Villa Sapi
Location: Medana - Setting: Beachfront Villas - Price Range: From US$ 900 >Canadian architect David Lombardi’s concept of ‘Function over Form’ leaves Villa Sapi’s guests with a sense of discovery and surprise at every twist and turn, ranging from the traditionally styled, grass-roofed building that houses the main kitchen to a futuristic home theatre. Furnishings carry a signature colour theme of black, red and lime green, while the walls are adorned with flair – bamboo, water cascades and conceptual artwork. The first clue to the quirky nature of the artwork is a white sculpture in the coconut grove garden which, in huge black letters, suggests that we should ‘Stop Making Sense’.
A full team of staff is on hand at Villa Sapi to look after every guest’s need with superb cuisine and service. The villa’s manager, chef and head butler were all previously employed by The Oberoi Hotel Group so they have been trained to the highest level. A wide range of activities is available to villa guests, including golf, snorkelling, diving, waterfall hikes and mountain trekking, cycling, day trips to the nearby Gili Islands, cooking classes and more.
There is a sweet story behind the villa’s name. The huge coconut grove on which the property stands used to be grazing land for Lombok’s pretty brown cows, so the owners decided that these graceful beasts should be rightfully honoured: Sapi means cow in the Indonesian language.
Accommodation
Villa Sapi rests within an expansive coconut-grove garden and comprises a main single-storey residence with a 25m swimming pool and a children’s pool, plus a stand-alone guest pavilion with two more swimming pools, set well away from the main house. Also within the villa’s grounds are a floodlit tennis court and a lumbung (traditional rice barn) massage pavilion.
The main building is entered via a timber pathway, lined with fire torches. This leads past a feature wall of bamboo and a cascading wall of water. Running parallel to the beachfront, the main building incorporates the living and dining areas, kitchens, three of the five bedrooms, the study and the home theatre. The guest pavilion is built into a manmade hill capped with grass, and presents an open-sided sitting area and two bedrooms, one of which is semi-subterranean. Both are complemented by a deck and a private seven-metre swimming pool.
Bedroom 1
The master bedroom is accessed from the living room by an unusual swivel door. Cooled by both air-conditioning and ceiling fan, this spacious room presents a concrete floor and white walls adorned with artwork. The bedroom is furnished with a king bed with a coconut shell veneer, while floor-to ceiling glass windows look out over an ornamental pond against a backdrop of the garden and the sea. The ensuite indoor/outdoor bathroom presents three distinct areas, one of which contains cupboards, shelves and a twin vanity showcasing pieces of coral set in resin. The central section of the bathroom features circular glass skylights that channel the sunshine and the moonshine, a shower with four shower heads and a bathtub beside a picture window looking out towards the sea and the beach. Beyond this is an outdoor rain shower opening onto the garden.
Bedroom 2
This air-conditioned bedroom (also with ceiling fan) is ideal for kids or parents with a child. It is located off the living area in the main house, situated beside an ornamental pond. The wooden-floored bedroom is furnished with a wardrobe and swinging chair in addition to a king-size four-poster bed which has a useful trundle bed underneath. A private terrace, accessed from the bedroom, features a narrow deck topped with chairs beside a pond with garden views. The small bathroom is fitted with a resin-topped single vanity unit and an outdoor shower screened for privacy.
Bedroom 3
Situated off the living area in the main house and beside an ornamental pond, this air-conditioned bedroom (also with ceiling fan) has a wooden floor and is furnished with a king-size bed crafted in coconut shell with decorative white pebbles underneath, a wardrobe and a large table with a stool. A private terrace, accessed from the bedroom, features a narrow deck topped with chairs beside a pond with garden views. A sliding door opens to a small bathroom, which is fitted with a single vanity unit with colorful guitar plectrums embedded into the resin, and an outdoor shower screened for privacy.
Bedroom 4
There are two urban-chic air-conditioned bedrooms in the guest pavilion. One of these, on the same level as the sitting area, features polished concrete floors, walls and ceiling. It is furnished with a king bed, a desk and fitted wardrobes. Glass doors slide open to a sheltered wooden deck beside a private 7 x 5m swimming pool. The ensuite indoor bathroom has a tub facing the sea and a single vanity unit showcasing pieces of coral captured within its resin top. An outdoor ‘bamboo pipe’ shower opens to the garden.
Bedroom 5
A flight of stairs in the guest pavilion descends to a semi-subterranean bedroom which is shaped like a quarter-pipe with a steeply curved concrete roof. Despite its unusual situation, the room is filled with plenty of natural light courtesy of a wall of glass opening to a second private 7 x 5m swimming pool where sun beds rest on a timber deck. Furnished with a king bed featuring decorative white pebbles underneath, this air-conditioned bedroom has a huge walk-in wardrobe and a sitting area next to the glass doors. The ensuite bathroom has a tub facing the sea, a single washbasin and an alfresco poolside rain shower, sheltered by a roof and sheer white curtains.
Living and Dining
Villa Sapi’s living and dining areas are situated in the main open-fronted pavilion with its reddish-hued timber floor and massive timber-lined roof hung with pendulous rectangular lanterns. The sitting area is furnished with segmented sofas and ottomans (big enough to seat 22 guests) crafted in coconut shell veneer and finished with black and white cushions, with one token lime green cushion and one red cushion. The picture is completed with a huge piece of artwork and two arched stainless steel reading lamps.
