The scenic Agung river and verdant rice terraces are the setting for Franti's "villa, retreat oasis and cafe." The first thing I notice, though, is the tranquility--especially striking after my short walk from Ubud, which is more overrun than ever by tourists since it was a primary setting in the film Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts. A pity, because it's still a cool town.

The moment I arrive I am given a cool glass of coconut water. Ahhhh, totally refreshing. I quickly find a vinyasa flow yoga class that's starting up in the a large open-air studio, and join in. Afterwards, I dip into the infinity pool before enjoying an organic salad with housemade muesli and organic local coffee, rich and dark. After that, I'm totally in the groove and the hours just seem to slip away.

A Taoist meditation class caps off my day's activities. It's time for sleep. I've been put in the Sunset Room, and indeed it's the perfect spot to witness the last glow of light. I'm told this is Michael's favorite room, and where he sleeps when in Bali, so I wonder how much he had to do with the decor. The teak headboard, dresser and wall ornaments all have carved depictions of the same thing. Is Franti a gecko freak?

Franti collaborated on the creation of Soulshine with a longtime creative partner, Carla Swanson. She's a filmmaker and editor who did many of Michael's music videos and his moving pro-peace documentary, I Know I'm Not Alone. It was she who designed this yoga oasis and its beautiful grounds of organic tropical fruit trees (for the guests' picking), ponds and guestrooms for up to 26 people.

Natural and organic are standard procedure here. Organic cotton bed linens. Organic produce from the retreat's own garden and nearby farms. The structures were built using green materials.

It's also great to learn that Franti gives back to the Balinese. Community support includes funds to a birthing clinic that works to stem the needlessly high rate of mortality of newborns and mothers and a well-regarded local school.

Do yourself a favor: dive bliss-first into all the soulfulness this place offers. My only disappointment about Soulshine? Not discovering it earlier.