Archive for August, 2009

By Ruba’s very first guest blogger, Alexandra Pallut

Looking for a way to rejuvenate your batteries? Treat yourself to a yoga retreat and you will return with a new outlook on life. The ancient practice of yoga focuses on ‘being present in the moment’. Away from the chatter of cell phones, television and email, we can begin to ‘still our mind’ and focus on our bodies and emotions. We can take the time to simply ‘be’. Life is simple. Wake up, practice yoga, indulge in delicious healthy food and start again.

Every yoga retreat centre offers something special. When choosing a yoga retreat ask yourself what is important to you – are you drawn to a specific location, style of yoga or teacher? Are you looking for luxury or a more rustic experience? I have chosen to highlight four very different centers with the aim of showing you that there is something out there for everyone.

Shoshoni Yoga Retreat, CO (www.shoshoni.org)

If you love the mountains, then this is the retreat centre for you. Located near Boulder Colorado, it is hard not to be inspired by the stunning views of the surrounding peaks. Delicious home cooked vegetarian food, fresh mountain air and a chance to explore nature are part of the package. Shoshoni practices and teaches Shambhava yoga, which places importance on the spirituality of yoga as well as the positions and postures.

Esalen Institute, CA (www.esalen.org)

California boasts some of the most scenic coastline in the world and it’s easy to understand why after a stay at Easlen. At the end of your day, enjoy a relaxing soak in the newly renovated hot springs that look out over the Pacific. Located just three and half hours south of San Francisco along the Big Sur Coastline, this centre offers over 400 workshops a year. Yoga is just one discipline that is on offer. Veggies are grown on site and body work is available by appointment.

Kripalu Centre, MA (www.kripalu.org)

If you’re looking to study with world class teachers then this might be the place for you.

Kripalu offers an unparalleled diversity of courses throughout the year with well-known teachers such as Shive Rea and Rodney Yea. Located in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts, a typical day offers the chance to get back to nature. Take a guided meditative walk, swim in the lake or simply enjoy a leisurely stroll. Kripalu’s holistic approach to life is evident from the array of full time professionals on site. Access to massage therapists, life coaches, nutritionists and fitness trainers means that you can nurture all aspects of your life.

Omega Institute, NY (www.eomega.org)

This educational institute is located in Rhineback in the Hudson Valley about 85 miles from New York City. A ‘Rest and Rejuvenate’ package gives you an opportunity to enjoy a plethora of classes (yoga, tai chi, movement and meditation), take educational seminars on stress relief and chakra meditation, unwind at the wellness centre and relax in the beautiful surroundings. If you have never been to a retreat before and don’t want to solely focus on yoga then Omega could be the perfect place for you.

Glamorous camping, also known as glamping, is the latest fad in travel and is described simply as “a step up from camping.” Essentially, this trend appeals to anyone who wants to enjoy the great outdoors but isn’t too enthralled with the idea of sleeping on the ground or eating out of a can. Glamping first popped up several years ago but is really taking off now, perhaps because its an affordable alternative to a traditional hotel vacation and its generally more environmentally friendly. With glamping, you get to enjoy camping favorites such as campfires, marshmallows, and tents, without sacrificing comfort. The most popular glamping sites are in locations where the weather is generally mild, but is by no means limited to just the United States. “Glamp-sites” are appearing all over Europe and are becoming even more popular in places such as Africa and Thailand where the style was born. There’s even a new website out there dedicated to the phenomenon: http://goglamping.net/ Below are some great options for your first glamping adventure!

Costanoa: Pescadero, California, USA (http://www.costanoa.com)

Photo courtesy of flickr: Donna62

Located on the California coast, about an hour south of San Francisco along Highway 1, is one of the best-known glamping sites. The lodge and camp are surrounded by 30,000 acres of state parks and wildlife preserves and guests can enjoy hiking, mountain biking, music and art exhibits, educational lectures, kayaking, spa treatments and more. Costanoa offers a huge variety of accommodations ranging from raised platforms where guests pitch their own tents to cozy, luxurious rooms in the main lodge, and a variety of different “tented bungalow” options. For visitors who don’t want to cook their own food, there is a restaurant within the lodge, as well as a spa and sauna. This is a fairly reasonable glamping option with tented bungalows starting at $115. But book early – this place sells out every summer and into the fall!

For more ideas on what to do while you’re in Northern California, visit: http://www.ruba.com/USA/CA

If you’re looking for something more luxurious, try one of the following two options:

Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Vancouver Island, Canada (www.wildretreat.com)

Photo courtesy of: Clayoquot Wilderness Resort

A stay at Clayquot can barely be considered camping as tents are equipped with remote-controlled propane fireplaces, toilets, oil lamps and antique furniture. Located outside of Vancouver, Clayquot offers a variety of outdoor activities to supplement your Canadian adventure, including horseback riding, whale watching, salmon fishing, climbing, mountain biking, and cooking classes. All activities are classified as nonintrusive and conservancy-driven marine as the resort plans to restore four miles in the next five years of critical salmon-spawning habitats. The experience is unmatched anywhere in the world, but be prepared to pay dearly for it: the minimum stay is three nights for 4,750 Canadian dollars a person (approximately $4,475 U.S. dollars).

The Resort at Paws Up, Greenough, Montana, USA (http://www.pawsup.com/resort/)

Photo courtesy of The Resort at Paws Up

The Resort at Paws Up’s motto is “nature served on a silver platter” and this luxury ranch vacation spot does a great job of just that.The resort offers horseback riding, mountain biking, and fishing, spa treatments, and more, all within a 37,000 acre space surrounding the Blackfoot River. Guests have their choice of cabins or luxury tents, complete with king-sized beds, a personal butler, and private master baths. Rates start at $695 per night for two, but include three meals a day.

If you’re looking for something a little more exotic, try one of the following two:

Ecocamp, Torres del Paine, Patagonia (http://www.ecocamp.travel/)

Photo courtesy of EcoCamp

Located in Chilean Patagonia, Ecocamp does a great job of proving that enjoying one of the planet’s most fascinating adventure vacations, seeing the granite peaks and blue glaciers of the Andes, and battling sometimes harsh Andean weather doesn’t mean you have to rough it. The dome-shaped tents are eco-friendly, comfortable, and mean you don’t need to worry about a thing after your long day of hiking, horseback riding, or photographing wildlife. All you have to do is relax and enjoy their delicious food. The camp is owned by tour operator Cascada Expediciones but you can also book a stay their through one of their many international partners.

Greystoke Mahale, Kangwena Beach, Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania (http://www.greystoke-mahale.com)

Photo courtesy of Greystoke Mahale

Located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania, Greystoke Mahale is about as remote as you can get, even for Africa – but that doesn’t mean it’s not luxurious. The camp can only be accessed via private plane as there are no roads within 60 km. Guests stay in one of only six exotic wooden bandas with only three walls, an upstairs observation deck, and private bathrooms with hot showers. The bandas are set along the forest line so guests can observe the lake and the chimps, which are the main wildlife attraction, at their leisure. Like most luxurious African camps and tented camps, Greystoke Mahale offers some of the most fabulous dining experiences in the world, including sundowners on the shores of the lake and gourmet meals on the beach. During the day, guests follow trackers into the lush forests on the sloped mountainsides for several hours of observation of the local chimpanzee population, followed by a dip in the lake and a meal of fresh sashimi caught right outside the bandas.