High above the Ayung River sits COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali’s original wellness retreat, which was recently renewed for a new era of holistic wellbeing. Spread across 22 acres of lush forest near Ubud, the estate feels like a secret village of its own, where private villas and suites are tucked among towering banyan and coconut trees.
Marking its 20th anniversary, COMO Shambhala Estate reintroduces itself with a series of extensive refurbishments, including the reopening of Ojas, its spiritual and therapeutic heart. Designed by Atelier Ikebuchi, the refreshed spaces combine cool white Carrara marble, warm teak, and sleek black Corian. All of these are a visual expression of the brand’s philosophy of balance: Contemporary luxury meets the restorative power of nature.
COMO Shambhala Estate is a place built around energy. It sits above the confluence of the Ayung and Tibakauh rivers, a location long considered sacred by local villagers. Balinese priests say this meeting of waters symbolises cleansing and renewal, and the healing spring that feeds Ojas, known simply as The Source, is believed to have restorative properties. COMO founder Christina Ong, who was drawn to the site over two decades ago, often describes the land as having its own frequency. One that needed only to be respected and amplified through careful design and purpose.
(Related: Ubud, Revisited)
- A NEW ERA OF HOLISTIC WELLNESS
- PERSONAL JOURNEY
- RESTORING BALANCE THROUGH CONNECTION
A New Era of Holistic Wellness
Ojas now embodies this philosophy. Beyond its serene hydrotherapy pools and treatment pavilions, the wellness centre introduces a new generation of health technologies that complement its traditional healing roots. Guests who are looking for a wellness-focused escape can experience Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, infrared saunas, contrast therapy, and colonic hydrotherapy, alongside Ayurvedic treatments and hands-on therapies drawn from Asian traditions. It’s an integration of the ancient and the scientific; wellness for the world we live in now, but grounded in centuries-old wisdom.
The property’s refreshed Wellness Paths offer a structured way to explore this harmony. Each multi-day journey focuses on a specific goal: From gut health to mindfulness to detoxification. My recent stay followed the Connect to Rebalance Path, a four-day, three-night programme that combined guided treatments, nutritional consultations, and daily rituals designed to restore equilibrium in both body and mind.
(Related: Martin Capstick on building a wellness festival for everyone)
- A NEW ERA OF HOLISTIC WELLNESS
- PERSONAL JOURNEY
- RESTORING BALANCE THROUGH CONNECTION
Personal Journey
Highlights of each day during my brief stay often began at Ojas, where the sound of water and birdsong seemed to slow time. Each day brought a different massage – the deeply soothing COMO Shambhala Signature Massage, a Thai massage to release tension through stretching, and a Taksu massage, a local technique that blends Balinese energy work with rhythmic pressure. Every treatment felt precise yet intuitive, guided by expert therapists whose calm presence alone seemed to carry a kind of healing.
Upon arrival, a consultation with Kimberly Rose Kneier, the Estate’s Director of Wellness, set the framework for my stay. Through careful questioning and a holistic review of lifestyle habits, she designed a plan focused on reducing inflammation – a modern root of imbalance that often goes unnoticed. Her advice was simple, but transformative: To remove or limit foods that contribute to inflammation and to adopt gentle, but mindful habits that allow the body to recalibrate.
The prescribed anti-inflammatory diet removed gluten, dairy, sugar, soy, corn, and eggs – a list that, on paper, seems restrictive, but in practice, felt liberating. Meals from the COMO Shambhala Kitchen were bright, flavourful, and deeply nourishing: Bowls of vibrant salads, light broths, and perfectly cooked fish paired with herbs and spices rather than sauces. I never felt deprived; instead, I noticed a lightness – digestion that felt effortless and an alertness that lingered throughout the day.
Other recommendations followed a rhythm of moderation, such as two litres of room-temperature water daily, limited coffee, no alcohol, and a digital wind-down before 10:30PM. The effect, even after one night, was tangible – I felt satiated for longer, slept deeper, and enjoyed an unhurried calm that stayed with me long after each treatment ended.
- A NEW ERA OF HOLISTIC WELLNESS
- PERSONAL JOURNEY
- RESTORING BALANCE THROUGH CONNECTION
Restoring Balance Through Connection
What sets COMO Shambhala apart is how the estate’s surroundings play an active role in the healing process. Beyond Ojas, guests are encouraged to step outside the spa and into nature. I enjoyed a village and rice field walk, where gentle paths wound through terraced greens. Another day highlighted the Balinese gratitude ceremony, where offerings of flowers and incense were made by the property’s main temple, which served as a reminder to approach wellness not merely as repair, but as reverence.
Meanwhile, the Estate Walk offered a different perspective. A meditative exploration of the property’s gardens, pools, and open-air spaces, each designed to connect guests with the rhythm of the landscape. The architecture here is inseparable from the environment – from the treehouse-like Wanakasa Residence suspended over the river to Bayugita, where breezes drift across an infinity pool that overlooks the jungle.
By the time I checked out, my mind had quieted into something resembling balance. The experience wasn’t about drastic transformation, but about subtle, sustained shifts. The kind that reveal themselves in how you breathe, eat, and rest.
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