A peach-farming village in the Nanjing hinterlands may seem an unlikely locale for 21 ravishing private villas, but that is exactly where Balinese operator Kayumanis has opened its first China property. The incongruity is apparent from the moment you step off the train or plane in Nanjing. Amidst the drab throng at the arrivals gate are two smiling Balinese butlers dressed in breezy white linens ready to whisk you into a waiting vehicle for the 45-minute journey through China’s ancient capital and out into its rural reaches.

Private villas are currently all the rage in Bali, where Kayumanis has four properties. As leisure travel becomes increasingly mainstream, luxury hoteliers are eschewing high-occupancy family resorts, and building indulgent hideaways a sedate remove from the holiday hubbub. Kayumanis Nanjing is the group’s first foray into China, with another site being developed in the southwestern city of Guilin. The concept is likely to go down well in China where space and seclusion are a rare treat – not to mention moonlit nights and a soundtrack of nature noises from the forest.

Surrounded by ruddy fruit orchards and tea plantations at the foot of Tang Mountain in the hot spring zone, Shuizhuan Village offers a sense of bucolic idyll despite being just a short drive off the Shanghai-Nanjing expressway. In stark contrast to the garish Chinese hot spring resort nearby, the low-lying Kayumanis references the austere grey concrete walls and traditional Chinese tiled roofs of the surrounding hamlets. That’s of course where the similarities end. Each glass-encased villa is surrounded by a high-walled courtyard, in which you can exile yourself for the entire stay if you wish, with butlers on hand to do your bidding.

At 300-700m2, the one and two-bedroom bungalows are bigger than most local homes and blend open-plan Bali-style modernism with exotic Javanese antiques and indigenous detailing. There are six design themes, of which the casual black and white Balinese décor, and more elegant Peranakan suites are our favourites. All come with two flat screen TVs, a Bose stereo, well-stocked kitchen, big bathtub, and complimentary Wi-Fi and mini bar. Each landscaped courtyard also features a hot spring spa and 14-metre pool that infinity-dips into the forests of Tang Mountain, or what we hope will one day be a graceful lake vista but is currently a muddy dam with a few struggling saplings. For the time being we recommend a mountain-view room.

Days at Kayumanis begin with sunshine streaming through the wooden shutters as you buzz your butler for breakfast. By the time you’ve showered (inside or outdoors) and draped a yukata robe, the butler team will have laid your villa dining table with linen napkins, silver cutlery and your choice of breakfast items (banana pancakes, cinnamon toast and strong-brewed coffee, thanks). Later, sightseers can take the limousine into Nanjing city to tour the Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum, Ming Tombs and world’s longest city wall. Or, staying in the Tangshan region, you can hike into the hills or visit Chiang Kaishek’s former hot spring retreat, where natural spring water flows from all household taps. Most likely, you’ll just want to laze on a poolside lounger or indulge in a luscious massage and cinnamon body scrub at the Zen spa (Kayumanis is Indonesian for cinnamon, and the exotic spice springs up in everything from the spa treatments and bath products, to the cappuccino dusting and cinnamon quill pens by the bedside).

The new villa resort is full of promise, particularly as an easy escape for Shanghai and Beijing residents (Nanjing is two hours by bullet train from Shanghai and one hour and 40 minutes by plane from Beijing), but it has not been without its teething problems. Discerning travelers will notice a few goofs by sloppy contractors and the Chinese/Western ‘fusion’ restaurant needs fine-tuning. Still, for a weekend of low-key peace, pampering and muddy strolls in the countryside, it’s well worth considering rural Nanjing.