaces and plenty of the beautiful green rice paddies that I just love. A quick late night swim and a deep bath and we were all set for a weekend of pure relaxation. 

The first thing I noticed when entering the Villa was the amazing antique Javanese timber everywhere. Sourced from the traditional wooden pavilions of the famous joglo-building region in Java, some over 150 years old. You look up and there is stunning ornate chandeliers, you look down and there is Oriental rugs, and then you look out and spot the gorgeous pool in the centre of the private Villa complex. With five bedrooms, this luxuriously appointed Villa took the owners over five years to create and furnish in true style. The selection of handpicked antiques and artworks from Asia and Russia give this place a charm that is so often lacking in big hotels. Despite the luxury detail, this Villa still remains very family friendly and relaxed. 

In the mornings we made the easy stroll down the Berawa beach for breakfast, but you can most definitely self cater or opt for the Villa Chef if you prefer - its really up to you how much or how little catering you need. Echo beach (6km by road or 25min walk along the beach) is a great spot for a family dinner on the beach, or a sunset Bintang. We also loved the relaxed dining at Cafe Canggu, a funky little place on the main road, good coffee, books, cool local artworks, home cooked food with a Latin twist and very family friendly with the meals and the service. Friends rave about the Betelnut Cafe nearby too. 

I would definitely recommend Villa Kudus for a relaxing family retreat, and it would be perfect for a few families to share given there is five separate rooms all with separate access, plenty of open spaces for the kids to play, 24hr security, as well as a large sitting room, TV room, library, state of the art kitchen and friendly staff as needed. I have some more photos of this trip and the finer interior detail that I would like to share soon too. The chandelier in the master bedroom and the ornate Javanese timber bed looking out over the the pool was my favourite feature. The boys loved the pool!

* I was a guest of Villa Kudus. 

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