The dining area is positioned adjacent to the kitchen at the opposite end of the main building. Here, an impressive wooden dining table is complemented by 14 cushioned chairs with black covers revealing a flash of scarlet.
The guesthouse features an open-sided flat-roofed sitting area with a concrete floor, six comfy chairs and a solid wood coffee table.
Kitchens
The villa presents two kitchens connected via a bridge over an ornamental pond. At the front, adjacent to the dining area, is a cutting-edge feature kitchen fashioned in white lacquer with a service bar crafted in resin and lit by three original ‘Campari Light’ suspension lamps. Designed by Raffaele Celentano, each lamp is made up of ten genuine Italian Campari Soda bottles in original condition complete with the Campari inside. This kitchen is equipped with a Nespresso coffee maker and a five-burner gas hob and oven.
Behind the feature kitchen, a bridge over a pond connects a stand-alone building reminiscent of a Lombok cottage – rustic and charming on the outside, with a thatched roof, a traditional Lombok double door, and random rock Lombok stone walls, yet a state-of-the-art working kitchen on the inside, fully equipped with professional appliances.
Media room
The home theatre appears to float upon a moat and showcases space-age architecture with a roof and two walls crafted in bamboo to resemble the caterpillar tracks of a combat tank or a bulldozer. With its two glass walls incorporating windows that swing open, and a heavy sliding door accessed via a step crafted from a solid piece of stone, this unique building features funky ceiling lamps, a polished concrete floor and ten beanbags – one in lime green and nine in red. A large flat-screen satellite-channel TV and DVD player is positioned at the far end of the room, with surround-sound channelled through speakers in each corner.
Study room
A ‘secret’ door from the living space opens into the study. This air-conditioned oval room has a wooden floor that slopes upwards into the room. Characterised by curved walls of white stone and glass, and with views of the garden, the study is furnished with a centrally positioned large desk and chair, and accessorised with funky lights, and black & white framed photographs. A concrete ‘funnel’ houses a small shower room with a circular glass skylight at the top, and supports a wooden spiral staircase on the outside, which leads up to the rooftop where a metal ladder drops back down to the living area. The study can be converted into an additional bedroom with a king-size bed installed if required.
Spa/Massage room
In the garden, a thatched lumbung (traditional rice barn), featuring ornate carvings and wooden shutters, serves as a fan-cooled spa room. It is furnished with two massage beds on the upper floor accessed by funky wooden steps. An open-air yet private washroom/shower room is positioned next to the lumbung, and its curved roof is planted with grass. The rustic shower is crafted from bamboo under the open sky.
Swimming Pool and Pool deck
The main 25 x 5m swimming pool rests between the beach and the main house. It is deep enough to dive into and has a springboard for that purpose. Sun loungers rest upon the grassy deck and a modern flat-roofed balé (relaxation pavilion) sits at one end. Running alongside the main pool is a shallow (80cm-deep) children’s pool. Two more swimming pools serve the guesthouse on two different levels both of them are bordered by small timber decks.
Garden
Dotted with dozens of towering coconut palms, the garden fronts onto the beach and is so huge that guests will have no problem escaping to private areas. A wooden structure in one corner of the grounds serves as an elevated, sheltered platform for watching tennis on the adjacent, floodlit court.
Dining
Chef Nengah discusses food and meal schedules with guests at the start of their stay. He then produces three gourmet meals per day (at the very reasonable cost of US$40 per day for adults and US$20 per day for children aged 2-11 years.): a full and hearty breakfast, a three-course lunch and a three-course dinner, plus afternoon tea and snacks. He is happy to accommodate likes and dislikes, special dietary needs, special requests and special diets, including children’s meals and low calorie options. Chef Nengah only uses the freshest vegetables and fruits, mostly harvested from Villa Sapi’s own organic garden or from the local market. Fish comes directly from the local fishermen. Poultry is raised locally and organically. Fresh beef and lamb are imported from Australia and New Zealand.
Guests can expect stunningly presented delicious servings of fresh fish, steaks or lamb chops with a colorful array of fresh vegetables; gazpacho soup; gourmet pasta dishes; local dishes such as pepes ikan (fish baked in banana leaf packages); Lombok prawn curry; Sate Ikan Tanjung, which originates from the neighboring village of Tanjung and features a satay of spiced tuna or snapper fish with an infusion of coconut milk and garlic, pressed onto a lemongrass skewer and grilled. Desserts include a wonderful chocolate fondant. Freshly squeezed fruit juices are always available at Villa Sapi, as well as other soft drinks, beers and a good range of imported spirits (served at cost price) – Mojitos are a specialty. Barbecues or pool balé dinners can be arranged with traditional dance entertainment.
Villa Sapi - Villa Rates
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- Rates
All rates are quoted in USD with the following benefits
- Airport pick up upon arrival
- 1 x dinner
- Free internet access
Rates do not include breakfast.
All rates are subject to 15,5% government tax & service charge. - High & Peak Seasons
High season period: June 1 - September 15, Chinese New Year and Easter Week.
Peak season period: December 15 - January 8.
Minimum stay: LOW season: 2 nights; HIGH season: 3 nights; PEAK season: 7 nights.
