Our Manager

Our SHAMBALA RETREAT Center has one MOTO that our manager MADE has made popular: SALING MENGISIH dan MEMBANTU
It means that we complement each other and we help each other out. In other words, even the manager isn't too good to get down on his knees and to polish something if need be, and we all do our best to help each other. And another saying that our manager popularized with me is: We are human and we can all make mistakes, but the mistakes are there for us to learn from them.

With those two sentences we subtly communicate that we don't have a top down attitude.
Naturally when there's a manager, there will be responsibilities that only he can handle. But embedded in how we communicate, we have a feeling of working together as a family, each person pulling their own weight in order to make the whole work together.

And that's what we say we use the Family System. Bali people like using that concept.
It means that we respect each other and communicate from heart to heart. We speak sincerely from our heart and not from a 'position' and really care for each other.Sharing our profit with our staff makes everybody want to work together. The increase in work, when all goes super well, feeds back to each individual as well in shared profits. Instead of just being a cog in the wheel, all of us are needed and all of us are rewarded!We say that it takes all the spokes of a wheel, to make it turn.

Beyond that, all our employees have chosen to share their tips communally. Instead of hoping individually for some personal tip, and competing as is customary in most establishments in the west, they share. Actually we use the metaphor of a CAR often as well. As they say in Bali:
It takes all the parts of the car, the wheels, the nuts and bolts, the steering, as well as the person at the helm, in order to successfully drive a car and get from point A to point B. We work holistically, and we mean it.

When I speak to my team, I always address them as my Angels.
I tell them that we are a team of angels living in Heaven on Earth because that is what SHAMBALA stands for. It's a deep appreciation for each individual that makes all of the employees work together so well. And the beautiful guests that we are blessed with here at SHAMBALA.

Made Arsa

Made has been with us since the very beginning, when we just had a house, which is now next to Shambala. He was the all around manager at our house. He joined Shambala aftern managing Bali Mandala.

He is a humble but a very strong person, with strong ethics and with a big heart. He works quietly in the background, making sure everyone is attended to.

Made can think of a million things simultaneously and get them all done. He has so many talents that we feel utterly blessed by his work and friendship.

He bases his success in his life on good principles. He is especially grateful for the help of a Dutch man who helped finance Made’s schooling, at a time when Made's family no longer could afford it.

Made Arsa is forever is grateful that he got the wondrous support of a foreigner and will forever remember him. He is married and has one teenage daughter and one teenage son and a third child, a daughter born in 2012.

EDY

Edy is our dedicated Guest Service Manager, a man of deep spiritual grounding and strong principles. He is guided by a sincere commitment to truth, integrity, and service—qualities that are felt in every interaction with him.

A loving father of two children, Edy has also opened his heart to raise his brother’s son as his own, reflecting his natural generosity and sense of responsibility.

At Shambala, he is here to make your experience seamless and enriching. From organizing your travel arrangements to coordinating special requests and excursions, Edy ensures that every detail is taken care of with care and precision. If you are curious, he is also happy to share insights into the rich history, culture, and philosophy of Bali.

With his excellent English and genuine love for helping others, Edy creates a sense of ease, trust, and support—so you can fully relax and enjoy your journey.

 

GEDE MAHA DIKA

Gede is our Guest Service and Office Manager, a true wizard behind the scenes with a natural talent for organization and technology. With a solid background in office management, he ensures that everything runs smoothly, efficiently, and with quiet precision.

He carries a gentle, soulful presence—so much so that speaking with him can feel like connecting with an angel. There is a calm kindness and sincerity in the way he listens and responds, making every interaction feel supportive and easeful.

From a young age, it was Gede’s dream to be part of the Shambala team. Through perseverance, dedication, and unwavering focus, he brought that dream into reality. Today, he embodies that same devotion in his work, offering his full heart and 100% commitment to every guest and every detail.

Gede’s presence is one of quiet excellence, grace, and deep integrity—an essential part of the Shambala experience.

 

 

Our House Keeping Staff

At Shambala we have a special motto: Let us live like in Heaven on Earth and be like angels! I often say, that we are here to co-create a special atmosphere, and that the structures and designs, as beautiful as we can make them. in and of themselves do not create the atmosphere like they can as a team. That is what a team can do, they can make you feel cared for, welcomed, liked, treated kindly, and make small gestures of beauty that will make you remember Shambala forever.

We love our staff and are close to them. We care about their well-being and therefor have a profit sharing principle. 15% of the gross income goes to the staff, which is partly supported by your 5% service fee. This means that the more guests we have the happier we all are. And the motivation to work stays strong with increased work!

