Ametis Villa Bali ★★★★★

The sumptuous Ametis Villas are situated in the sleepy fishing village of Canggu, surrounded by terraced rice paddies and rugged coastline. This is the traditional Bali, away from the crowds of tourists and flashy resorts. An area steeped in local tradition with a peaceful, identifiable spiritual tone.

The layout of the complex mirrors an intimate Balinese community with private villa compounds and dedicated areas for social interaction. Scattered throughout the lush tropical gardens of the complex, guests will find 14 private villas made from local wood and brought into the 21st Century with sleek finishes in glass and metal.

Kitted out with customised Balinese furnishings, wood carvings and traditional artwork, each villa sits within a spacious landscaped compound and incorporates integrated living and dining areas. Here, indoor and outdoor areas seamlessly blend together, so that you can no longer tell where the villa ends and the garden begins.

As well as fully equipped kitchens, where you can learn to cook up Indonesian feasts from ingredients you pick up at the market, the villas feature large bedrooms and en suite marble bathrooms. Everything in your compound is so private and secluded, that the oversized baths even face glass walls looking out onto the tropical garden.

Each villa also comes complete with all the latest in technology- think home entertainment systems with over 250 films to choose from, iPods and docking stations, wireless internet connection, flat screen TVs with satellite channels, and, of course, air-conditioning.

At the heart of each villa lies a private swimming pool, which can be accessed from any room in the property - the perfect space for relaxing, unwinding and recalibrating mind and body. This is escapism at its best.

You may have your own private space, but Ametis Villas also provides all the luxuries of a boutique hotel – a restaurant, spa and personal butler service. Offering the very highest level of service, your butler will prove invaluable but discreet, anticipating your every need and fulfilling your wishes. As well as turndown services and market shopping, your butler can also arrange various experiences to enhance Balinese experience – trekking, cycling, visits to the rice fields of Canggu or even cooking you a home-style garden barbecue at your villa and providing you with a gourmet picnic to take to nearby Canggu Beach.

Another place to experience authentic Balinese cuisine is the Eternal Restaurant, which offers laid-back dining in a tropical ambiance. Fresh ingredients are brought in each morning from the surrounding farms and seafood markets and the restaurant even has its own kitchen garden, where the all important Indonesian herbs and spices are grown.

Treat yourself to more indulgence at the Ruby Spa; you can’t possibly have a proper South East Asian break without one. In treatment rooms decorated with natural stone, wood and exotic orchids, guests are offered therapies dedicated to Zen healing and wellness practices. Here ancient rituals and natural herbs are used to help soothe mind, body and spirit.

More chilled out relaxation can be enjoyed in the Lounge, a tranquil communal space set high up in the canopy, like an oversized tree house. In the daytime it’s a space for reading, playing games or sampling the delights of afternoon tea, while at night it’s the perfect spot for relaxing with a pre-dinner cocktail or late nightcap before bed.

At Ametis Villas you’ll be able to experience the real Bali and see how the island used to be: paddy fields, bamboo huts and natural beaches, yet with that extra splash of opulence and comfort thrown in.