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.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

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