COMO Shambhala Estate Wellness Retreat - International Traveller

A sprawling private estate in Ubud reigns supreme when it comes to wellness. Meet the five-star COMO resort in Bali delivering health reboots that last longer than a tan.

It’s hard to believe this sprawling, nature-ensconced retreat is just a 20-minute drive from the chaotic pace of Ubud town (and its sister property, the hilltop haven of COMO Uma Ubud). The Singapore-based COMO Group, founded by Christina Ong, is renowned for its holistic approach to wellness, and the COMO Shambhala Estate is arguably the star in its wellness crown.

COMO Shambhala Estate Lobby — The lobby sets a tone of calm serenity.

The flagship Shambhala property became the world’s first full-service residential health retreat and holiday resort when it launched in 2005. Now in its eighteenth year, its unique brand of reclusive luxury (it’s possible not to see another soul over the course of a day thanks to the size and layout of its 9.3-hectare property) and dedication to bespoke wellness programs, allow guests to craft a wellness journey that is uniquely suited to their needs.

Rooms and residences

There are 30 rooms, suites and villas built within five uniquely themed residences designed by Cheong Yew Kuan. Different elements of nature inform the unique aesthetic of each: Bayugita (‘Windsong’), Tirta-Ening (‘Clear Water’), Tejasuara (‘Sound of Fire’), Wanakasa (‘Forest in the Mist’), Uma Bona (‘House of the Earth son’). The fifth is my home for the next three nights.

Tini, my personal assistant for the duration of my stay, transports me to my residence via buggy. An ornate set of intricately carved wooden double doors mark the entry point to Uma Bona. Oversized stone steps lead to my Terrace Suite past lush gardens and outdoor common spaces – it gives me Balinese palace meets The Secret Garden vibes; I soon learn the aesthetic is inspired by the Majapahit palaces and their formal pleasure gardens.

Uma Bona COMO Suite Master Bedroom — Inside the grandest accommodation: the master bedroom at the Uma Bona COMO Suite.

Inside, the suite is full of warm rich tones, built of chocolate-coloured teak wood and furnished with hand-carved reliefs, fine antiques, and courtly furniture. A freestanding bath takes prime position in the ensuite with a sliding door that leads to an outdoor shower. The moss-covered stone walls with cleverly landscaped gardens provide just enough privacy to embrace the experience.

Rich colours fill the space inside the Uma Bona Terrace Suite.

I move outside to the deck and feel the warm embrace of the Balinese humidity. I spot rain falling in the distance and watch transfixed as it moves swiftly towards me, drenching the jungle in its wake. The smell of wet earth rises to greet me; I feel the last remnants of stress from the journey start to melt away.

Uma Bona Terrace Suite Deck — Watching the rain storm roll in from the deck. (Image: Katie Carlin)

The rain departs as quickly as it arrived, and I make my way to the Uma Bona pool. The jade-green infinity-edge pool blends into the surrounding jungle except for the impressive waterfall feature that falls from the private pool above.

The pool at Uma Bona Residence — The sparkling jade-green pool at Uma Bona Residence.

Each residence has its own uniquely-designed pool – I’ve already had a sticky beak at the neighbouring Tejasuara; its pool sits in the heart of the residence with a firepit that burns of an evening – it feels like stepping into an episode of Game of Thrones.

Aerial view of Tejasuara Residence — The pool sits in the middle of the Tejasuara residence.

Amenities and facilities

The Estate features 13 treatment areas, an outdoor hydrotherapy pool, swimming pool (in addition to the private pools in each residence) yoga room, Pilates studio, steam room and saunas, a fully-equipped indoor gym and an outdoor jungle gym with a climbing wall. There’s no shortage of space or facilities – I’ll be hard-pressed to make use of it all in three days.

COMO Shambhala Pool — Lap up the sunrise at the main pool or soak in the vitality pool above.

COMO Shambhala Estate Wellness Programme

The roar of the Ayung River below, a rush of wind rustling the palms, a gecko calling from somewhere nearby; all a constant soundtrack to my days here at Shambhala. Every now and then you hear muffled screams of delight as tourists bob past, caught in the embrace of the rapids below. It’s impossible to deny the impact of the setting – just being here feels like a reset.

