Once you want to get away from it all and go to an exotic place to learn yoga or meditation, that means flying to Asia, braving crazy traffic, taking a bus or train to a remote area with no electricity or electric drives and having to check into a monastery or monastery.
This way of travel is suitable for those who have time, energy and desire. These days, however, yoga is big business, and there’s no shortage of cozy and comfortable luxury retreats in spectacular locations around the world.
Narrowing it down to the top 10 luxury resorts in the world isn’t easy.
The cuts all offer something special. Most of them offer luxurious accommodation and spa services as well as world-class yoga classes. These are elite, attracting the most famous and respected international faculty in the world.
Locations range from the cliffs of Big Sur to the mountains of Nepal. From the beaches of Thailand to the valleys of Peru. Each of them is more spectacular than the other. This is on the bucket list for any die-hard yoga travel enthusiast!
Here is our pick of the top 10 luxury yoga resorts in the world:
Esalen (California, USA)
40895903_10156571950344462_8167591482618806272_o19944383_10155391427284462_5864706811982676753_o13433233_10154149843194462_1202601074227154392_o69366257_10157474397214462_1950525767884472320_o
Founded in 1962, Esalen was inspired by the positive psychology movement and pioneering psychologist Abraham Maslow’s research on the peak human experience, nearly inventing the idea of the modern retreat center. The Human Potential Movement was born here and has grown into one of the world’s most popular workshops exploring spirituality, creativity, psychology, healing, movement, and everything in between. Esalen receives approximately 20,000 people per year.
The plan: The Esalen workshop catalog is a long read, so it’s worth reading through on your own, as there’s a lot of interesting stuff that’s sure to pique your interest. An interesting workshop is Divine Evolution: Yoga and Meditation Weekend which includes 3 days 2 nights of asana, meditation and pranayama.
What we like: The Esalen campus is a sprawling, sprawling facility on 300 acres. It has an organic farm, a massage school, an open art studio and its own spa. Accommodations range from sleeping bags to private luxury cabins overlooking the bluffs of the Pacific Ocean. Early booking is recommended.
Cost: $1505 for a premium single room for weekend seminars. Luxury vacation homes for the same weekend start at $2,025.
Address: 55000 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA, 93920
Purple Valley (Goa, India)
Cottages_outsideganesh_outside_2pv-ganesh-1pv-savasana-house-2pv-savasana-house-3
If Ashtanga yoga is your thing, no other retreat center in the world attracts as many top-notch teachers as Purple Valley. Located in a relatively quiet corner of North Goa’s famous party destination, Purple Valley has become a go-to for asana nerds around the world thanks to its popular YouTube channel curated by bodyworker and anatomy buff Stu Girling.
Programs: Each program has a different focus, although all programs are based on the Ashtanga Vinyasa method. Ty Landrum’s intensive 2-week program includes morning Mysore exercises with optional pranayama and 4 evening theoretical and philosophical seminars per week.
What we like: Purple Valley will only appeal to those interested in Ashtanga yoga, but if that’s your thing, this place is definitely a holy place. It has the most comfortable yoga accommodation in all of India, including premium garden view bungalows.
Fees: Fees vary by program. Individual garden view bungalows start at $1,870.
Address: 142 Bairo Alto, Assagao, Bardez, Goa, India.
Om Ham Retreat (Bali, Indonesia)
Pork Ham 2 Pork Ham 5 Pork Ham 6 Pork Ham 7
Bali has quickly become the most popular yoga holiday destination outside of India. There are countless luxury resorts to choose from. We chose Om Ham because it is beautiful, secluded without being too isolated, and has the advantage of being popular with international teachers while offering your own personal retreat.
Programs: Om Ham offers personalized retreat packages from 4 to 8 days. The 5-day Restore Renew Retreat offers daily Kundalini Tantric Yoga, three meals a day, selected spa services and guided walking tours of the beautiful Junjungan village.
What we like: Om Ham is the perfect Bali getaway, not just because it’s beautiful in its own right, but because it’s so close to Ubud, the bustling market town in central Bali that has been expanding over the past 10 years A wonderland of yoga years. When you stay at Om Ham, you get a peaceful location with easy access to all asana studios, acro-yoga jams, ecstatic dances and ki