I always seek out accommodations, activities, and partners that support the local community - and that can be a challenge. That’s why I was so excited to find Sanak Bali Retreat.

In 2017, I was on the hunt for an accommodations partner in Bali for my series of retreats with Food Heaven, Koya Webb, and Lita Lewis. It was important to find a home base that would not only be great for us to unwind and focus on what each subject matter expert had to offer, but also one that was having a positive impact.

Sanak was founded in partnership with a local family and has had a mission to conserve the biodiversity and culture of the surrounding community from the very start. And, as you can see, it’s gorgeous!! The property has 11 handcrafted luxury bungalows with terraces, a restaurant and bar, a spa, and a patchwork pool. The 4-star accommodation is located in the remote countryside of northern Bali, surrounded by local farming villages. The setting is perfect for unplugging.

But before we get to that, let’s start with their programs and initiatives:

Social Initiatives:

Local Employment - 98% of their staff is from the region of Buleleng (North Bali), over 80% of them are from the local villages surrounding Sanak.
Education - They partner with the local primary school on educational programs and support the school with supplies.
Cultural - The local children’s dance group ‘tari rejang’ is supported by Sanak and they practice two times per week onsite for guests to enjoy or participate.
Training - Each year, Sanak sponsors up to 10 high schoolers and hotel school students for an internship program where they provide job training and development programs with the chance of finding permanent employment.
Pack for a Purpose - They are members of Pack for a Purpose which allows travelers to make a lasting impact in the community by bringing needed supplies.
Local Food Sourcing - 90% of the food is sourced locally from the immediate neighborhoods (meat, salads, vegetables, rice) and another 7% is delivered from other areas within the island.

Environmental Initiatives:

“Zero % Landfill” - Through avoiding, reducing, reusing, sorting and recycling they have created their own internal waste management system. Sanak is also a plastic free environment and works with suppliers to avoid any non recyclable containers or packing materials.
Recycling & Sorting Station - Sanak built a recycling and sorting station for the local community and created a “Bank Sampah,” a place where locals can bring sorted recyclables and get paid with the market price.
RefillMyBottle - In addition to the glass water drinking bottles provided for each guest they have water refill stations throughout the hotel and are part of RefillMyBottle, an app that lists 250+ refill stations on Bali where anybody can refill their bottles at no costs or just a small fee.
Soft Tourism - They strongly support soft tourism and offer activities like: walking tours to rice fields, coffee and cacao plantations; guided visits to a nearby waterfall and holy spring, where a Balinese Healer offers spiritual water blessings; Balinese drawing, dance and cooking classes; eco bricks building as well as kite flying and offering (“cacang sari”) making classes and spiritual water blessings.