Top-notch luxury meets eco cred on this stunning Indonesian island

My seaplane banked left and threw into view palm-fringed beaches and emerald reefs. Somewhere down there were turtles, rays, black-tip reef sharks, a kaleidoscope of fish and a large margarita with my name on it. Paradise found.

I was flying in to Bawah Reserve, a collection of six small, forested islands in Indonesia's remote Anambas island group in the equatorial waters between Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.

On final approach to its watery runway the Twin Otter flew over an array of solar panels anchored in a lagoon - the first hint that this place was going to offer more than just barefoot tropical luxury.

I was met by the affable manager, Raymond. "You've also got a marine welcome committee," he said pointing at the water, where two turtles were cruising by to say hi. "You've timed your visit well because tomorrow morning we're releasing the next lot of turtle hatchlings from our beach nursery. It'll be early but do you want us to call you before it happens?"

You bet I do. Now, about that margarita...

My cocktail was only a few steps away in The Grouper beach bar where Raymond and I settled into canvas safari armchairs and he gave me a snapshot of this remarkable place.

Bawah was purchased by Singapore shipping magnate Tim Hartnoll, who transformed it into a natural luxury resort with some serious eco credentials. First up was the feat of building this lovely place without felling a single tree. All infrastructure - even the paths - were created around rather than through nature, which makes the entire resort feel in harmony with its elements. For example, up in the main open-air restaurant Tree Tops you dine in the forest canopy, cooled by evening breezes.

Not satisfied with mere forest preservation, Bawah also planted thousands of extra trees to help offset CO2 emissions such as those from the seaplane.

The resort has also eradicated single-use plastic. A big milestone towards achieving this was creating an on-island seawater desalination and bottling plant, eliminating the need to ship in plastic-bottled water. This year Bawah went a step further by launching new technology that adds back in the healthy, naturally occurring minerals that desalination takes out. So, if you get bored of Bawah margaritas you can drink super-healthy island-made still and sparkling water all day - in re-useable glass bottles, of course. This is rare in luxury resorts and very welcome after a hot day hiking or snorkelling.

Equally rare is a solar farm the size of Bawah's. Roughly 1200 panels power the resort during the daytime, with a generator kicking in overnight. It's Indonesia's largest marine solar farm and Bawah is the first island in the country to be powered by such a renewable microgrid.

Near the solar farm is a flourishing coral nursery, growing the next generation of coral branches to extend the islands' reefs. These and other sustainable achievements helped Bawah win accreditation as a five-star eco-resort with WWF Indonesia's responsible marine tourism program, Signing Blue.

As if this wasn't all progressive enough, Bawah created the Anambas Foundation, an Indonesian not-for-profit designed to improve the Anambas community ecosystem (focusing on marine and forest conservation) and the welfare of its residents by recruiting locals and funding waste management and women's empowerment projects.

Bawah was a place I had been seeking for years: a tropical island resort where luxury and demonstrable sustainability co-exist effectively. At least half the guests I spoke to seemed to agree, telling me they had chosen it not just for its stunning beauty but also for its commitment to the environment.

Revived by margaritas and wowed by the lengths to which the resort has gone, I hopped into an electric golf buggy, which purred me to the barefoot Boat House beach bistro. Over fragrant salads and Kunyit Asam turmeric shots I gazed out over the sparkling turquoise lagoon. Other guests seemed similarly transfixed by the beauty of it all, talking in low voices to maintain the reverie.

Next door to the Boat House was the activity centre whose jolly team helped me shimmy into a kayak which I paddled past the coral nursery to check out the solar farm. I found a small beach, tied up the kayak and snorkelled, meeting yet more turtles cruising the lagoon.

Having built up a decent appetite, I dined that evening at Tree Tops on snapper carpaccio, spiced grouper and Lautan Sour mocktails, delighted to discover that many of the flavours on my plate and in my glass were from produce grown in the island's innovative permaculture gardens. Even the honey is produced here.

And so to bed in my Tented Beach Suite, which was a glamourous safari-style, 70-square-metre bamboo house right on the sand. The bedroom (blissfully cool thanks to AC) had a king bed, indoor and outdoor seating areas, and a large bathroom with twin sinks and bathtub.

The waves just a few feet away lulled me into a deep, long, dreamless sleep, broken only at dawn by the trim-trim of my phone. I let it ring and rolled over for more sleep but then remembered why the resort team was calling me at 6am. Turtle hatching!

I leapt into shorts and T-shirt and hightailed it down the beach, getting to the nursery just in time. The marine biology team carefully scraped away the sand and together we watched in wonder as the first jet-black hatchlings emerged, blinking in the unfamiliar sunlight. Their instinct kicked in and they were off, heading straight for the waves - a new generation of turtles beginning what I hoped would be a long and healthy life in this idyllic and well-protected part of the tropics.

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Getting there: Bawah Reserve's private seaplane flies daily from Hang Nadim Airport in Batam, Indonesia, which is easily accessed from Jakarta or Singapore.

Staying there: Rates, which include meals, activities and daily spa, start at $US1780 ($2700) a night for two in a tented garden suite.

Explore more: bawahreserve.com

The writer stayed with assistance from Bawah Reserve.