We have a staff of 24, over one staff per guest capacity. This will ensure you have a heavenly stay with us, as everyone has time to attend to the many details with their full heart.

We hope you love your stay with us and will come again and again!

Putu Widayani

She is very gentle in her appearance, cute in her smile, with a very warm heart and a humble nature. She always makes the staff smile and laugh and stands by her friends. She was single when she started working at Shambala, and has taken the lead in housekeeping. She has gotten married since coming to Shambala and now has three children, two girls and one boy. She pays attention to soooo many details, that she has fast become my Housekeeping Angel. I can always trust that she finds the dust in all the nooks and cranies and that the laundry comes back to our guests, like from a professional company.

Mahardika

MAHADRIKA or also called MAHA for short, originally joined our staff to help out with our pregnant Putu Widayani.

At first we were only looking for someone to help out for 6 months, and he was willing to do what it takes.
We found out that we were blessed with a gem of a young man. He proved to be very mature, responsible and very motivated to be the best he can be. We are so grateful to be working with Maha. He is very warm hearted!

SUMANE

Sumane or also called Kadek comes from a fisherman's village, which is located right behind SHAMBALA.
He had worked at a private villa before and brought with him in incredible politeness, just like his family member, who is a Manku, who presides over ceremonies.
He has one son and a wife, and a mother and father, whom he supports, who live with the fishermen behind SHAMBALA.

His English skills were remarkable, born at Gemini, we thought he might excel. And all my God were we rewarded.

Throughout the last many years he has worked in housekeeping, and provided attention to all the details, not only in housekeeping but in guest-service management as well. Now he has progressed into working in the Front office, as guest-service-manager.

He has shown to have great skills in Yoga as well He is also our Yoga Teacher, and guided you in your EASY YOGA sessions, wheneer you wish to book them.

We are very blessed to happen with us!

Our Gardener Team

We take pride in the fact that all our staff participates in trash separation, which is rather unheard of in the most parts of Bali. We all participate in making compost, in the kitchen we separate the compostable kitchenscraps from the paper and the plastic, and in the garden we save all the garden clippings, grass to mix in with the kitchen scraps and shred the branches for mulch.

Our staff is teaching everyone at home as well, as they see how great clean beauty feels to the welbeing of the soul.

We have grown our garden from bare soil in 2009 to a full lush blooming, and fruitbaring garden in 2013 by using composting bins that produce soil in 3 weeks! All we use is organic compost for fertilzation, a fairly new concept in Bali.

Bees are hanging in the trees to help polination of all our fruit trees and to provide honey.

We have: mango, papaya, coconut, breadfruit and advocado trees, as well as tapioca plants, Bali spinach, lemnon grass, hibiscus, and healing plants.

We believe that to help the bees is to help humanity to survive!

Komang Poliana

He can climb coconut trees and takes care of our organic composting together with Putu Ardana. He has completely transformed the garden around RAJINDER and turned it into a paradise. He added a lot of eddible trees and plants to Shambala. He is kind, smiling and will speak English if you ask.

ANDY

Andy is a devoted father of two beautiful children—a boy and a girl—who brings the same care and dedication to his family as he does to his work. As a passionate gardener, he lovingly tends to the land and provides us with fresh hydroponic salads and bok choy, nurturing both the earth and our well-being.

Beyond his green thumb, Andy is also a talented drummer, carrying a vibrant rhythm that reflects his joyful spirit. He contributes wholeheartedly to our community through prayer, service, and a genuine openness—always eager to connect, especially through his love of speaking English.

Andy’s presence is one of grounded energy, kindness, and quiet strength, enriching everyone around him.

 

Putu Ardana

He is hard working staff, creative and has turned the main section around the Temple into a flowering paradisical garden. He has worked as a gardener since the beginning at ShagriLa. He is very humble and funny with the staff, and is like a hidden gem. He makes our staff laugh when they sometimes sit together and talk, and never is too proude to help with anything. Feel free to appreciate the daily effort and attention that our gardeners give to the gardens of Shambala.

Gede Widnyana

His eyes are like stars and shine like a man who knows a lot more that he shows. His heart shines through his eyes. He takes his life here on Earth as a path of service and conscientiousness.

He is a quite type and really kind. We found him working as a finishing builder while Shambala was being built, doing all his work with love and attentiveness . We loved his style, his care with details, his persistence and dedication to excellence., whicih is why we asked him to join our team. You will be walking on and touching the many walls and floors he helped to build.

