Merry Wong
Jun 26, 2025
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, COMO Shambhala Estate — a mutli-award winning retreat for personalised wellness journeys in vitality, growth and transformation — reveals a fresh new face. This 22-acre natural sanctuary is proud to announce not only renovated accommodation but the reopening of its therapeutic heart: the Ojas wellness centre, which will be unveiled in July 2025.
Ojas is set in a striking jungle clearing above the Ayung River, where the Ayung meets a second river, the Tibakauh. This powerful convergence is considered a symbol of cleansing, purification and renewal in Balinese culture. In addition, the hydrotherapy facilities at Ojas are fed by The Source, a healing spring revered for centuries by local villagers. This location is aligned with four key temples, making it part of the island’s sacred energetic grid.
But this indigenous spiritual heritage is only part of COMO Shambhala Estate’s distinctive identity. It is also where natural healing and modernity merge, with cutting-edge treatments, restorative therapies, and luxury accommodation that position COMO Shambhala Estate as a world leader in bespoke wellness. Some of the new health-tech therapies at the Estate include Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, which delivers oxygen to the body improving cognitive function and quality of sleep. The infrared sauna offers a modern take on an ancient tradition, using full-spectrum infrared light to warm the body’s tissues directly, supporting its natural detoxification process, boosting muscle recovery, and calming the parasympathetic nervous system.
“The Estate’s location resonates differently to any other place I know,” says COMO Group Founder, Christina Ong, who connected immediately with the site when she first visited in 2000. “It has a healing heritage that’s been here for thousands of years, revolving around the sacred spring and the energy of the flowing river. All I needed to do was honour that knowledge, working with designers and architects — including Cheong Yew Kwan, who still lives on site — who know and respect the energy lines already in place.”
Atelier Ikebuchi, the acclaimed interior design team behind Ojas' original 2006 aesthetic, returns with a striking yet serene transformation. The redesign masterfully blends gleaming white Carrara marble, bold black Corian cladding, and rich natural teak wood to create a space that balances contemporary luxury with organic warmth.
Mangku Budi, a Balinese priest based in the local village of Begawan Giri, states: “We believe the Ayung river is the heart of the island. The confluence of the two rivers in the Estate along with the holy spring offers natural healing powers that cleanse our bodies and release negative energy”.
That history — combined with extraordinary private villa-style accommodation, COMO Hotels and Resorts award-winning service, and healthy cuisine from the COMO Shambhala Kitchen — inspires guests on meaningful journeys of transformation, equipping them with the tools to nurture their long-term health.
“Many of our staff have come from or contributed to other COMO Shambhala wellness retreats we’ve opened all over the world. The Estate remains the brand’s flagship because of all that collective experience,” says Corinne Ng, Deputy Chief Commercial Officer, COMO Shambhala.
To mark the reopening, COMO Shambhala Estate will offer a new series of one-to-two day Wellness Programmes. These structured experiences, designed to achieve specific wellness goals, serve as an ideal introduction for first-time guests, those seeking a shorter stay, and even non-staying guests looking for a transformative retreat. Some of the key Wellness Programmes include the COMO Cleanse (specialised, nutrition-focused menus from the COMO Shambhala Kitchen that encourage a complete digestive reset), Tech-Inspired Wellness (a special curation of health-tech therapies, driven by personalised data analysis, to achieve systemic balance), and Vital Energy (a combination of qi-balancing therapies and wellness technology to energise the body).
Those seeking a deeper experience can opt for the ‘Wellness Paths’ — holistic, multi-night stays that combine diagnostics, diet, breathwork, and hands-on healing. Guests can choose from six different Paths that focus on gut health, detoxification, fitness, mindfulness, restoration through Ayurveda, or an integrated programme that allows for a complete mind-body reset. Each Wellness Path begins with an in-depth consultation led by the Estate’s wellness experts.
All guests at the Estate can also benefit from a series of new complimentary wellness activities, including sunrise and full moon yoga, jungle stretch classes and Balinese purification practices.
An evolution of wellness and fitness facilities for the Estate.
Ojas’ new facilities include:
- Contrast therapy suites, including a state-of-the-art cold plunge pool, ice bath, and a infrared sauna.
- Colonic hydrotherapy treatment room with a post-treatment relaxation area.
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in an AirpodTM chamber to promote cellular regeneration,
enhanced oxygenation, and accelerated recovery.
- Hydrotherapy pool, now offering Watsu (a form of aquatic bodywork combining massage, joint mobilisation, and stretching in warm water, which promotes deep relaxation and healing).
- A new space dedicated to Ayurveda treatments
Fitness enhancements include:
- An indoor fitness centre with state-of-the art facilities catering to all training levels and aligning with COMO’s Wellness Paths.
- An upgraded outdoor fitness area, set against breathtaking natural surroundings, to enhance boot camp programmes and guided training sessions.
To coincide with the reopening of Ojas, COMO Shambhala Estate also unveils the full renovation of two of the five residences scattered throughout the property.
- Wanakasa Residence, translating to ‘Forest in the Mist’, is a luxury treehouse comprising interconnecting suites nestled around a magnificent banyan tree, with the Ayung River 100 metres below.
- Bayugita Residence, inspired by the word ‘Windsong’, boasts an impressive infinity pool overlooking the jungle, complemented by a serene private meditation and water garden that draws from the sacred spring at Kedara, revered for its purifying and healing properties.
For more information or to book a stay, visit www.comohotels.com/shambhalaestate
