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Travel Diaries

A Very COMO Comeback to Bali

by Georgia Hopkins of @_itsbeautifulhere

Two years is a long time to go between Bali visits as a resident of Australia. So when the doors finally reopened to our beautiful Indonesian island neighbor, I promptly planned a trip. I had missed the “Land of the Gods,” the Balinese smiles, ceremonies and rituals, as well as the amazing food, fresh coconuts and beautiful beaches, of course. On this trip though, I was especially looking forward to checking out two of the three COMO Bali hotels, along with a big dose of spiritual healing immersed in the gentleness and peacefulness of the culture.

Into the Jungle

COMO Bali Hotels

My first stop was the beyond-iconic wellness sanctuary, COMO Shambhala Estate, a property 15 minutes outside Ubud that has been providing a luxury wellness offering to guests for more than two decades. Hidden away in the Balinese jungle above the roaring Ayung River, its setting is extraordinary, and staying here comes with access to a sacred water spring that is known and loved by locals for its healing properties. Sitting on 23 acres, this is COMO’s flagship property. There is a special energy here, and I could feel it as soon as I arrived; a grounding, calming, healing force.

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At COMO Shambhala Estate, you are gifted with an abundance of space, nature and time—the things I consider to be some of the greatest luxuries of all. The lush jungle setting and access to the Ayung River, with the constant sound of flowing water, was perhaps the most healing part of all. The COMO brand has three main pillars, with wellness being one of them. I love the way the wellness offerings are subtly integrated, through healthy food options and activities for guests, but nothing is forced. Come here for health and wellness, or come here just to relax.

Standout Shambhala Estate Experiences

COMO Bali Hotels

The Estate experience is truly luxurious. Service is another one of the COMO brand pillars and it’s exceptional: intuitive, personalized and discreet. Guests are allocated a “personal assistant” who is on hand for the entirety of the stay. My assistant Bapak Fuji, or Ketut, was gracious, warm and kind—nothing was ever too much trouble. He planned a stunning picnic for my friend PK and I at Kedara alongside the roaring Ayung. In between courses, we swam in the natural pools and drank from the holy water of the sacred spring. Ketut also booked me into my first ever Balinese Gratitude Ceremony, where I learnt how to make a Balinese “Canang Sari” offering under the watchful eye of Bapak Mudra.

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We weaved our own baskets and chose flowers to be offered to the god Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa in gratitude for world peace. It was just one of the many special moments at this incredible place. In the holistic spa, I was treated to a nurturing COMO Shambhala Massage, their signature offering, by Ibu Utami and it was the perfect rebalancing of body and mind. We did a morning mat Pilates class in the open air shala which was the very best start to the day. I couldn’t help but feel rejuvenated here, no matter how much or little I chose to do.

Retreat Living

COMO Bali Hotels

With its private swimming pool and large living and dining areas, our stupendously large two-bedroom Retreat Pool Villa was incredible. What a privilege to shower outdoors in the jungle each morning with sunlight streaming through the forest canopy. Aside from the five Retreat Pool Villas, there are four two- or three-bedroom Private Villas, and five residences each with their own pool. We had a tour of the Tirta Ening—named after one of the most holy temples in Bali—and it’s incredibly impressive, thanks to private access to the spring and holy water, a waterfall pool and a bath hand-carved out of stone.

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Breakfast and dinner are served at Kudus House where Indonesia cuisine is a staple. It’s the most exquisite space, housed in a 150-year-old former Javanese residence, with views over the verdant jungle below. My favorite part of brekkie was the Jamu and turmeric shot as a teaser before the meal, but there are fresh juices and very good coffee and teas as well. The COMO cuisine here takes its inspiration from the living foods tradition. I love that you can opt to be really health-conscious or you can choose to mix it up with other more substantial foods as well. The signature COMO ginger, honey and lemon tea that is served on-arrival and throughout the stay really sets the tone for that grounding feeling.

Beach Bound

COMO Bali Hotels

From Ubud we headed to Bali’s south coast and the busyness of Canggu, a complete contrast to the peacefulness of our days in the jungle. But hidden away off a busy street, COMO Uma Canggu is a peaceful oasis amongst the chaos. Sitting right along Echo Beach with its dark volcanic sand, this is the only beachfront property in Canggu.

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Highlights for me included the COMO Beach Club, where breakfast is served each morning. The breakfast menu was impressive and again in-line with that third brand pillar of COMO: exceptional cuisine. For me, it was all about a daily, delicious nasi goreng. The Beach Club offers front row seats to the surf and action of Echo Beach. I loved the massive lagoon pool for laps. A whopping 115-meters long, it’s also where beginner surf lessons take place. There’s another pool too, alongside the ocean at the Beach Club.

The Sweet Spots at Uma Canggu

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We stayed in one of the surfside residences, which had a lovely ocean view, but I liked the look of the Lagoon Pool Residences for their direct access to the giant lagoon, meaning you can swim in and out of your bedroom! The Uma Pool Residences offer a little more seclusion, and come with their own 10-meter private 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 is also a lovely boutique in the lobby and a library, an impressive gym—the best hotel gym I’ve ever seen—and the COMO Shambhala Spa with eight treatment rooms. I found the service at COMO Uma Canggu to be equally impeccable. This is definitely much more like a traditional boutique hotel experience compared to the COMO Shambhala Estate.

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I was in real need of a total reset, so the opportunity to visit Bali and these COMO properties couldn’t have come at a better time. It was a privilege to be back on this beautiful island, and to help support the local Balinese people after what was an incredibly challenging time for them through the pandemic. The wellness, service and dining experiences that the COMO hotels offer is beyond exceptional—the proverbial icing on the cake for my trip.

COMO Bali Hotels

About The Author: Travel writer and content producer Georgia Hopkins of @_itsbeautifulhere has been finding and sharing the most unique and beautiful places to explore in Australia and beyond since 2012

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