COMO Shambhala at the Begawan Giri Estate, located approximately 20 minutes by car, driving northwest from Ubud. It is a secluded, self-contained  property with a philosophy and concept unique to its founders and current owner. The name, in Sanskrit, is translated to reveal the underlying intentions of this beautiful retreat. COMO, is an acronym for the owner, Christina Ong, and her daughter, Melissa Ong. The name Shambhala, a Sanskrit word, means “feeling good in heart, mind, and body.” The estate’s name, Begawan Giri, also a Sanskrit word, means “wise man’s mountain”, or “wise man in the mountain”. Combine these ideas together, and the meaning becomes clear. On a wise man’s mountain there is a place, owned by intelligent and sensitive women, where one can retreat to restore oneself in order to feel good in heart, mind and body.  COMO Shambhala offers five programs which are supportive of health and healing: Ayurvedic Programs, Cleansing Programs, Get Fit Programs, Stress Management Programs, and Rejuvenation Programs. However, not everyone signs up for this deeper, more serious work. Many guests simply come here to relax, enjoy the complimentary programs which are offered, and indulge themselves in a large variety of spa treatments designed for health and well being. There are two restaurants here: Glow, an open air restaurant featuring the healthiest cuisine, including raw food and healthy juices; and, Klos House, a 150 year old carved wooden Javanese House, where a menu of healthy continental cuisine is offered. The design of the grounds and facilities on this estate promote peace, quietude, deep relaxation, and a restful, healing sense of calm. The residences are clustered in four and five suite sites, hidden from view. Prominent among the buildings on the lawn, is the The Yoga Pavilion and Spa. The Spa contains beautiful massage rooms with open air showers that are landscaped with tropical plants. There is a Yoga Bale, used for pranayama, meditation, yoga, and chi gong. There is a luxurious terraced pool with beautifully white upholstered chaises longues on the grounds beneath the Yoga Pavilion. Here is where the Aqua Therapy classes, limited to six participants, takes place. The uniqueness of this therapy pool is the water jets, designed to relieve aches, pains, and tensions. These jets are placed in built-in stone-like chairs, chaise longue, and other forms, which are beneath the water. The sensation is marvelous as one sits on each of the different forms for a water massage. Near the pool is an open pavilion, the Tea House, with Javanese-styled sofas, covered in white cotton, and beneath that, the Fitness Room. There are Life Fitness machines here, plus weights and air conditioning to keep the workout comfortable. On another level, many meters down the steep gorge, are pavilions hidden in jungle foliage designed for outdoor massages. Henry and I enjoyed our COMO Shambhala massages there, late one morning, to the sound of birds and rushing water, the sound of waterfalls and the surge of the Ayung River far below. The three “Springs Pools”, actual swimming pools, are nestled nearer the river, on an outcropping of stone. A waterfall flows into the “Romantic” pool, set aside from the other two. One of the other two is for jumping, and a third is for more communal swimming. Two netted white cotton upholstered and bolstered beds await guests who would like to nap amid the soft sounds of nature. Terraced grounds, stairways with green moss, birds fluttering through the air, and changeable skies with soft light, lend such charm, elegance and beauty, that each guest feels happy to be here, and leaves with a lighter step and a more radiant expression.

For more information: http://www.cse.comoshambhala.bz

PHOTOS:  Left Column: 1.Our view: terraced rice fields. 2. Landscaping on the lawn. 3. Terraced steps near Klos House restaurant. 4. Landscaping with rolling lawn. Center, Top: Moss covered sculpture. Center, Bottom: Trailing flowers on an arbor. Right Column: 1. Stairway. 2. Table and chairs at the Tea House pavilion. 3. Deck at the Springs Pools, near the  Ayung River. 4. Walkway on the landscaped lawn.

JOURDAN ARPELLE-ZIEGLER                                           BACK TO MAP PAGE