Having just got back from the most beautiful vacation of my life, I can honestly say that the COMO Shambhala Retreat on Parrot Cay Island (just off the coast of Turks & Caicos), is not only as close to Paradise as I can imagine, but it’s also the kind of retreat center where you’d be hard pushed not to find your inner bliss.
The COMO Shambhala wellness center is part of the Parrot Cay resort on a completely private island, which you can only get to by boat. It’s like no other resort spa I have ever encountered. COMO Shambhala is a healthy living philosophy inspired by the mythological roots of “Shambhala”, which in ancient Buddhist texts denotes the sacred place of bliss.
Yoga is the activity that rests at COMO Shambhala’s heart, and so I was thrilled to find that daily classes were offered in probably the most divine studio I have ever practiced in. But what really delighted me is that this spa takes their yoga seriously by offering a variety of classes including Pranayama (Breathing) and meditation, which is really what yoga is (or should be,) about. As our wonderful teacher reminded us, the asanas (the physical postures of yoga), are really a very small part of the practice, and that at its heart, yoga is really about finding a deep stillness whereby we can allow our inner essence to shine. And, finding a deep stillness wasn’t hard: Overlooking a sweeping bay and mangrove forests, with a cool breeze floating through the wide-open doors and windows, I was gently guided to a place within that’s been hard to access in my busy urban life back home.
But, let me back up a bit and and give you a bigger picture of the island and the resort. Parrot Cay is a 1000-acre island that belongs to the Turks and Caicos Islands. It was originally called Pirate Cay because it was apparently a hide out for two very famous female pirates, Anne Bonnie and Mary Reid who terrorized the waters some 225 years ago. For many years the island was uninhabited, until Mrs. Christina Ong came from Singapore and manifested her enlightened vision of a luxury resort incomparable to any other in the Caribbean. The hotel comprises of just 59 rooms and private villas. The design is a perfect blend of Asian and Colonial Caribbean – large airy rooms studded with unique pieces of Asian furniture and fluttering linen drapes.
The beach stretches for miles (basically wraps around the entire island,) and is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen in the Caribbean. For someone like me who finds even the water in Hawaii too cold, and who is afraid of anything moving around my legs in murky water, the Parrot Cay water was a dream: as clear as an aquamarine snow globe when the snow has settled, and as warm as a bath. The incredible thing was that even 
though the resort was full, it seemed as if we had the beach almost to ourselves. All the activities such as sailing, paddle boards and canoes are complimentary, which is a relief because the pressure is off – you don’t feel you have to stay out for the hour you’ve paid for. As a result I took a paddle board out for 15 minutes here and there and actually got quite good at it. The Turks and Caicos Islands boast the third largest reef in the world, so my husband (a veteran Scuba Diver), was in heaven. Thank Goodness I didn’t agree to dive with him because he saw a lot of sharks. Having dived all over the world, he was pleased to report that the coral was in really good shape, which is indicative of a healthy ocean. In an increasingly polluted world where many beaches we’ve visited have been dirty, with bleached-out coral and few fish, it was heartening to see that there are still parts of the world that are as beautiful as God intended.
Switching off can be difficult on vacation because we all live at such a frenzied pace, however, the “Shambhala” spa will help you to get to where you need to go for a much deeper experience, and enable you to truly live fully in each and every moment of this experience. Christina Ong designed COMO Shambhala out of her personal pursuit for a really meaningful spa experience – something she felt must be possible in the right environment with the very best teachers. Every expert, therefore, has to meet her exacting standards, from the massage therapists to Ayurvedic doctors, from psychologists to the yoga teachers – you will have a top-notch experience. I decided to have a consultation with resident Ayurvedic doctor, Dr. Pradeep. He reminded me of all the deepest spiritual truths that often get buried in my busy life back home, and helped me to recommit to a daily Pranyama and meditation ritual. He also supplied me with pages and nutritional and physical advice based on my specific dosha (body type). I met a girl on the beach who seemed to be floating on a personal cloud of bliss – she told me that she’d had a healing Reiki session with Dr. Pradeep and felt that years of pain and sorrow had been lifted from her, which reinforced my understanding that this is no run-of-the-mill spa. Whatever your issue, mental, physical, spiritual (or all 3) you will find the therapy you need for healing.
The food made my heart sing! I love to eat, and eat quite a lot when I’m on vacation, however, being more of a spiritual retreat, I did want to eat as healthily as possible, so when I was offered the “Shambhala” menu at every meal, I was a very happy girl because each and every dish is good as anything I’ve eaten in the best vegan restaurants in the world. For breakfast there was a selection of healthy smoothies, juices and elixirs, platters of tropical fruits, buckwheat pancakes, and sprouted grain toasts. My one indulgence was bread and the occasional pastry because the baker at Parrot Cay is a legend – he bakes every croissant and loaf of bread and it’s insanely delicious. To find healthy foodie staples such as quinoa and spirulina on a menu on a dessert island is pretty sweet! Fresh local fish is offered at lunch and dinner, and after chatting to Sous chef, Taylor, I found out that they grow as much of the produce on the island that they can – much of the green produce is grown hydroponically, and they have cultivated a coconut and banana plantation. Oh – speaking of banana – everyone was waxing lyrical about the ridiculously delicious banana-stuffed French toast!
When children visit the island they are encouraged to plant a coconut tree in the plantation, and supplied with a little name plaque so that they can watch their tree grow as the years go by. I was impressed that the island generates their own power, and desalinates all of their water. I gleaned this information from various members of staff who were all only too willing to espouse the wonders of this tiny island. There is a tremendous sense of pride and joy from every single employee that we met. The service really is second-to-none because it’s not over-the-top or pretentious (the last thing you need on vacation), but there’s always someone helpful around, smiling and seemingly only to happy to help. My husband and I were treated to a “butler” which at first I was rather embarrassed about and not sure I wanted or needed. However, after a ONE day of the lovely Yitno bringing us everything we could possibly need before we needed it, I became…shall I say…rather fond of the situation. S0-much-so that we thought of every which way we could perhaps sneak the lovely Yitno back with us to Los Angeles!!!!!!!
If you are planning a honeymoon, honey-versary, special birthday or any significant vacation where you want to push the boat out, I urge you to 
check out Parrot Cay because not only will you have one of the best Caribbean Beach Vacations of your life, but you will find something much, much more. For utter once-in-a-lifetime luxury, you can choose one of their gorgeous beachfront villas with your own private infinity pool and personal butler, like Yitno.
COMO Shambhala Parrot Cay is an experience that I will never ever forget. I feel completely renewed. I am grateful for a resort that celebrates the beauty of stillness, respects the environment, and promotes a gorgeous, holistic way of life.
