COMO Hotels and Resorts’ Iconic Experiences, which launched this week on September 10th 2024, inspires travelers to explore more deeply in the ten countries where the brand operates, from Fiji to Bhutan. Each is iconic because of the way COMO presents a unique combination of place, on-the-ground expertise, and end-to-end attention to high-quality detail. Of the over 50 evergreen experiences, some will appeal to adventure seekers, others to foodies and wine lovers, and still others to the spiritually depleted. What makes these experiences rare is the distinct mix of access and insight to places, people and culture.
‘How to shine a spotlight on local quality rather than globalized clichés? What is the value of privileged access in a world where ‘exclusive’ has been devalued by overuse? I ask myself these questions all the time,’ says COMO’s founder-owner, Mrs. Christina Ong: ‘These are also the questions which lie at the heart of our new Iconic Experiences campaign.’
‘COMO has a quirky portfolio of locations, from Bhutan to the South Pacific. For more than thirty years, our investment choices have been driven by a genuine desire to offer our customers something unique,’ says COMO’s CEO, Olivier Jolivet; ‘We’ve blazed trails ahead of other luxury brands, from the northern Caribbean to the Himalayas and Burgundy. We’re constantly striving to give more meaning to luxury, to exceed our guests’ expectations, by investing in the time it takes to get things right. Our new range of iconic experiences distils the essence of what drives us, to offer quality, uncommon access ahead of the curve.’
A sampling of the kind of access available is listed below. Our new brand film and the full range of Iconic Experiences can be viewed here:
www.comohotels.com/experiences
A spiritual awakening: Kedara is a hidden water garden tucked inside a forest on the banks of the Ayung River about ten miles from Ubud in Bali. Each pool is rimmed with river rocks. The pools are fed by a waterfall descending from a holy spring. What makes it unique is its spiritual heritage: this water is historically sacred to the local Hindu community. The people come here to retrieve water for holy occasions, or conduct a spring blessing. The only outsiders granted access are guests of COMO Shambhala Estate, who can attend a private blessing ceremony overseen by a Balinese priest.
Riding the wave: At COMO Hotels and Resorts, we’ve been chasing waves for years, with access to some of the best surf breaks in the world at our resorts in Fiji, Indonesia and the Maldives. But what makes our offering iconic is more than proximity to world-class reefs. It’s our long-term collaboration with luxury surf guides, Tropicsurf, founded by Australian Ross Phillips. At COMO Uma Canggu, Philips has a team of instructors to give best-in-class tuition. Guests can build their confidence in the pool, advance their skills on the break out front, or enjoy an ‘Island Surfari’ — an extended road trip exploring Bali’s secluded breaks.
Swimming bareback: For horseback riders, swimming bareback in the Pacific Ocean offers a one- of-a-kind equestrian adventure. At COMO Laucala Island In Fiji, even novices can savor this unique experience, riding along a two-mile stretch of white sandy beach fringed with palms. Our horses are calm, well-trained, and energetic crossbreeds of Australian Thoroughbreds (originally bred for the Melbourne racetrack) and British Clydesdales (traditionally used on coconut plantations). The stables are managed by our island’s resident Fijian ‘Horse Whisperer,’ who also leads guests on scenic rides through the island’s lush, dappled forests.
The inside track on Burgundy’s fine wines: Seventeen of the world’s twenty most expensive wines are grown in Burgundy’s valleys and slopes to the west of the Saône river. But there’s another way to access the seams of this hallowed territory, and get a taste of what makes it special: e-biking through the vineyards, using COMO Le Montrachet as your base. The vineyards date back to mediaeval times, when Cistercian monks planted grapevines in walled vineyards called ‘clos’. Today, the ‘climats’ (wine-growing plots) have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. With your biking guide, and time to taste, this is a unique way to learn more about why these wines are so prized.
Under the waves: At COMO Maalifushi in the southern Maldives, you can charter boats for a fishing excursion. Depending on the season, you can go after yellowfin tuna, wahoo, mahi mahi and sailfish, with expert instruction from our resident fishing guides, trained by New Zealand-born Hamish Taggart. Hamish has consulted for the company for more than 20 years — and knows these waters inside-out. Or if watching, not fishing, is more your thing, you can snorkel with whale sharks, which takes place at night, from November to April, when the largest sharks in the world travel to Thaa Atoll to migrate. Local fishermen help with the sightings, while underwater photographs are used to assist marine conservation.
Bhutan’s traditional bounty: For centuries, Bhutan’s relative seclusion from the rest of the world protected its Himalayan culture. Even with modern tourism, the nation’s current King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, continues to balance traditional rural values with modern ecological thinking. Sustainable farming practices endure, which is evident from the people’s pride in their land, villages and valley homesteads, and the profound hospitality extended to travelers. Guests of our two lodges, COMO Uma Paro and COMO Uma Punakha, can deepen their appreciation of this way of life with a meal at a local farmhouse — noodles, dumplings, yak cheeses, and fiddlehead-fern soups — shared with some of our local friends, including weavers, painters, and farmers.
Truffle hunting on a private estate: It doesn’t get more farm-to-table than eating the truffles you found yourself that day. At COMO Castello del Nero in Tuscany, the experience relies on a unique combination of terroir (our ancient oak woodland), where the Tuscan truffle has been able to thrive, with different varieties available throughout the year. With the help of specialist hunting dogs, you can discover three types of black truffle, exploring the wildest corners of our private 740-acre estate. In the winter months, you can hunt for the elusive white truffle instead. Chef Giovanni Luca di Pirro, whose La Torre restaurant commands a Michelin star, will prepare the delicacies for your lunch.
A Belgravia game, set and match: One of the ironies of staying with COMO in the busy heart of London is the access we have to some of the capital’s finest green spaces — not just Hyde Park, which is less than a five-minute walk away from COMO The Halkin, but the members-only Belgrave Garden Square. Dating from 1827, this leafy, secluded two-hectare retreat has a beautiful tennis court. We combine this iconic experience — the court is at its best from May to September during the English summer — with a picnic of seasonal strawberries, Devon cream, and chilled Taittinger Champagne. It’s rare access to a side of London otherwise only familiar to Belgravia residents.
Hiking in the Dolomites: The Italian Dolomites are a hikers’ wonderland — from May when the wildflowers burst into color, to late October when the last of the alpine meadows drop their seeds. Our newest mountain hotel, COMO Alpina Dolomites, gives you walk-in, walk-out access to numerous trails, which weave all over the Alpe di Siusi. The best way to enjoy this UNESCO- protected landscape is with local experts in the geology, flora and fauna. Mountain guide Alex Schenk, who was raised in this community, heads up our activities’ team. The local insights and access make this experience iconic — and not just in summer, but for winter touring too when you can swap your hiking boots for snowshoes, skis and poles.
The spirit of the Indian Ocean: Before modern tourism arrived, COMO Cocoa Island — locally known as Makunufushi — was home to a pioneering German photographer, Eric Klemm, who lived in simple ‘castaway’ house among the palms. When we opened the resort in 2002, Klemm’s striking pictures and the spirit of place spoke of something iconic we were determined to preserve: smudges of beach and turquoise waters protected by coral reefs where nature, not man, prevails. We’ve held on to that feeling, by keeping our kilometre-long sandbank pristine, which unusually for these low-lying islands, is present all year round. We arrange private picnic lunches, seafood dinners and barefoot walking meditation.
