COMO Shambhala Estate

The Estate sits in a riverine forest in the heart of Bali, just beyond Ubud, and the pages describe the land before they describe anything built on it. This is a traditional place of purification in local culture, with a sacred spring called The Source and the flowing Ayung River. The Estate is aligned with four key Balinese temples. For over two decades it has drawn its vitality from that spring, which the Balinese revere.

The buildings follow the land. Architect Cheong Yew Kuan, described as having conspicuous respect for the environment and indigenous styles of building, worked with interior designer Koichiro Ikebuchi. They used local stone, wood and traditional alang-alang roofing, shaped by the elements of wind, earth, fire, water and forest. Five residences each take one element as a theme. Tejasuara, the 'Sound of Fire', was built with 1,200 tonnes of stone imported from the island of Sumba. Tirta Ening, 'Clear Water', has a Japanese water garden and private waterfall. Wanakasa, 'Forest in the Mist', is a treehouse of interconnected suites around an enormous banyan tree. Terrace suites and one- to three-bedroom pool villas complete the accommodation.

At the heart of the Estate is Ojas, the wellness centre, named for the Sanskrit 'essence of vitality'. It rises from a jungle-fringed clearing close to where the Ayung and Tibakauh rivers merge. It holds nine treatment rooms, a yoga pavilion on its second floor, a Pilates studio, a contrast therapy room, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and an outdoor vitality pool, and three outdoor treatment pavilions stand near Kedara. Ayurvedic doctors, nutritionists, physiotherapists, massage therapists and yoga masters supervise the treatments.

The approach is framed around 'un-ease' rather than 'dis-ease', and prevention over cure. Multi-night Wellness Paths begin with diagnostics, and shorter two-day Wellness Programmes can be booked without a room. Beyond the grounds, experiences include a water purification ceremony at the 10th-century Tirta Empul Temple, sacred water-spring blessing ceremonies, and treks to Lempuyang Temple, Mount Abang and Mount Batur.