Cosy, central and very, very private are the three adjectives we’d use to describe Villa Sea. For one couple, two couples or a family of four this represents great value for money considering the location. You literally cannot get any more central than this. It’s

The kitchenette is good for preparing the occasional simple meal and the Casa Gourmet supermarket next door makes this option easy and attractive. After watching the sunset from the beach we had an evening in for a change and enjoyed a good pasta and a bottle of red by the pool. The beckoning restaurants will probably win most of the time, however, and you'll be spoiled for choice with the numbers of fine establishments within walking distance.

Villa Alang Alang is charmingly Balinese and is a rare find in this fast developing area. The open living areas and a lush garden full of palm trees around the pool provides an authentic Balinese experience, yet still right in the heart of Seminyak. We loved it but not everyone

If you’re looking for a villa in Seminyak, chances are you’re hoping to find one that’s got a great central location within strolling distance of a choice of restaurants, shops and bars. Villa Alice 2’s situation just a two-minute walk to Jalan Laksmana

We liked that having the living and sleeping areas divided across the tropical garden meant that in the evening, anyone retiring early will hear little noise from the lounge. The fact that the garden is enclosed and that the swimming pool has a shallow paddler-friendly section makes the villa especially suitable for families looking for a central base. A pool safety fence can be erected on request and baby cots are available. Each bedroom came with its own TV and DVD player (bedroom 1 also has cable) so that individual guests can escape and movie watch as they like.

We found the staff to be friendly and very helpful, and they left us to our own devices for much of the time. Since their working hours are from 8am until 4pm every day, we liked having the house to ourselves in the evening too; this arrangement works well for privacy-seeking couples. An American breakfast is cooked daily, and if you wish to pick a dish or two from one of the extensive take away menus they will help you to order lunch and dinner. Between the BaliEpicure fine dining menu (which we recommend) and the Hallo Bali magazine of numerous restaurants and cuisines there’s loads to choose from. You can also arrange for a cook to come to the villa for a fee. Otherwise, just head out and enjoy the amazing restaurants on your doorstep.

Villa Alice 1 couldn’t be better located if having a plethora of restaurants, shops and bars within easy reach are important considerations when picking your holiday villa. Aside from its fab location, Villa Alice 1 is also a wonderful place to escape the hustle and bustle

Couples will also find this villa much to their liking – although the staff are friendly and very helpful, they did leave us to our own devices for much of the time so it felt very private. Since their working hours are from 8am until 4pm every day, we liked having the house to ourselves in the evening too. An American breakfast is cooked daily, and if you wish to pick a dish or two from one of the extensive take away menus they will help you to order lunch and dinner. Between the BaliEpicure fine dining menu and the Hallo Bali magazine of numerous restaurants and cuisines there’s loads to choose from. We picked dishes from Lemongrass – a Thai restaurant – and they weren’t bad at all. You can also arrange for a cook to come to the villa for a fee. Otherwise, just head out and enjoy the amazing restaurants on your doorstep.

What a wonderful villa! Apsara offered us plush comfort, an excellent chef and a wonderful riverside location all within easy reach of Bentota’s long sweep of beach. We enjoyed the company of the staff who always greeted us with a smile and made us feel so welcome. The chef,

There’s a wall-mounted DVD and Blu-ray disc player in the living room (loads of DVDs) and a surround-sound music system with iPod dock set up so you can hear your favourite tunes inside or by the pool. There’s also a good WiFi connection throughout the villa so you can easily get online if you bring your own kit.

Apsara has its own private jetty and is well connected with a locally renowned water sports outfitter who can come and pick you up from the villa in their boat. There’s a good supermarket just up the road from the villa that stocks loads of imported goods and the fresh produce market is right on your doorstep too. The staff will buy groceries for you though, and with such an amazing chef to feed you (and a wonderful menu) it’s unlikely you’ll be doing much more than ‘window’ shopping.

The unique interior décor of Villa Azzalea definitely gives it lots of character: we felt as if we’d been transported onto the set of a sultry Moorish movie, or perhaps a Bollywood blockbuster. Despite this exoticism however, the villa still felt very homely and was

A small staff team looked after the house, and friendly Made made us a lovely tropical breakfast each morning. He struggled a little with his English but since we only made simple requests this wasn’t a problem. Sister-property Villa Balquisse is up the road and this ten-bedroom hotel is the headquarters of all villa management operations so staff will come down to meet you and can easily be called upon if you have any specific requests – they are very helpful. There’s also the Mediterranean Asam Garam restaurant here (a driver can come and pick you up from the villa or deliver dishes to you) and, for a full pampering, the Henna Spa. Both are decorated in Zohra Boukhari’s iconic Moorish–Oriental style. If you’d like your taste buds pampering too, you can arrange for a private chef for just US$20 a day.

Although we were only on a short break, we would happily have stayed longer at Bacaya if only for the deserted beach and delicious pool. The roadside location caused initial concern, but once ensconced and surrounded by tropical greenery looking out over the untroubled bay, the

Bacaya was clearly built as an alternative to hotel accommodation and in that respect more than lives up to requirements. The main living and dining area resembles a studio apartment. Everything is close to hand, with additional benefits such as a fully equipped kitchen and standing fridge freezer that we quickly stocked from the local supermarket as a value substitute for the in-room facilities provided by hotels in a similar price range. The full-time maid prepared a fine daily breakfast and was a mine of local information despite limited English. She was more than happy to help with provisioning (everything from sunscreen to electrolyte), so the absence of more full-time staff was never a cause for complaint.

With a varied choice of restaurants and bars within walking distance, it would be easy to hit the town every night. For pleasant evenings in, we found the garden gazebo proved an ideal spot for extended dinners, while late night dips in the private pool added to the joy. Although the master suite outshines the smaller guest bedroom, both are comfortable with plenty of space to make them your own. Bacaya is not a choice for large families or gatherings, but certainly a great place for couples or small families to get away from it all without completely cutting off from the island's diversions.

Garden Villa II at Bahagia Park is the most sizeable one-bedroom Bali villa we have seen to date. The indoor and outdoor living spaces are large, the furnishings are comfortable and the villa has a great western-style kitchen. This isn’t a fully staffed villa – so

Garden Villa II is peaceful and charming; the furnishings are comfortable and it has a great Western-style kitchen. We arrived at Garden Villa II on a sweltering November afternoon and jumped straight into the pool to relax and cool off.