Bali isn’t short on beautiful villas, but few have the kind of rooftop Airbnb Guest Favourite One Palm Villa has. Spanning the villa’s entire 100-square-metre footprint, right above the two bedrooms and open-plan living area, the roof looks out over surrounding rice fields and is particularly dreamy just before sunset, when it’s bathed in golden-hour light.
In one corner of the rooftop sits an outdoor shower and, at the other end, a swinging seat shaded by a large umbrella. In the late afternoons, when the sun would dip and the private pool below fell into shade, I’d head up the rooftop’s steep stairs, drag one of the three bean bags to the sunniest spot, and plop myself down, book in hand.
Other times, I’d sprawl across the L-shaped couch under the awning at the centre of the rooftop. Sipping cold water from the villa’s dispenser, I’d listen to the sounds of the island: distant scooter motors, rustling palm fronds and the occasional stray dog bark.
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I stayed at the two-bedroom, two-bathroom Uluwatu villa on my own for a week to review it. Despite being located just a 15-minute scooter ride from Single Fin and a few minutes off a main road, it felt genuinely secluded – which, for someone wanting an Eat, Pray, Love-style retreat in Bali, fit the brief exactly.
Secluded, but still completely safe, the property had a security camera outside its front gate as well as individual locks on both bedrooms and the main living space. Operations manager Kevin, who gave me a tour the morning after my late-night arrival, was also always just a WhatsApp message away. In Kevin’s detailed initial texts welcoming me to the villa, he’d explained that housekeeping visited on Monday and Thursday late mornings, though schedulling was flexible.
Staying in Bali? Check-in to One Palm Villa
This two bedroom villa in Uluwatu offers a rooftop spanning its entire indoor footprint, with an outdoor shower, lounge area and swinging seat.
Even if I’d been sharing the space with a friend or couple in the second bedroom (which also has its own ensuite, albeit smaller than the master’s), I’d still feel secluded – the bedrooms sit at opposite ends of the villa, separated by the central living area.
That layout also makes it a smooth setup for two couples or a family. In fact, with showers in both bedroom ensuites, one by the pool and another on the rooftop, four people could easily get ready at the same time without stepping on each other.
When I wasn’t hanging on the villa’s roof, I was in the pool or lounging next to it under the thatch overhang. At night, after a day exploring Uluwatu, I’d soak in the master bathroom’s standalone tub or organise my clothes – freshly-washed in the villa’s washer – in the wardrobe, which sat across from the double sinks in the master bathroom.
Because I was travelling solo and eating out, I didn’t make much use of the full kitchen, four-person dining table or the streaming setup in the sunken living room. Mostly, I used the space to refill my water glass, throw on a load of laundry and answer emails at the table, using the fast Wifi.
At roughly $276 per night, with a two- or three-night minimum stay depending on the season, One Palm Villa hit exactly what I wanted: a sense of feeling far away, functionality for a week-long stay and, thanks to that rooftop, a front-row seat to the best hour of the Bali day.
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