Vilas

Two bedrooms, two floors, and a pool you'll be in before you've properly dried off. Temples sits near the middle of Surfside, far enough in that the road noise drops away. Downstairs is one long open room. Kitchen at one end, dining table, lounge at the other, and glass doors that fold back so the whole thing runs straight out onto the terrace. Upstairs are the two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, both quiet. The numbers matter here, so here they are. 97 sqm inside. Around 77 sqm outside, split between an 18.9 sqm private pool, a terrace of 24 to 32 sqm depending on which villa you get, and a 17.5 sqm balcony off the upstairs bedroom. That is close to half the villa with no roof on it, which is the point. Most of the day happens out there. The kitchen is a real one. Fridge, hob, microwave, kettle, coffee machine, pots, plates, cutlery, drinking water. No oven. Enough to cook properly for four, or to get coffee going at 4:40am without waiting for anyone to open. Suluban is 250 metres away. The first hundred or so is the path, then the stairs, then sand. Board under your arm, no scooter, no parking. Board storage and a fresh water rinse are part of the stay. Four guests across two bedrooms works out around $58 each. Two couples, or four mates who would rather not share a room. There is a sofa bed in the lounge if someone turns up late. Reception runs 24 hours, housekeeping comes daily, and the golf cart will run you up to the warungs and back on the nights nobody feels like cooking.

Bommie is the one with more outside than in. Same two bedroom layout as Temples, same open downstairs, but the plot is wider and the outdoor space grows with it. 97 sqm indoors against roughly 102 sqm of pool, terrace and balcony. Only two of these exist and their terraces differ a little, so the total lands somewhere between 187 and 211 sqm. Downstairs the doors open along most of one wall. Kitchen, dining, lounge, then straight out to the private pool. Upstairs, two bedrooms with their own bathrooms and a balcony across the front. What you do with that much deck is up to you. A table for eight fits without crowding anything. So does doing nothing at all for three hours after a long session. The kitchen has a fridge, hob, microwave, kettle, coffee machine and everything you need to cook and eat. No oven. If cooking is not happening, our cook delivers to the villa, and there are good kitchens a few minutes away on foot or by cart. 250 metres to Suluban. Path, stairs, sand. Boards live in storage near the entrance and there is fresh water to rinse them on the way back up. Sleeps four across two bedrooms, plus a sofa bed downstairs. Around $62 a head. Reception is staffed around the clock, so a 2am landing is fine, and housekeeping comes every day. Best for two couples, or a group who want their own rooms and one big space to share in between.