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Absolutely amazing place. Ulpotha is an experience that can never really be described. In summary, if a five-star beach resort with evening gin and tonics and home-from-home luxuries is your preferred destination, or if you like extreme hardship and want to eat bugs for breakfast, then Ulpotha isn’t for you and you wouldn’t fit in anyway. But if you genuinely want to get away from it all, in a warm, engaging and totally relaxing environment, but with a more minimalist lifestyle, where you can challenge your perception of just how important a hairdryer is, then you will have the most amazing time.
I came to the Boghill Centre to do a yoga weekend retreat earlier in the year. They offer residential workshops all year round including yoga, creative energy, tribal drumming, singing, native American sweat lodges, traditional Irish music, ceramics, cookery (veggie) and a whole range of cool holistic therapies.
As far as I'm aware they rent the place for visiting tutors so, naturally, the programme varies. These are just examples from when I looked at the website, but some are regular or annual events (drumming, Irish music and yoga).
Anyway, I found it a really relaxing place to just chill and unwind. It is run as an eco community with help from WWOOFers, the people there are lovely and very welcoming and friendly. Quite an international collection!
The best thing I found was the completely natural and homely atmosphere, and also the scrumptious homegrown organic veggie food, all served up there in such a beautiful secluded setting.
There is a stone circle, tonnes of walks in their own land or on the neighbouring Burren landscape (unique apparently and certainly very bizarre and fairytale like), and the coast and beaches are great for surfing too! They are a hostel/B&B too.
It is just in between Lisdoonvarna and Kilfenora. They're tiny villages but are both on the map for local events. I got a bus from Ennis to Lisdoonvarna, they are frequent in the summer but I can't remember how often, twice a day I think! See Bus Eirann website if you're planning to get there green-ways!
The Boghill Centre
Kilfenora
Co Clare
Ireland
Tel - +00353 (0)657074644
Email - boghill@eircom.net
Website - www.boghill.com
A rather wonderful family-run guest house, two minutes from the Assi ghats.
Clean and comfortable rooms (some with a balcony), hot water on demand and fresh home-cooked food.
Very, very friendly staff who will make you most welcome. Dr V.N Tripathi offers (advanced and beginners) yoga, meditation and Ayurveda lessons to guests.
I read the recommendations on the website and can vouch for them!
Maruti Guest House
B-1/86A Assi
Varanasi 221005
Tel: 0542-2312261
Website:
www.marutiguesthouse.com
Email:
marutiguesthouse@yahoo.co.in
It is a residential retreat and martial arts centre, offering guidance and tuition in meditation and martial arts, and where instructors and teachers of martial arts, yoga, pilates, dance or any other activity can take their students for a training camp or retreat. It is an incredible place.
The staff are wonderful, the facilities (I went there on a memorable long weekend of self-defence training for women only, taught by the owner) are superb. The food is local produce prepared in-house, and the welcome is unbelievable.
The owners have assembled a great team of helpers, and they are really good people. The house and gardens are gorgeous and the surroundings are breathtaking. The cost of a stay with them is low, and is great value.
www.mettacentre.com
The Metta Centre
Contrada Villa Saline
Penna San Giovanni(MC) 62020
Le Marche
Baan Zen is a place to really unwind in a traditional Thai house, overlooking the Klong Prao lagoon. You can practice yoga, reiki or meditation.
Near Blue lagoon bungalow in Klong prao beach
www.baanzen.com tel 0865309354
The Algarve surf and yoga retreat is an ecologically built nature camp that specialises in surf and yoga programmes. Located in Cabo Vicentina natural park, the retreat boasts close access to three stunning beaches. Built on the model of simple living, the camp offers three meals per day, surf and yoga activities, canoeing and just a great place to relax.
It only takes small groups so a low-key stay is assured.
Surf Shanti is an ecological nature retreat located on the west coast of the Algarve. There you can learn to surf and practice yoga. It is a rustic unique outdoor camp environment. Great for nature lovers and outdoor people. Really amazing beaches!
This place was amazing! It is a surf and yoga camp modeled on an African safari camp. Very 'eco' in feel and a great place to totally unwind, you can't help but totally relax. Practice yoga and learn to surf - what a great combination! Myself and my partner totally enjoyed it. Yoga always appealed to her and I always wanted to do a surf trip. We both loved it and would recommend it for couples for sure. Also the area and beaches around are stunning as well.
Free yoga classes from 8-9 every Sunday night, mats provided. Different teachers every night. Often they provide free passes to their home studios.
1928 Broadway (at 64th Street)
New York, NY 10023
www.lululemon.com/newyork/newyork/events
A bit slow, and a little pricey, the World Peace Cafe is still a must for the altruistic or the plain curious. Run by the Manjushri Buddhists from nearby Conishead Priory, from 11.30 to 2.30 it serves only organic, fair-trade vegetarian food (mains £5.00, sandwiches £4), cakes and a selection of teas from Earl Grey to Ayurvedic.
The cafe also offers evening sessions in its very own meditation room (cost £9.50) - there's even a lunchtime guided meditation (£4.50) followed by soup of the day...
5 Cavendish Street, Ulverston
01229 587793
www.worldpeacecafe.org
Yuva is a family run eco holiday centre about 30 mins drive from Fethiye. It is set in 40 acres of pine forest and has direct access to the Mediterranean sea. It hosts a range of activity holidays from April to October for beginners and the more experienced including yoga, walking and chi gung, but you can also stay all year round without taking part in a course or activity to just relax and enjoy the beautiful natural environment.
