I have been to Bali 9 times now and have always stayed in luxurious seaside hotels. This time I was travelling with a group and we decided to try a Villa, mainly to save money. I was a little apprehensive, but I can honestly say that after staying in Villa Raja I will never stay in a hotel again.

The villa overlooks the green rice paddies of Canguu, a traditional Balinese village away from the hustle bustle but conveniently close to Seminyak, where the best restaurants (try wonderful French cuisine at Warisan- one of Robert Deniro's favourite restaurants) and clothes shops are located.

One of the best things about the villa was the privacy. We had huge, gorgeous rooms, all with walk in robes and luxurious en suites, a large pool (with super fast slippery slide), opulent cinema all to ourselves! No fighting tourists for a nice, shady spot by the pool!

We also had three staff, who every day would feed us, do our laundry and clean our rooms, all inclusive in the price (which ridiculously) was lower than most resorts I've stayed in!

Villa Raja is also beautifully designed. Packed with antique furniture and building materials, it's a fabulous collection of Balinese design that has obviously taken many years to accumulate and has been put together by someone with an eye for luxury style and art.

Despite its traditional appearance the villa enjoys all of the western mod-cons, the whole place operates on a silver water processing system, so the water you shower in, swim in and drink from the tap is 100% safe. After many visits to Bali I have never experienced this. Even in the biggest resorts all water you contact cannot enter your mouth and this can be annoying- and dangerous! The huge cinema screen, sound system and wireless internet were also some high tech pleasures.

In the end it's the little things, befriending the Villa's pet turtle, feeding the giant fish, having a massage by the pool, that made it so special. It left the resort experience for dead.

If I had any criticism it would be the Villa's rock n' roll / new age CD collection, I'm more of a jazz girl myself, but next time I stay in Villa Raja I'll bring my I Pod!