In January 2024, I checked into the Terrace Suite at COMO Shambhala Estate. Located close to Ubud, Bali’s cultural and spiritual centre, the 30-key designer wellness resort is set across 23 acres of land deep in the jungle overlooking the sacred Ayung Valley. The flagship property of the COMO Hotels and Resorts brand draws guests from all around the world, including the likes of Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, John Travolta and Daniel Craig.
Aside from the Bali properties (which also include COMO Uma Canggu and COMO Uma Ubud), the COMO brand has resorts all around the world, including Singapore’s new COMO Metropolitan Singapore which opened in 2023. The resort is less than 2 hours away from Ngurah Rai International Airport.
Nearby resorts include Capella Ubud; Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve; and Four Seasons Bali at Sayan.
I had booked my stay for a Terrace Suite using Hotelux, but unfortunately was not given the customary room upgrade due to the next-category suites being fully booked.
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): World-famous, restorative wellness sanctuary deep in Ubud jungle.
The must-dos (if any): Take a long shower or bathtub soak with the COMO Shambhala Invigorate amenities; spend time in your residence’s infinity pool; trek down 2,200 steps to the natural rock spring pools at the base of the Estate; enjoy breakfast and dinner at Kudus House; go for a spa treatment at Ojas Spa.
COMO SHAMBHALA ESTATE
Built in an authentic Indonesian style (think traditional alang-alang thatch roofs as well as local stones and woods), the resort draws its visual inspirations from the natural elements of wind, earth, fire, water and forest, with architecture courtesy of Cheong Yew Kuan (behind Four Seasons Resort Seychelles and various other COMO properties) and interiors by Koichiro Ikebuchi, who designed all of COMO’s Bali properties as well as other COMO properties such as COMO Metropolitan Bangkok and COMO Maalifushi Maldives.
Formerly a five-residence private estate, the lush expanse of land now serves as a designer wellness retreat dedicated to long-term wellness, fitness and spiritual development. Resident experts such as Ayurvedic doctors, Pilates instructors, traditional Chinese healers and Qigong masters are onsite to offer specialty services based on your personalised wellness requirements. In terms of wellness facilities, the retreat offers outdoor treatment spaces, a vitality pool with submerged jet beds, an outdoor lap pool, a well-equipped fitness centre, a Pilates studio, multiple yoga pavillions as well as high-tech flourishes such as sound frequency hubs for better sleep, an infrared sauna and a hyperbaric chamber to promote faster recovery from injuries.
One of the resort’s headlining features is how the property is home to ‘The Source’, one of Bali’s eight sacred natural springs which is located just steps from the Ayung River. (It is said that a special path and collection point had to be appointed so that Hindu villagers can have access to the holy water for their religious purposes.) Aside from supplying the water used in all the resort’s spa treatments as well as three natural rock spring pools at the foot of the estate (accessible via 2,200 stone steps cut into the hillside), The Source is also the venue where guests can partake in a traditional water blessing ritual to clear their mind and soul in the presence of a guide and a local priest.
Yes, the retreat is not just the embodiment of Eat Pray Love – it’s also Charmed.
The retreat’s accommodations are spread out across the sprawling landscaped premises. Many of the suites are organised in double-storey clusters known as “residences”, each with its own shared lounge and infinity pool with soothing jungle views. The residence format was quite unique, and the word “commune” and “A24 films” did cross my mind on more than one occasion whenever I passed the couple lying on the poolside sunbeds and climbed the flight of stairs up to my suite on the upper level.
Aside from the obligatory yoga, pilates and fitness classes, the retreat’s roster of activities also includes a Balinese Gratitude Ceremony; breathwork workshops; therapeutic hydrotherapy sessions; village and rice field bike trips; an Estate walk; and Meridian Stretch Qi Gong classes. Most of the classes are complimentary while some (such as the hydrotherapy classes) require an additional charge per guest. During my stay, I had a picnic at Kedara, the resort’s hidden water garden close to the Ayung River. The journey down the 2,200 stone steps was treacherous but rewarding – it was a beautiful and rather surreal afternoon helping ourselves to the delicious savoury fare in the woven baskets (you get a choice of either refreshing snacks or Balinese fare) while watching the steady stream of white water rafts pass by as they soared down the river, its passengers hollering in excitement and joy when they spotted us above. After the picnic, we retreated to the (very deep) mineral pools nearby and sat by the graceful waterfall flowing from The Source high above the hill.
I need to dedicate air time to compliment the experience I had at Ojas Spa. I had the COMO Shambhala Massage, and it was possibly one of the best spa massage treatments I have ever had. My therapist Didi was masterful, with the different massage segments being varied and delivered with intention. It felt like her fingers were always locating and travelling along professional, well-established pathways with expert ease as she navigated my various humps and bumps as opposed to merely formulaic kneading. My feet were jabbed, my inner thighs were stimulated without incident, and for this massage her hands visited places no other therapists have ever went. (Let’s get our heads out of the gutter.)
TERRACE SUITE
Boasting soaring ceilings and tall windows which welcome an abundance of natural light from all directions, the spacious 80sqm Terrace Suite plays like an Indonesian residence, with dark wood textures and an outdoor deck with seats overlooking the vast expanse of jungle beyond should you need a meditative space. The queen-sized bed in the middle of the suite is suitably cosy, with the mosquito net – set up during evening turndown service – lending strong doses of romance to the jungle proceedings.