Shambhala Estate grounds — The grounds of the Estate are lush green.

Guests travel to COMO Shambhala Estate for all kinds of reasons; from overworked corporates seeking a restorative reboot to solo travellers searching for a spiritual awakening to a new generation of travellers intent on prioritising health and wellbeing. The Integrated Wellness Programme requires guests to stay a minimum of three nights with 21 nights being the ideal length of time to experience the full benefits.

“It takes 21 days for our cells to regenerate. That means in 21 days our cells are all new. It’s the ideal length of time to stay," says Eugene Feklistov, COMO Hotels & Resorts Regional Director of Sales and Marketing. “We can’t fix you in a week, but when you go back and [if you] continue to follow the journey at home, you will feel very different in a year from now."

We are each seated on floor pillows dining on a picnic lunch set beside the Estate’s hidden water gardens, Kedara. “We don’t restrict. We recommend. Our goal is to humbly help you see the way. If you’re here for weight loss. Your goal shouldn’t be weight management because that isn’t really the problem. It should be self-control."

Picnic lunch at Kedara — The Indonesian picnic feast we enjoy by the Kedara natural spring.

Unlike many other wellness resorts, the program isn’t compulsory. Guests are free to enjoy the Estate as they see fit. “COMO Shambala Estate is a great wellness retreat – and it is a great escape. You are welcome to go either way," Feklistov adds.

For those that do opt-in, a pre-arrival questionnaire plus a consultation with one of the wellness experts on staff will result in a personalised itinerary that is centred around one of four plans: Ayurvedic, Be Active, Bespoke, or Cleanse. After my one-on-one consult, I’m given a timetable that features a yoga breathwork class, a spa treatment, and multiple yoga classes plus a document that recommends a daily routine of meditation, journaling, breathing exercises and at least 20 minutes of sunshine for vitamin D absorption. There is also a nutritional wellbeing section that recommends a range of tweaks to my diet. I’m also told to spend time soaking up the colour green – the wellness expert acknowledges this sounds weird but insists it will help with inflammation. Given the setting, finding green is one of the easiest tasks she sets.

Uma Bona Pool — I’m surrounded by greenery everywhere I look at Shambhala Estate. (Image: Katie Carlin)

Food and drink

Every meal here feels nourishing in all the ways a good meal should. Southeast Asian flavours dominate the menu at both Glow and Kudos House – think tamarind, kaffir lime, and ginger. The focus is on fresh ingredients (mostly sourced from the resort’s onsite organic vegetable garden) that help balance blood sugar levels, and boost immunity and concentration while satisfying cravings.

Glow Shambhala Estate — Glow is one of two onsite restaurants.

Glow is the more healthful of the two with options such as big, crunchy salad bowls; vegetable soups; mezze plates overflowing with dips and crudites; and mains that feature the likes of zucchini noodles, Southern Indian dhal and grouper poached in ginger for lunch or dinner.

Kudos House Restaurant Shambhala Estate — Kudos House Restaurant was once a 150-year-old former Javanese residence.

Breakfast and dinner are served at Kudus House; a 150-year-old former Javanese residence now used as a restaurant. I become a little obsessed with the hot and sour seafood soup. The Mie Goreng with fresh wok-fried egg noodles is also a standout followed by mango carpaccio with Indonesian vanilla and kaffir lime syrup for dessert.

The mango carparcio at Kudos House — The mango carpaccio is a nourishing choice for dessert.

Both restaurants serve wellness juices daily. I rotate between the Waterfall, a blend of watermelon, cucumber and mint that is billed to reduce internal heat, hydrate, and relieve headaches; and the Stress Reliever – packed with carrot, apple, grapes, spinach, fennel and ginger to calm the nervous system and balance hormones.

Traditional Balinese Dance At Glow — Brunch at Glow includes a traditional Balinese dance performance.

Sunday Brunch at Glow is a real event. I select steamed dumplings, lamb skewers, wagyu beef sliders and tiger prawns from the menu while local village girls practice their traditional dance to the joyful sounds of the gamelan orchestra. It’s a memorable food finale to a few days of healthful eating that have left me feeling light and nourished.

