Overall, Como Shambhala Estate is the stronger stay.
Como Shambhala Estate for the location.
Phuket, Thailand · Como
A butler named Da ran a whole stay over WhatsApp, and the restaurant staff learned a family’s drink orders by day three.
A secluded villa resort on Phuket’s Cape Yamu headland, built around private pools and sea views.
Read the full verdictUbud, Indonesia · Como
Set above the Ayung River with a jungle path down to three spring-fed pools at Kedara.
A wellness resort of about 30 villas, suites and rooms set in jungle above the Ayung River near Ubud, Indonesia.
Read the full verdictIf you reserve via this button, we might earn a not-so-fat commission. Helps keep the lights on.
Out of 20
Overall +2
Overall: COMO Point Yamu 16 out of 20, Como Shambhala Estate 18 out of 20.Service +2 Why
Service: COMO Point Yamu 17 out of 20, Como Shambhala Estate 19 out of 20.COMO Point Yamu: A butler named Da ran a whole stay over WhatsApp, and the restaurant staff learned a family’s drink orders by day three.
Como Shambhala Estate: Every guest gets a named personal assistant reachable on WhatsApp, and people describe staff appearing with water before they’d asked for it.
Rooms & Design +0.5 Why
Rooms & Design: COMO Point Yamu 17 out of 20, Como Shambhala Estate 17.5 out of 20.COMO Point Yamu: Low-rise, villa-led architecture that guests describe as understated rather than showy, with private pools drawing the strongest reaction.
Como Shambhala Estate: Villas built into the hillside mix Balinese materials with modern layouts; a few guests flagged some residences as dated ahead of a phased renovation.
Location +4 Why
Location: COMO Point Yamu 14.5 out of 20, Como Shambhala Estate 18.5 out of 20.COMO Point Yamu: A quiet headland that keeps the views and privacy but means a Grab ride for anything outside the gate.
Como Shambhala Estate: Set above the Ayung River with a jungle path down to three spring-fed pools at Kedara, but the 400 steps and buggy dependence are real.
Dining +4 Why
Dining: COMO Point Yamu 13.5 out of 20, Como Shambhala Estate 17.5 out of 20.COMO Point Yamu: Only two real restaurants on site despite marketing language suggesting more, and the Thai kitchen undercuts the Italian one.
Como Shambhala Estate: Glow and Kudus get consistent praise for the wellness-forward menu and breakfast, though almost nobody mentions a standout dinner beyond the healthy angle.
Wellness +3.5 Why
Wellness: COMO Point Yamu 15.5 out of 20, Como Shambhala Estate 19 out of 20.COMO Point Yamu: Morning yoga gets singled out as a highlight, and the hotel will arrange outside activities like muay thai on request.
Como Shambhala Estate: The spa, Shirodhara treatments, and Kedara spring pools come up as the reason people book, with the on-site doctor and diagnostics only partly matching what’s promised.
Strengths of COMO Point Yamu
Strengths of Como Shambhala Estate
Trade-offs of COMO Point Yamu
Trade-offs of Como Shambhala Estate
Only at COMO Point Yamu
Only at Como Shambhala Estate
COMO Point Yamu sits on its own headland on Phuket's quieter east side, away from everything and built for exactly that kind of privacy. The villas get the strongest reaction: a four-bedroom pool villa draws comparisons to the best family stays in Phuket, and the private pools attached to the rooms are the detail people bring up unprompted when asked what made the trip. Staff get remembered by name here. One guest's butler, Da, ran the whole stay over WhatsApp and kept showing up in the gratitude at the end of the review; another couple had the restaurant team learn their drink order by the third day.
The trade-off is eating on property. There are really only two restaurants despite the hotel's own materials suggesting more, and the Italian room is the better of the two. For a resort at this price, that's a thin bench, and anyone who wants a night off from the in-house menu will be calling a car. A family villa guest also flagged that the hot water tank isn't sized for eight-plus people showering back to back, worth knowing if you're booking the bigger villas.
None of that changes who this is for: people who want a private pool, a quiet headland, and staff who remember what they drink, over a resort with five restaurants to rotate through. Book it for the villas and the view, plan to eat at least one night off-site, and go in knowing Phuket Town is a drive away, not a walk.
COMO Shambhala isn't trying to be the biggest resort in Ubud, and that's the point. With around 30 residences spread across 23 acres of jungle above the Ayung River, you get a personal assistant reachable by WhatsApp for the length of your stay, two restaurants built around a genuinely restrictive wellness menu, and a walk down to three natural spring pools that keeps coming up as the single best thing on the property. People who've done multiple Amans in Bali say the butler service here beats what they got at the Aman properties down the road, which is a real comparison, not a throwaway line.
The building is the trade-off worth pricing in. It dates to the 1990s, and while renovated residences read as modern and calm, several guests noted some villas are still waiting their turn, so ask which residence you're booking rather than assuming they're identical. The 400-odd steps down to the river pools are also non-negotiable if you want to see them, and rain closes the path outright — buggies help but don't eliminate the climb. One guest specifically flagged that promised blood-test and diagnostic screening didn't fully materialize, worth asking about directly if that's why you're coming.
None of that changes who this is for. If you want a scene, a big pool deck, or nightlife, this isn't it — go to Mandapa or a beach club property instead. But for people who actually want the wellness programming to be real rather than a spa menu bolted onto a resort, and who don't mind that "quiet luxury" here means genuinely quiet, this is the one Ubud regulars keep returning to. Book it for Kedara and the personal assistant, not for the room finishes.
Newsletter
You’ll get the new hotels and the openings worth booking early, plus longer reads, like which room to ask for or whether a famous name still deserves the trip.
— Nicolas
COMO Point Yamu: A butler named Da ran a whole stay over WhatsApp, and the restaurant staff learned a family’s drink orders by day three. Como Shambhala Estate: Set above the Ayung River with a jungle path down to three spring-fed pools at Kedara. Overall, Como Shambhala Estate is the stronger stay.
Como Shambhala Estate is ahead on the food. COMO Point Yamu adds Beach, Family, Design and Thai Design; Como Shambhala Estate adds Countryside, Eco, Adults-Only and Balinese Design. Both are tagged Romantic and Wellness.
Como Shambhala Estate leads on this. COMO Point Yamu: A quiet headland that keeps the views and privacy but means a Grab ride for anything outside the gate. Como Shambhala Estate: Set above the Ayung River with a jungle path down to three spring-fed pools at Kedara, but the 400 steps and buggy dependence are real.
Como Shambhala Estate leads on this. COMO Point Yamu: Only two real restaurants on site despite marketing language suggesting more, and the Thai kitchen undercuts the Italian one. Como Shambhala Estate: Glow and Kudus get consistent praise for the wellness-forward menu and breakfast, though almost nobody mentions a standout dinner beyond the healthy angle.
COMO Point Yamu is in Phuket, Thailand; Como Shambhala Estate is in Ubud, Indonesia.
Neither: COMO Point Yamu and Como Shambhala Estate both hold One Michelin Key in the Michelin Guide’s 2026 hotel selection. The Keys come from the guide’s own anonymous inspections and are separate from the Fat Score.
