Iskandar’s open-sided living room is on the villa’s uppermost floor, which makes it perfect for receptions, heralded by a fretwork Chinese-style screen and a Balinese gong. From the balcony at the front guests can survey the scene of the swimming pool and the sparkling river beyond. Adjacent to the living room is a pergola dripping with white-flowering thunbergia and surrounded on three sides by a fishpond with a bubbling urn as its centerpiece. Here, a small dining table and four chairs rests upon a wooden deck, which appears to float on a moat. A comfy sofa scattered with Chinese silk cushions, makes this a delightful space for watching movies on the 48-inch satellite channel TV and DVD player. A guest washroom is positioned to one side.
Villa Iskandar’s large dining room, furnished with a table for ten and decorated with elegant Chinese artwork and artefacts, offers the choice of a formal, air-conditioned dining experience (perfect for entertaining) or a more casual, open-air effect when the glass doors are folded open to the pool deck and the jungle view.
The ironwood pool deck is built around the curved contours of the 15-metre, infinity-edge swimming pool that looks out over the river valley. This magnificent outdoor area is furnished with sun loungers and an alfresco dining table for eight, and shaded by frangipani trees and tall fan palms, while a firebowl at the edge of the pool creates a romantic ambiance at night.
A spiral staircase winds down to a riverside deck, open to the sky and situated next to the studio bedroom. This magical spot is the perfect place to practice yoga or meditate to the murmur of the river.