Our SPA Team

It is our SPA team along with our Housekeeping staff take care of receiving guests with flowers and showering you with flowers and blessings when you leave.

ARPENI

She our head Massage Therapist in Shambala. Arpeni is a devoted mother of three beautiful girls, carrying a natural gift for caregiving that shines through in everything she does. With a depth of understanding that goes far beyond her years and formal training, she has an intuitive ability to truly see and support each person she works with.

As our main therapist, Arpeni has been an essential part of our journey since the very beginning in 2009. Her touch is both skilled and deeply nurturing—guiding you into a space of relaxation that feels almost heavenly.

In her presence, you feel genuinely cared for, loved, and held. Arpeni doesn’t just offer a massage; she creates an experience of true restoration, where body, mind, and spirit can soften, open, and renew.

Sukerti

She has a very soft heart and is a very polite woman. She has worked as an assistant to a midwife prior to joining us at Shambala and brings with her a keens sense of energy and healing. She is a very good therapist. Although small in stature, her hands are strong, and she is very focused in her mind. You will be able to feel her focus and presence as she will take you to Heaven during your massage. She is married and has one daughter.

Iluh

Iluh's husband works on a ship and is gone many months at at time. Here at Shambala she has found a family and friends that care for her while she is taking care of her child. Iluh is our Reflexology Massage Therapist, but also gives all other oil massages as wel. She works slowly, and puts you into a deep state of relaxation. She cares and has a very kind heart. She lives with her inlaws and has one son.

Our Restaurant Team

Living in Heaven on Earth, which to me is embedded in the name SHAMBALA, implies the fact that we eat healthy food, food made with love, and of course vegetarian food, food where we did not have to kill another creature . As part of our mission we have dedicated ourselves to promote vegetarianism . When guests stay with us sometimes up to four weeks they are often surprised to discover, that they can live quite well without eating meat.

When we started to build Shambala back in 2008 the RAW or VEGAN movement was not yet in vogue as it is now. However we have learned many recipes and can cater to clients who request RAW or VEGAN food. We offer a milk substitutes such as coconut or soy milk, and if you let us know of any allergies, we can cater to your needs as well.

Furthermore you will find that we do not offer any food with garlic.
The reason for this is that we discovered that garlic may not be conducive to higher state of consciousness through the research done Dr. Bob Beck. Back in the seventies. While he was training C.I.A. agents in Remote Viewing (the ability to read documents remotely, without looking at them) decades ago.

What they found was startling:
What he discovered in these training sessions was that whenever his Remote Viewing students ate foods which contained garlic, they could no longer perform the Remote Viewing tasks, which they have been able to well before eating food with garlic .

After further research they discovered that it was the active ingredient of sulphone hydroxyl, which actually passes the blood barrier which is supposed to keep everyting out of the brain, that caused this effect.
Garlic usually desynchronises brain waves, he found. (And see article here http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/garlic-brain-toxin.html)
He also mentions that it reduces the brain speed reaction time.

In India It is also well known fact. Most monasteries and Ashrams do not allow their monks or students to eat any food that contains garlic, including onions and leeks, in order to ensure better meditation and focusing abilities.

Garlic also as many beneficial qualities as we know, and can be used as a medicine. But who wants to eat medicine all the time? If the monks in India don't eat it, why should we, especially in a place called Shambala!

BREAD BAKING:
Over the years we've been blessed with amazing people, who taught us their favorite recipes. There was for example Merlin from Germany who showed our staff how to bake bread, also Focaccia bread! If you smell that great waft of fresh baked bread floating through the air, you now know it is our kitchen faries. We even bake gluten free breads as well as gluten free sweet treats for our guest!

You may also be delighted to know but we don't use cheap oils for cooking and frying.
We splurge our budget on olive oil and for deep frying we use coconut oil!

CLEAN WATER:
All are salads and vegetables are washed with triple purified water, which in the end is also treated with UV light. This allows us to offer you raw food and salads.

We give away all the food in the evening to our staff if we have leftovers, and none of our food gets reused. We prefer to cook from scratch every single day to ensure your health and safety.

Besides the amazingly heartfelt staff working in the kitchen, seen or unseen, sometimes busy behind the counter and sometimes bringing you food, we offer the most amazing seating right by the ocean. We have covered outdoor seating for 22 people, where you can enjoy our signature coffee WHITE DOG, which is a fair trade coffee, made from selected beans, grown in Indonesia, while sitting on rustic wooden furniture hand made and carved by Bali people, and enjoy your Heaven on Earth with us gazing over the ocean.

