Two years is a very long time to go between Bali visits as a resident of Australia. So when the doorways lastly reopened to our stunning Indonesian island neighbor, I promptly deliberate a visit. I had missed the “Land of the Gods,” the Balinese smiles, ceremonies and rituals, in addition to the superb meals, contemporary coconuts and exquisite seashores, after all. On this journey although, I used to be particularly trying ahead to testing two of the three COMO Bali resorts, together with a giant dose of non secular therapeutic immersed within the gentleness and peacefulness of the tradition.
Into the Jungle
My first cease was the beyond-iconic wellness sanctuary, COMO Shambhala Property, a property quarter-hour exterior Ubud that has been offering a luxurious wellness providing to company for greater than 20 years. Hidden away within the Balinese jungle above the roaring Ayung River, its setting is extraordinary, and staying right here comes with entry to a sacred water spring that’s identified and liked by locals for its therapeutic properties. Sitting on 23 acres, that is COMO’s flagship property. There’s a particular power right here, and I may really feel it as quickly as I arrived; a grounding, calming, therapeutic drive.
At COMO Shambhala Property, you might be gifted with an abundance of house, nature and time—the issues I contemplate to be a number of the biggest luxuries of all. The luxurious jungle setting and entry to the Ayung River, with the fixed sound of flowing water, was maybe essentially the most therapeutic a part of all. The COMO model has three important pillars, with wellness being certainly one of them. I like the best way the wellness choices are subtly built-in, via wholesome meals choices and actions for company, however nothing is compelled. Come right here for well being and wellness, or come right here simply to chill out.
Standout Shambhala Property Experiences
The Property expertise is really luxurious. Service is one other one of many COMO model pillars and it’s distinctive: intuitive, personalised and discreet. Visitors are allotted a “private assistant” who’s readily available for everything of the keep. My assistant Bapak Fuji, or Ketut, was gracious, heat and sort—nothing was ever an excessive amount of bother. He deliberate a surprising picnic for my good friend PK and I at Kedara alongside the roaring Ayung. In between programs, we swam within the pure swimming pools and drank from the holy water of the sacred spring. Ketut additionally booked me into my first ever Balinese Gratitude Ceremony, the place I learnt the right way to make a Balinese “Canang Sari” providing beneath the watchful eye of Bapak Mudra.
We weaved our personal baskets and selected flowers to be provided to the god Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa in gratitude for world peace. It was simply one of many many particular moments at this unbelievable place. Within the holistic spa, I used to be handled to a nurturing COMO Shambhala Therapeutic massage, their signature providing, by Ibu Utami and it was the proper rebalancing of physique and thoughts. We did a morning mat Pilates class within the open air shala which was the easiest begin to the day. I couldn’t assist however really feel rejuvenated right here, irrespective of how a lot or little I selected to do.
Retreat Dwelling
With its non-public swimming pool and enormous residing and eating areas, our stupendously giant two-bedroom Retreat Pool Villa was unbelievable. What a privilege to bathe open air within the jungle every morning with daylight streaming via the forest cover. Except for the 5 Retreat Pool Villas, there are 4 two- or three-bedroom Non-public Villas, and 5 residences every with their very own pool. We had a tour of the Tirta Ening—named after one of the vital holy temples in Bali—and it’s extremely spectacular, thanks to non-public entry to the spring and holy water, a waterfall pool and a shower hand-carved out of stone.
Breakfast and dinner are served at Kudus Home the place Indonesia delicacies is a staple. It’s essentially the most beautiful house, housed in a 150-year-old former Javanese residence, with views over the verdant jungle beneath. My favourite a part of brekkie was the Jamu and turmeric shot as a teaser earlier than the meal, however there are contemporary juices and excellent espresso and teas as nicely. The COMO delicacies right here takes its inspiration from the residing meals custom. I like which you could choose to be actually health-conscious or you possibly can select to combine it up with different extra substantial meals as nicely. The signature COMO ginger, honey and lemon tea that’s served on-arrival and all through the keep actually units the tone for that grounding feeling.
Seashore Sure
From Ubud we headed to Bali’s south coast and the busyness of Canggu, a whole distinction to the peacefulness of our days within the jungle. However hidden away off a busy avenue, COMO Uma Canggu is a peaceable oasis amongst the chaos. Sitting proper alongside Echo Seashore with its darkish volcanic sand, that is the one beachfront property in Canggu.
Highlights for me included the COMO Seashore Membership, the place breakfast is served every morning. The breakfast menu was spectacular and once more in-line with that third model pillar of COMO: distinctive delicacies. For me, it was all a couple of each day, scrumptious nasi goreng. The Seashore Membership affords entrance row seats to the surf and motion of Echo Seashore. I liked the large lagoon pool for laps. A whopping 115-meters lengthy, it’s additionally the place newbie surf classes happen. There’s one other pool too, alongside the ocean on the Seashore Membership.
The Candy Spots at Uma Canggu
We stayed in one of many surfside residences, which had a stunning ocean view, however I preferred the look of the Lagoon Pool Residences for his or her direct entry to the enormous lagoon, which means you possibly can swim out and in of your bed room! The Uma Pool Residences provide slightly extra seclusion, and include their very own 10-meter non-public pool. All in, there are 52 rooms and suites and 55 one- and two-bedroom surfside residences, plus 12 three-bedroom duplex COMO Penthouses. There may be additionally a stunning boutique within the foyer and a library, a formidable health club—one of the best lodge health club I’ve ever seen—and the COMO Shambhala Spa with eight therapy rooms. I discovered the service at COMO Uma Canggu to be equally impeccable. That is undoubtedly way more like a standard boutique lodge expertise in comparison with the COMO Shambhala Property.
I used to be in actual want of a complete reset, so the chance to go to Bali and these COMO properties couldn’t have come at a greater time. It was a privilege to be again on this stunning island, and to assist assist the native Balinese individuals after what was an extremely difficult time for them via the pandemic. The wellness, service and eating experiences that the COMO resorts provide is past distinctive—the proverbial icing on the cake for my journey.