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Activities and experiences

I’m seated in the open-air yoga bale. The wind picks up pace in the distance and I hear it move through the trees making its way towards me as I practice breathing in deeply and releasing my breath slowly; counting as I go. Monica, my instructor, has been guiding the class for the past hour and it now draws to a close. As we sit talking in hushed, sleepy whispers she shares her final words of wisdom for the day, “Find something you love to do. That might be Zumba, or yoga, or walking your dog. If you love it, you’ll stay motivated – and you won’t feel like your job is stealing your life from you."

The Ojas Building features treatment rooms and the yoga pavilion above.

Joyful movement is key; it really sums up the range of activities on offer at Shambhala. From the Estate Walk that leads to a hidden water garden and a picnic lunch served in woven baskets followed by afternoon swims in the jungle-shaded mineral pools to therapeutic hydrotherapy, Pilates and circuit training classes. You control the pace and tempo during your stay. It’s an approach that allows you to tune into your body’s needs, rather than go hard regardless.

Kedara Natural Spring Pools — Spend the afternoon swimming in the light-dappled mineral pools.

At the end of the final day, I sit with a steaming cup of ginger tea and a small plate of biscuits overlooking the Estate Amphitheatre at sunset. A family of monkeys have decided to join us – a couple are getting a little too close for comfort and one of the staff stand guard, ready to chase them off. They take the hint and make haste back into the jungle below. I spot a tiny green light flickering around the table – a firefly! The first I’ve seen in person. It’s the kind of thing one could easily miss, but not here. Here, you notice everything.

Travel Details

Getting there

During peak travel periods, Virgin Australia operates twice daily return flights per week from Melbourne, and daily return services from Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and the Gold Coast to Denpasar (Bali). From $635 Economy and $2155 Business Class return. All Virgin Australia fares include Velocity Frequent Flyer Points and offers.

Room rates

Room rates for COMO Shambhala Estate start from AUD $871 (All rates are subject to 21 per cent government tax and service charge).

Tours and activities

You can view the resort’s full list of experiences on their website.

After youth-led protests in 2025, this year Nepal elected a 35-year-old former rapper as Prime Minister. In a country where tourism is its biggest industry, what’s next for travellers?

In 1986, Nepal changed its clock. It had used India Standard Time since 1920 so, to differentiate, it wound its clock 15 minutes ahead of, not behind, its big-brother neighbour. Boss move. “Nepal is strongly opposed to the idea that our identity is connected to India,” says Community Homestay Network (CHN) guide Bikal Khanal.

Tharu dance is traditionally set to hand drums. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

Today, Nepal is the only independent country with a 45-minute deviation to universal time; an oddity that’s become a symbol of national pride. The quirk is nearly as endearing as Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport where carved varnished wood and shiny red bricks rule. One sign points to a ‘Travelator’ and another to a ‘Grievance Handling Desk’ while visas are noisily stamped at customs for US dollars, cash only. When am I?

Spot the endemic Nepal gray langur. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The 15 or 45 minute anomaly sees me tap out completely on timezone calculations. Why bend my brain calculating if it’s quarter to or quarter past elsewhere when I’m in the honking here and now of Kathmandu where the air is high-altitude crisp, the prayer flags flutter and the street dogs howl?

How tourism is changing in Nepal

Bardiya National Park is rich with wildlife. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

India is not the only association many Nepalis would like to shake. With eight of the world’s 10 tallest mountains, including Mount Everest and Annapurna, Nepal has long attracted mountaineers and trekkers, and expedition numbers are continuing to rise.

Tourism is one of the country’s biggest sources of foreign currency, so this growth is not negative, per se. But according to Ang Tshering Lama, who co-founded Phaplu Mountain Bike Club, being reduced to a mere trekking destination is limiting.

“Trekking is just one layer of our identity,” says Ang. “When it becomes the dominant narrative, it limits how we’re seen and how we see ourselves.” Nepal’s recent success, however, in diverting trekkers to less-trafficked areas such as Manaslu mofuntain, where visitor numbers rose by 117 per cent last year, offers hope that tourism can diversify even more radically.

