Having so many things to do at COMO Shambhala makes it difficult to include every activity! We finally found time to see the estate on foot with Wanaka, an activities guide, who walked five of us guests around the property. We chose the afternoon walk, more appropriate for our grueling schedule of classes and massages. The walk was rigorous, with hundreds and hundreds of steps going to the rivers edge, then back to the gardens of the spa. Along the way, Wanaka  pointed out interesting aspects of the the architecture, the landscape and the natural beauty of the Bali jungle flora. I learned about stone bananas, which the  jungle’s monkeys love, but which are unsuitable for human consumption. We saw the moss flowers which grow on the moss, and anthurium, lobster claw flowers, and three types of ginger flowers. We learned about black bamboo, used to build furniture in Bali. We saw deep gorges, the Ayung River with a rafting expedition, terraced rice fields, coconut palms, and banana groves. In architecture, we saw cantilevered buildings, stone walls, gates, and  Balinese styled houses. One of these houses, called a “Bale Lumbung” was used to store rice and farming equipment in the rice fields. Another one, “Bale Bengong”, sited near the river, was used to serve tea or coffee in the afternoon. This structure is incorporated into most traditional Balinese house compounds, where it is called a “lazy Bali”, used to rest. We also revisited Spa Pavilion Number One, where we’d had our morning massages, then saw the rooflines of two other spa pavilions hidden in the foliage nearby. A treat  for us was seeing the Springs Pools in the Kedara, which means “meadow of waters”, overlooking the river. There are three pools, all romantic; however, one is allocated for jumping. Nearby are tented and netted beds, perfect for an afternoon nap or lunch. The sound of water is everywhere, rushing madly through rapids in the river, spilling over rocks, or trickling off ledges. The landscape is lush with mosses, grasses; green is everywhere the eye falls. The afternoon’s climb on this trek was challenging when steep, but was fully supported by beautiful stairways which led to sumptuous grass lawns. This walk provided us with a special encounter with natural beauty that is unique to Bali and the Begawan Giri Estate.

PHOTOS: Left Column: 1. Banana trees in the jungle. These produce stone bananas, which the monkeys love. 2. Waterfall feeding the “Romantic” pool in the water gardens above the Ayung River. 3 Bamboo trees along the Ayung River. 4. View of the Ayung River gorge. Note the river on the top right of the photo. Center, Top: Wanaka, our guide explaining the Bale Lumbung architecture.  Center, Bottom: Moss edged stairway leading from the Water Gardens to the lawn. Right Column: 1.Henry & Jourdan amongst moss covered rocks. 2. A rafting expedition about to hit the rapids on the Ayung River. 3. Water Garden swimming pool. 4. View of the Ayung River from the Bagawan Giri Estate

JOURDAN ARPELLE-ZIEGLER                                           BACK TO MAP PAGE