Sanak Retreat, Bali, review: Escape the tourists

I longed to stay in the real Bali – a gazillion miles away from Seminyak with its boho waifs, soy latte set or try-hard yogis naval-gazing in Ubud. Don't get me wrong, I love that side of Bali and have done my fair share of it, but I was keen to reconnect with the true Bali. I wanted to see a farmer herding his flock of ducks, children flying a kite, a slender woman perched side-saddle carrying an offering for the temple by motor bike.

A friend of mine, a US expat who lives in Bali, said she knew of just the place, which is how I found myself being taken to a far-flung village in North Bali just as the smouldering sun slipped into bed. The drive was winding, through remote townships – one selling small cabbages, another only hydrangeas - and seemingly never-ending. We stopped briefly at the market at Bedugal where I was horrified to discover the fluffy baby rabbits in their individual cages were, in fact, not being sold as pets. Clearly I needed to get out more.

That night, ensconced in a handcrafted three-bedroom teak villa, I fall asleep to the croaking of contented frogs as fireflies dance in the night sky. As I pull open the curtains the next morning, I gape in disbelief. In every direction there is nothing but terraced emerald rice paddies, glistening under the morning sky. A lone farmer tends his field almost directly in front of my villa where a mosaic pool tiled in jade, turquoise and cobalt sparkles invitingly under the Indonesian sky. The scene is achingly beautiful and I'm transported back to when I saw Bali's terraced rice fields for the first time. A barefoot Balinese man, as thin as a whip, shimmied up a coconut tree and handed me the fruit to drink its sweet juice. In that moment I was hooked on Bali.

But like many Australians I'd lost touch with the authentic Bali – staying at hip villas and superlative resorts, which while decadent and thoroughly enjoyable, are removed from the culture, or offered a sanitised version at best.

The boutique Sanak Retreat Bali which was opened last year by French philanthropist Michele Gagnaire and others, is a chance to immerse yourself in the island's bucolic life and feels like the Bali I imagined no longer existed. The French founders work with Indonesian owner Pak Gusti, whom they befriended when visiting Bali for the first time in 2011. After spending time with Gusti and his family, the French co-founders decided to buy some land in the village of Kayuputih near the hill station of Munduk, which is famous for its coffee, cloves and cacao plantations, and where they believed was the ideal place to create the small retreat. They designed Sanak to be manageable for the Indonesian family to own and operate in the future once the business is sustainable. Subsequently, Sanak has a strong community ethos, which makes it an even more endearing place to stay – being everything but another typical hotel whose bottom line is profit.

The 10 one and two-bedroom teak bungalows and one three-bedroom villa, are designed for simple yet elegant living with vintage batik and an eclectic assortment of antiques and classic collectibles hand picked by Gagnaire, French interior designer Delphine Leon and Australian hospitality and spa adviser Jane Quinn. The result is old Indonesia meets modern-day eco comfort in accommodation designed to complement the natural habitat. Sanak also offers a paddy-to-plate restaurant with rice paddy vistas across the main patchwork pool so mesmerising you'll be hard-pressed concentrating on the refined traditional fare. Here the mostly organic menu, with the odd twist of comfort food, comes into play with all ingredients handpicked by Indonesian chef Putu and his enthusiastic team. Try the black rice pudding or the sesame-encrusted mahi mahi. With the owners and general manager being French, real French butter, croissants and moreish housemade bread is also on the menu.

Another highlight is the two-storey, chemical-free day spa with its simple, pared back design open to the elements. With a chorus of frogs and crickets there's no need for a soundtrack and male therapist Wawan delivers hands down one of the best massages I've ever had.