The ethnic villas at Alindra Villa: A showcase of traditional Indonesian architecture

In my recent review of Alindra Villa, I basically gushed about how beautiful and relaxing this place is in the lovely island of Bali, Indonesia. There I mentioned that the property is zoned into three distinct areas: the front compound where their ethnic villas stand, the Terracotta compound housing their more modern rooms and suites, and the back compound where their three modern pool villas are.

I took a ton of photos but I couldn't use them all in my review, which in itself is already brimming with pictures. So I thought of dedicating two separate posts to show you their different accommodation options. This first one is all about their ethnic villas.

The front compound where Alindra's four ethnic villas stand.

Alindra Villa is the brainchild of an Indonesian architect and painter who has a profound love for antiques and traditional architecture. Employing his vast collection of antique wooden Indonesian homes, he reinterpreted these traditional abodes and fitted them with modern comforts. And so his four ethnic villas were born.

Now all this rebuilding from collected antique pieces reminds me of yet another collector of traditional houses--in the Philippines this time--who acquired various colonial-era houses, dismantled them, and then carefully reassembled them into what now is Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.

Ethnic I
This was where we stayed, an impressive structure with 120sqm of space. I'm no expert but from my understanding, this villa was built in a joglo style, a traditional Javanese house characterized by a four-pillar mainframe at the center with which several other beams and components intersect. The four pillars of this joglo all look up to an intricately carved ceiling built from an original Balinese wantilan (meeting pavilion).

There is another joglo with an equally impressive ceiling in the compound but it has been designated as a common area for tea or simply for lounging. That said, no other villa at Alindra has a joglo or any such ceiling.

Intricate carvings everywhere; this is Ethnic I's main door.

Ideal for couples, Ethnic I has stone walls, lots of wooden beams and carved components, and a really high ceiling. But inside is a king-size bed right smack at the center plus familiar modern comforts you'd find in any other hotel (or maybe not) like a fridge, TV, and a DVD/CD player with surround sound.

The bathroom is an open-air space replete with a bidet and a jacuzzi. The shower area is outside but the walls are high enough to ensure your privacy.

Ethnic II
This is a two-story structure that stands right next to our villa. Its base is made of stone but it's dominated by wood. I actually think it's pretty close to what old Philippine houses look like, that is until you notice the intricate sandstone and wood carvings, or even the distinct roofing.

Something close to colonial-era Philippine architecture.

Ethnic II is designed as a traditional Minahasa house fused with Balinese influences. With a total floor area of 175sqm, it has a front porch and an open kitchen next to it, an intricately carved main door, and a warm and cozy brick-walled main living area inside. There are two bathrooms, one on the ground floor and another one upstairs.

This villa would be perfect for a vacationing family.

The front porch and that impressive main door. To the left is the open kitchen.

The open kitchen.

The warm and cozy main living area.

Another view of the living area. The door on the left leads to the bathroom.

A peek into the ground floor bathroom.

It's all wood on the second floor. There's another living area and a balcony, and two bedrooms, a master with a queen-size bed and another with a single bed. It's pretty much a house in here.

The second floor of Ethnic II.

The other living area. The door on the left opens up to the balcony.

The smaller of the two bedrooms.

The other, bigger bedroom.

Lovely cabinet right there.

TV, fridge and all other modern comforts are pretty much the same as in Ethnic I. This villa fits three but I believe arrangements can be made to set up additional beds, what with all that space.

Ethnic III
Built after a typical hut from the Makobang tribe of Manado, this villa has two bedrooms with one having a queen-size bed and the other a single bed. There's also a daybed next to the main living area inside.

The Ethnic III facade looking out to the pool area.

The back porch. Very homey, don't you think?

Ethnic III has two porches; one that looks out to the pool area of the compound and a back porch that leads to an open kitchen and dining area. There are also two bathrooms here.

This gorgeous set of carved wood pieces greet guests upon entering the front door.

The main living room area.

The main living area from another angle, with the daybed in view. This could actually serve as another bed space.

The master bedroom.

A peek into the other room.

A look at one of the bathrooms.

Amenities are again the same as the other two villas and Ethnic III can fit three people although I believe that daybed can accommodate one more. Total floor area here is 105sqm, making it the smallest of the four villas.

Ethnic IV
Unfortunately I wasn't able to take a look inside this villa as it was occupied at the time. From the looks of its exterior, it shares a few similarities with Ethnic I. It's a bit bigger, though, at 125sqm but instead of a joglo, it's designed after saka roras with twelve pillars that all complement each other in supporting the building.

The Ethnic IV villa from the outside.

This villa was actually built from a rescued 100 year-old Balinese family house from Nusa Dua. It now has two queen-size beds inside, and an en-suite bathroom with a separate outdoor shower area (similar to Ethnic I, I assume). Ethnic IV can probably accommodate up to four people, although two is the standard.

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Next up I'll show you the more modern sections of Alindra Villa. And thank you to Firmalan for showing us around.

Also check out:
>REVIEW | A wonderful Balinese experience at Alindra Villa
>Alindra Villa's Terracotta rooms and pool villas: An attempt at fusing traditional with modern