Food is mainly delicious locally produced organic vegetarian and accommodation is in large traditionally built stone houses and wood cabins, all ensuite. Prices start from under £200 a week half board not including flight.
Yuva is a great place to relax, enjoy the sea, sunshine, and the natural environment and eat well and healthily at the same time!
www.yuvaholidays.com
Tel: 01760 755888
Istanbul's biggest yoga centre 'Cihangir Yoga' holds annual retreats in Fetihye along the Lycian way. These retreats have been running successfully now for six years and attract teachers and students from all over the world.
Top class yoga tuition and time to relax on the beautiful secluded beaches.
you can find information at www.cihangiryoga.com
Palolem in south Goa is a fantastic laid back beach. You can check out how beautiful it is by watching Matt Damon run along it during the opening 10 minutes of the Bourne Supremacy.
There are some great beach huts to rent (average price £7 per day). My favourite has to be Dreamcatcher at the north end run by Jacky and Walter. Jacky is from Liverpool via the asteroid belt while Walter is an ex Kerelan wrestling champion. They make you feel so welcome it feels like home after about 10 minutes.
The food the cook serves up is fresh and tasty (prawns the size of bananas and curries that are far tastier than anything you've had in the UK) while the bar will serve you anything from a lasi to a Kingfisher.
If yoga is your thing, Wayne (yes I know not the most mystical sounding name) does a sunrise (well 9am) class and a sunset one. There's also a variety of massage too.
The place is magical at night as it is lit by candles. You can either sit around the campfire or relax on a daybed by the bar.
If you're going to Goa and want a place that's not commercial, Palolem and Dreamcatcher is where you should head to.
This is a little gem! It's all about windsurfing, yoga, kitesurfing but in a fantastically relaxed and friendly environment that is off the beaten track and feels like you have really escaped.
Even though I was on my own, it was really easy to fit in and great to try something as full on as kitesurfing on a huge natural lagoon area, but then get into yoga as well. It's close enough to Cairo to get to see the pyramids which are really awesome. Moonbeach itself is a 3 star kind of hotel, or there is a new, bigger very nice 4 star Green hotel beside the kite lagoons. There are flight options every day and it felt like a very tailor made holiday - without the price tag!
Moonbeach is in Ras Sudr which is halfway between Cairo and Sharm el Sheikh
www.moonbeachretreat.com
Tel: 44 1580 753824
Tribe of Doris is essentially a festival, held in the beauty of the West Country - but a festival with a difference, one that inspires and creates, sings and dances and celebrates the exploration and unity of different cultures and people from all over the world. For five glorious hot August days you can be taught the vibrant wonders of African dance or Cherokee singing, or relax with tai chi or yoga sessions. With an exquisite combination of drum, dance, song and ceremony, Doris is an absolutely sumptuous and totally unique festival experience! Tribe of Doris; Many cultures, One race.
Every weekend hip Amsterdammers descend on the beach 20 minutes outside the city. By day the area is a sea of gorgeous looking bikinied bodies and surfer dudes lounging on over-sized cushions and hammocks, by night there is dancing in the sand at one of the Ibiza style-clubs. It's a glamorous hippy vibe with yoga classes held in between DJ stints.
Trains to Bloemendaal leave from Amsterdam Centraal Station every half-hour. It's a short taxi ride from the station to the beach.
The You Sabai is a guesthouse located in the heart of Chiang Mai. It has 8 comfortable, clean and affordable guesthouse rooms (150 – 250 Baht per night), a charming outdoor restaurant that serves up healthy authentic Thai dishes and western breakfast favourites, and assists with a wide variety of traveller arrangements.
Visitors staying at the You Sabai guesthouse can avail of free use of an open space to practice Thai massage, yoga, or to meditate in privacy.
I kept going back to the same Guest House in Chiang Mai because the people that owned it were really friendly, honest and fun. Now I am lucky enough to be good friends with them. And I wish to tell anyone that is going to Chiang Mai that they should call in and see for themselves.
Address: Moon Muang Soi 2
Chiang Mai
Thailand
Email address for bookings: lolay01@yahoo.com
Website: www.yousabai.com
Located on the opposite side of the island to San Antonio, Benirras Beach is a great little hangout with a couple of restaurants, a good little ramshackle beach bar and a friendly atmosphere.
On Sunday evenings the place comes alive as all manner of old school hippies, and trustafarians appear out of nowhere. There's beer drinking, drumming and dancing as the sun sets on the horizon.
This is a world away from the San Antonio I experienced on an 18-30's holiday 10 years ago.
And if you're into a bit of stretching, I recommend you check out Ibiza Yoga - totally idyllic and not 'too purist' ;-)
www.ibizayoga.com/;
www.ibiza-spotlight.com/beach/benirras_i.htm
This is for those who'd like to keep up their Yoga while on holiday in Rio/Brazil. There are about four yoga classes per week in the gardens starting at 9am. The lady who teaches yoga doesn't speak English but others in the group do (sort of). I suppose it's for people who have done Yoga before. It's a lovely setting; you can see little monkeys jumping up and down while you lie in Shavassana. However, don't forget the not-too-nice creepy crawlies (bring your mosquito spray). The classes are £2 for about an hour (including entry into the park), or cheaper if you book for the whole week. If it rains, the classes are held inside. Bring your own mat and after the class have a stroll around the park or a coffee with the other Yoga enthusiasts. Very recommendable!
Botanical Gardens/Jardim Botanico. www.jbrj.gov.br/
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