Local men in Bhada village. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The founder of CHN, Shiva Dhakal, wants that change. “The whole idea of the Community Homestay Network is to promote experiences outside of trekking,” he says. “Community tourism changes lives and helps kids stay home instead of coming to the city or migrating to the Middle East.”

Ang grew up seeing people leave, “not because they wanted to but because there weren’t enough opportunities to stay”, he states. Yet from remote villages to living traditions; food, art, music and emerging subcultures, “there’s so much that’s not being seen.”

CHN is opening some of those doors. It doesn’t own, or fund, any homes. Rather, it promotes homestays to travellers on a single, slick platform, while fostering entrepreneurship in places where women, marginalised castes, Indigenous people and the youth stand to benefit the most.

A new generation demanding more

Dalla Town Hall, where volunteers discuss anti-poaching tactics. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The future prospects of next-gen Nepalis can no longer be ignored. On a Kathmandu tour with 33-year-old guide Monica K.C, we pass buildings torched in the September 2025 ‘Gen Z protests’, including the Supreme Court and Parliament House. Seventy-two people died. “They were anti-corruption protests,” says Monica. “Politicians’ children are living a lavish life but the airports are crowded with youngsters leaving to find work.”

We stop in ‘little Tibet’ at the wondrous sixth-century Boudha Stupa. “The wheel of life is Buddhism in a nutshell,” says Monica. “Things such as hate, ignorance and anger keep you rotating around the wheel, so you must follow the principles of Buddhism to detach. If you can’t, there’s no nirvana for you.”

Boudha Stupa's prayer wheels — Boudha Stupa’s prayer wheels are used to recite Buddhist prayers. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

In a sun-drenched twist to the usual temple visit, we ascend the stupa’s sloping plinth and roam its whitewashed dome. Tendrils of diaphanous prayer flags stream from a steeple-like structure where the Buddha’s unblinking eyes stare out. No nirvana for you…

bouda stupa prayer flags — Tibetan-style prayer flags embellish the whitewashed dome of Bouda Stupa, a Buddhist temple. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

The dome is delightfully free of guard rails or chiding from security. There is, however, a stern ‘No TikTok’ sign, perhaps in response to the youth’s newly flexed power. The booted-out Prime Minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, was replaced in a resounding election victory in March by 35-year-old Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) – a former rapper and mayor of Kathmandu. The RSP’s manifesto indicates tourism is a priority, and that Nepal’s cultural identity in areas such as gastronomy will be strengthened.

Boudha Stupa vendors — Vibrant souvenir shops and cafes around Boudha Stupa. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

A more confronting stop awaits at Pashupatinath Temple. Today is Bala Chaturdashi, a Hindu festival where thousands of devotees gather to honour their dead ancestors. Vendors hauling foam mattresses do a lucrative trade as people set up for a night of vigil. This includes burning the bodies of recently deceased relatives on bamboo pyres in the Bagmati River, which flows into the sacred Ganges.

A woman at annual Hindu festival Bala Chaturdashi, in Kathmandu. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Wrapped in a shroud, the bodies are positioned with their heads facing north to the Himalayas where Lord Shiva resides. They’re covered with flowers and straw and set alight by male family members.

Hours later, the ashes are swept into the river where devotees will take a holy dip the next day. As much as Monica assures us it’s not voyeuristic to watch, I struggle to do so. “Here you see the reality of life because everyone ends up there,” she says, gesturing to the river.

Life unfiltered in the Terai region

tharu woman — Tharu woman and master weaver Parbati Chaudhary in Bhada Village. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The reality of life needs processing time, which the western Terai region delivers in spades. The Terai is largely separated from India by the Karnali River and Bardiya National Park, where elephants, rhinos and the elusive Bengal tiger roam.

Once a nomadic tribe, the Indigenous Tharu people are now the largest ethnic group here. “They didn’t know their daily life was interesting for international travellers but they’re starting to understand now,” says CHN founder Shiva.

Take a Jeep safari through Bardiya National Park. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

We fly Buddha Air to Dhangadhi airport and drive five hours to stay in Tharu homes. The journey to Bhada village is a blur of roadside fruit stalls, traffic-stopping sacred cows and fields sown with wheat, rice, mustard, spinach, cauliflower and potatoes. Nepal’s agriculture feeds only Nepal.