Komang Mudasih

She is our Head Chef in Shambala and has brought with her years of experience from having worked as a cook in Candi Dasa. She can coordinate our entire kitchen, produce outrageous buffet menus, and will work diligently to make sure our groups are very happy. She knows to cook healthily and is very clean in all her work in the kitchen. She understands the western stomach!

She loves to create new cakes and will be delighted bake a cake for your special occasion as well.

She loves to meditate and works on her emotions to improve herself, pays attention to her dreams and thoughts, and knows that she is the creator of her outer life. She teaches YOGA daily in our Meditation Hall for our guests. She is married to Wayan, our gardener, and has two beautiful daughters.

Putu Mawar

She is a great team member and cook, esspecialy Balinese Cuisine. She pours out love and gratitude, and will untiringly help to make the kitchen a success. She is very friendly and a good team member. She is married and has 2 sons.

Kadek Wijaya

He has recently joined our staff in th esummer of 2015 as he replaced Komang Widih, who wanted to help his wife at home with their new llittle shop.

Kadek is the nephew of our oldes cook, and he is sure to keep the family tradition alive. He has been admiring Komang Adi and his aunti Komang Mudasih, learning fast, and being very polite, attentive and very helpful.

WARINI

Warini, our Master Cook, brings a touch of India’s rich culinary soul into every dish she creates. With exceptional skill and passion, her cooking has been featured in well-known restaurants, and she has even run her own restaurant before becoming a treasured part of our Shambala family.

She is the true wizard behind our Indian cuisine—infusing each meal with depth, flavor, and love. Beyond her remarkable talent in the kitchen, Warini has a heart of gold and embodies the spirit of generosity and care. She is truly one of the greatest blessings we could have wished for in our team.

Warini also enjoys practicing her English, so if you meet her at the table, feel free to connect with her. If you have any special wishes—especially for vegetarian dishes—she will be delighted to bring your culinary dreams to life with warmth and creativity.

 

Our Security Team

After the sunsets and the star as rise, the guests at Shambala go to sleep. What they may not know is, that two angels are watching over them. From sunset and sunrise our security team is available to you, if you ever have a special need.

Of course some guests arrive late at night and it is again our angels that will greet them.
And then there are the Dolphin excursions, which require that somebody wakes you up early in the morning and shows you to the dolphin boats. Again our security comes to help our guests in the wee hours of the mornings.

And we're blessed to say that in the north of Bali far away from any major roads we're nestled into a safe little haven.

Made Sucahaya

Test is good for him. His name means: Sacred Light, and he carries a deep sense of responsibiity with him. He comes from a fisherman familiy, and knows everyone here around us at Shambala. His demeanor is solid, and dependable. and you can try your English out on him.
His wife was raising their son of 6 months all alone with her husband having to work in Denpasar as is most often the case. For years they lived like this, until we finally had an opening at Shambala while one staff member retired.

You will find him patroling the beach or the quiet walk ways. If anything needs attention, he can help you at nigth.

Our Maintenance Genie

Our maintenance team as a one man show. We are so very blessed to have our super gifted AGUS ARIES, who works incessantly to keep up the many things that corrodes due to the salty ocean air. In the beginning I thought we would it get by with calling a person whenever we need it someone for maintenance. Did I have to learn in a hurry that there is always something to be fixed at a retreat center, especially living this close to the ocean.

When you're not watching he takes care of the computers, cleans the pool, fixes pumps, make sure the water towers are filled with water, changes the light bulbs, repairs the cables that have been eaten by termites, make sure the sound systems, to the projector the fans and the AC all work.
And when he has an extra moment he makes sure that he lacquers the tables after he sends them down.

It is unbelievable with the power of nature can do. Saltwater this close to the ocean penetrates almost everything, corrodes things and for example makes it necessary that we change the door handles almost every here if not every other year.

Agus Aries

We were so glad when Agus joined our team. He has a fulltime job making sure everything runs well. From lightbulbs to the swimming pool, from waterpipes to solar panels, he can repair and install anything.

His quiet ways make him look like a dear as he patrols the grounds of Shambala. He fixes everything at our Resort from the electric system to water pipes and loves to be on call and preform his miraculous tricks.

He is very intelligent, has a very soft heart, is always smiling and is very friendly to staff and guests alike. Be sure you talk to him as well.

He is married and has one daughter and two sons.