Sira Beach House

Anticipation builds as you travel the winding road along Lombok’s north-west coast, through tiny villages and past quiet beaches lapped by the bluest of seas. Bali’s mountains rise up from the horizon and the gorgeous Gili Islands lie just off shore.

Five acres of lawn and coconut palms provide complete peace and privacy at Sira Beach House, blurring the distinction between beach and garden. Water lilies float on a reflection pond bordered by cool walkways that connect the living and dining pavilions. These lovely open-sided rooms boast vaulted thatched roofs supported by stout stone columns. A charming dining balé with Moroccan-style seating ‘floats’ on the lily pond and a comfortable media room with a projector screen sets the scene for movie nights.

Six secluded bedrooms are arranged in pairs throughout the grounds; two in the garden pavilion, two in the beach pavilion, plus a master suite and neighbouring twin room set close to the beach. All bedrooms have stunning views from their timber terraces or pretty courtyards and large bathrooms that include garden showers for that open-air, tropical bathing experience.

With its shallow beach, calm sea and acres of play space, Sira Beach House is exceptionally well suited for families. Apart from the 18-metre pool, there’s a private tennis court and croquet pitch, canoes, a good range of children’s equipment, toys and games and a fantastically friendly team of staff who love nothing better than a game of football at the end of the afternoon. Among them is also an excellent chef who prepares a delicious range of local and international dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The villa’s large, well-equipped kitchen can also be used for cookery classes.

And there’s no shortage of activities to enjoy beyond the villa either. A car and driver is available to take guests sightseeing around this beautiful corner of Lombok; snorkelling and diving adventures can be had around the Gili Islands, and the championship Kosaido Lombok Golf Course is almost next door.

All six charming bedrooms at Sira Beach House are designed in traditional Sasak style, and feature river-rock exterior walls, sliding bamboo screens, timber floors and high, thatched ceilings. All rooms are equipped with ceiling fans, air conditioning, mosquito nets, safety deposit boxes and hairdryers. Timber decks, furnished with teak planter chairs, look out over the palm groves and beach.

Set almost on the sands of Sira Beach, the villa’s master bedroom has beautiful views across the Lombok Straits. These views can be enjoyed right from the king-size four-poster bed or from the terrace. The master suite has a small library area to one side, which can be set up with a child’s cot or single bed. To the other side of the room is a walk-in dressing room and a large ensuite bathroom with a freestanding stone tub, twin basins and a romantic outdoor shower.

Next to the master suite, creating an ideal family enclave, is a twin bedroom furnished with two large four-poster beds fashioned from bamboo. Screens slide back on two sides of this room to reveal the garden views and a private deck. The ensuite bathroom features a walk-in closet and has both outdoor and indoor areas.

These two bedrooms are situated close to the living pavilion overlooking the coconut grove to the side of the villa. Accessed via a private courtyard garden, both rooms feature sitting areas furnished with sofas that can be converted to single beds. These bright king-bedded rooms are adorned with vibrant textiles and carved antique chests. The ensuite bathrooms are fitted with freestanding stone tubs and outdoor showers.

Screens at the front of the two beach pavilion bedrooms open onto a wide timber deck with fabulous views through the coconut palms to the beach. King-size bamboo beds form the rooms’ centrepieces and elegant rattan daybeds encourage time with a good book, cooled by the sea breeze. Antique kimonos and Indonesian textiles decorate the walls. In the bathrooms are freestanding stone tubs and built in dressing tables, as well as indoor/outdoor showers that open to a private garden area.