Marigolds are an important part of Hindu rituals. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

“The only thing we export is young people,” says our guide Bikal. As the light dims and we plunge evermore rural, mysterious mounds of compacted hay – some house-sized – loom like the creatures from Where The Wild Things Are. Even our trusty driver gets flummoxed by a dirt road that abruptly ends and we find ourselves hurtling across a paddock.

On arrival, some are ferried to mud-walled cottages greened by gourd creepers, with thatched roofs and rustic-chic mosquito nets. Myself and two others are ushered to the home of corner store owner, mechanic and mushroom farmer Man Kumar Chilaruwa and his wife Rajkumari.

community homestay entrance — A warm welcome at a community homestay. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

They escort us to a bunker-esque back building with steel doors and a folding security gate, behind which is gleaming linoleum, dolphin-printed tiles and a shower cavity that must be gingerly stepped through to reach the toilet.

The ceiling lights emit a rainbow of colours (the bathroom light gets stuck in, frankly, a quite frightening red). We’re nevertheless touched that our hosts invested in all this bling when the average salary is around $275 a month.

In the coming days, we participate in Tharu traditions such as making moonshine, dancing, weaving straw handicrafts and gold-panning. We’re fed well with staples of rice, mustard greens, lentil pancakes, daal, curried chicken and tomato chutney served on antibacterial saal leaves.

food at community homestay — Dig in. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Sonara community homestay president Indradevi Tharu tells us river snails are often served, and the boiled and pickled flesh of rats hunted in the rice fields. “Perhaps next time?” we say and all have a laugh.

The power of community homestays

community homestay owners in Nepal — Barda community homestay owners Parbati Chaudhary and Ram Krishni Devi Chaudhary. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

Immersing Western visitors in foreign cultural practices is not new. But with the Tharu, I never get that uneasy sensation that I’m being performed for. Despite being the only tourists, there’s no ‘othering’; just warm, composed and ultra-dignified welcomes. Like we’ve always been here.

“I love to have travellers in my village so I can see the world,” says local woman Parbati Chaudhary. “Why would I travel the world when the world comes to me?”

The graceful acceptance the Tharu offer, as well as the slow pace, works miracles on my frazzled nervous system. One day I even take a nap on a vacant homestay bed.

Sonara community room — An authentic stay in the Sonara community. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Roosters strut and goats bray as we sit on the ground in al fresco kitchens, rolling rice flour into cylinders steamed to make dhikri (dumplings). When water is needed, we fetch it using a hand-operated pump as a family of ducks strolls by, side-eying us like curious neighbours.

Animal lovers will delight in Tharu villages. Kind and resourceful inventions are everywhere, such as snacking stations where two posts lean together, with leafy boughs dangling on rope for baby goats to forage from.

CHN’s CEO, Aayusha Prasain, nods knowingly when one in our group says she cried when she left her host, Shayam Chaudhary, in Bhada. Shayam’s 17-year-old son, Prashant, had translated, which deepened the connection.

“Community tourism turns travel into a relationship, not a transaction,” says Aayusha. “It places decision-making power in the hands of local communities, especially women and youth.” Since 2018, CHN has hosted more than 4000 travellers from 52 countries in 408 households, and estimates women’s participation has increased by 381 per cent.

In the Bardiya community, where vexing human-animal conflict has been a balancing act for decades due to elephants raiding crops, long-time homestay operator Salik Ram Chaudhary says young people keep the older ones on their toes.

“We can’t keep homestays stagnant,” he says. “We have to upgrade our service and redefine our product or young people won’t see it as an attractive business. If we can keep evolving with this travelling trend we’re confident the youths will stay and continue it.”

Back in Kathmandu, Monica explains that after the deaths of young protestors in September, a determination had spread to not let their sacrifice be in vain. “We want to keep holding the government accountable,” she says. “We don’t know what situation we’re facing, but we’re ready to face it.”

Interested in Nepal but prefer to experience it in total comfort? Read our guide to luxury travel in Nepal.

Immerse yourself in tranquility at Bali’s iconic COMO Shambhala Estate