The bathroom area features double wardrobes and double vanities with copper sinks, a freestanding bathtub and separate toilet and rainfall shower rooms, with indulgent, spa-luxe Invigorate bathroom amenities courtesy of inhouse brand COMO Shambhala. The bathtub is more suited for slender silhouettes than those with more heft (like me) , while those who prefer their shower rituals without an audience may not enjoy the glass panels on the shower door. (I found creative ways to harness the curtains next to the shower door for my privacy.)
The minibar comprised juices and an assortment of healthy bars and chips (there is no alcohol), while the pantry was stocked with Nespresso coffee, Sir Thomas Lipton teas as well as Bali Arabica coffee.
DINING
Breakfast is served at Kudus House, a restaurant specialising in Indonesian cuisine set within a 150-year-old wooden house which formerly served as a Javanese residence (and is said to have been relocated all the way from central Java). Given the resort’s wellness angle, the menu is also suitably health-driven, with the menu diverse enough to cater to most dietary requirements – think Medicinal Shots (wheatgrass, golden jamu, green chum chum and kimchi (!)), Keto Coffee (espresso, butter, coconut cream, coconut oil), Whole-wheat Croissants (nut butter, preserves and seasonal curds), Young Coconut and Flaxseed Crepes (apple and walnut filling, cinnamon and maple, cashew and young coconut cream), French Toast (gluten-free banana bread, whipped coconut tahini and coffee-scented honey), Wholemeal Pancakes (fresh mango, coconut yoghurt and passionfruit syrup), Zucchini Waffles (smoked salmon, lemon-scented ricotta, shaved zucchini, lemon and dill salad), Quinoa with Poached Egg (marinated mushrooms, avocado, kimchi, grilled broccoli and sesame nori sprinkle), Very Berry Frozen Fruit Smoothie Bowl (dragon fruit, banana, strawberry, young coconut, chia and granola) and Khichdi (moong dahl, quinoa porridge, cauliflower, baby carrot, beans, ginger, curry leaf, coriander).
If the dishes above sound too nutritious, there are hot dishes which are heartier and punchier in flavour such as Bubur Injin (black rice porridge with young coconut, peanuts and banana), Bakso Ayam (clear chicken broth with chicken meatball, soft egg, beansprouts, rice noodles and celery) and Laksa (fragrant coconut soup with prawn, fried tofu, rice noodles and sprouts). I was very surprised by the Wok-fried Red Rice (tempeh, vegetables, sambal and julienned egg crepe), which tasted more scrumptious than its description may suggest, while the joyous Nasi Lemak (fragrant coconut rice with beef rendang, spiced chicken, long bean salad, crispy fish, egg and sambal) would not feel out of place in the menu of any upscale Indonesian eatery.
Your milk for cereal and coffee is customisable (full cream, light, soy, almond, coconut or oat milk) and so is your bread (wholegrain, wheat or black rice bread). Each guest is entitled to two cold dishes (cereals and grains, yogurt pots and puddings etc) and two hot dishes.
Dinner was a wonderful affair, and we managed to land a table with glorious sunset-facing views. The dishes were reliably hearty – think Kenus Bumbu Kuning (wok-fried Lombok squid, red onion, bilimbi, green papaya and yellow turmeric sauce), Sate Lilit Ikan (grilled minced fish on lemongrass served with sweet vinegar pickled vegetables), Pepes Ikan (marinated kingfish in banana leaf parcels with shiitake mushrooms and tomato with coconut sambal), Ayam Taliwang (free-range chicken braised and grilled in fragrant coconut, lemongrass and kaffir lime curry with Bali spinach), Kalio Sayur Nangka (fragrant jackfruit curry with long beans, sweetcon and lemon basil), Tumis Pakis (wok-fried fern tips with tomatoes, bean sprouts, chili, garlic and tamari soy), Kerapu Menyatnyat (light curry of grouper with marrow squash, eggplant, long beans and green chilli) and Lapis Legit (spiced Indonesian layer cake with sweet tamarind, pumpkin and cempaka ice cream).
The Mie Goreng (wok-fried fresh egg noodles with vegetables, seafood, egg, sambal and sweet soy) started off tasting fairly different than what was expected (the noodles tasted decidedly of a more healthy persuasion) but eventually revealed its charms with the assistance of the sambal, while the Rendang Sapi (braised organic beef short ribs in rich rendang curry sauce) was a tender, luscious, showstopping winner – if wellness and nutrition tasted this good, curate my life menu please.
Glow, a contemporary all-day restaurant with a menu dedicated to wellness, is the resort’s other dining space. You can expect dishes such as Shambhala Caesar Salad, Grilled Stockyard Beef Sirloin, Aztec Bowl (roast pumpkin, black bean and quinoa salad, red cabbage kraut, sweetcorn and avocado), Cumin Spiced Tiger Prawns (baby carrots and chickpea salad, orange blossom dressing), Pearl Barley Risotto (asparagus, mushrooms, basil and lemon, cashew nut parmesan) and Shambhala Pizza (pumpkin and cashew nut crust, raw tomato sauce, avocado, mango and basil).
CONCLUSION
I imagine my 2D1N visit to COMO Shambhala Estate was far too short for the retreat to fully showcase its restorative impact, but my meals and experience at Ojas Spa gave me a good enough preview of what draws people to the iconic wellness resort from all around the world. The COMO Shambhala Invigororate amenities smelled heavenly, and I had a wonderful afternoon at Kedara – we truly felt like the only people in the universe, so carefree and happy frolicking near the waterfall around the natural rock spring pools.
The stay certainly whet my appetite for other COMO properties.
COMO Shambhala Estate
Banjar Begawan, Desa Melinggih Kelod
Payangan, Gianyar 80571
Bali, Indonesia
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