September 2023…// September marks National Yoga Awareness Month in the UK, and what better way to celebrate than by unrolling a mat and stretching out in a spectacular overseas destination? Here to provide a dose of inspiration, Charlotte Rous Communications is delighted to share its top yoga destinations around the globe to align those chakras and practice vinyasa with a view.
From meditation in the Maldives and bikram in the African bush to poolside yolates in Lake Como, there’s a yoga retreat for all this National Yoga Awareness Month…
MALDIVES: Stretch out on the Sand Castaway-Style at Gili Lankanfushi Maldives
At Gili Lankanfushi, the Maldives’ original eco-luxury resort, guests can align their chakras castaway-style with a series of yoga and meditation sessions on the beach. Yoga-lovers can practice their downward dog in complimentary daily sunrise yoga sessions at the resort’s yoga champa, a hidden oasis nestled in the tranquil green jungle. Offering Pranayama, Hatha, Kriya and Restorative yoga, Gili Lankanfushi’s resident yogi will take the group through a series of movements and breathwork to control the mind and emotions and enhance physical and spiritual wellbeing.
Those seeking an entirely bespoke one-to-one experience can book private sessions to be held either in their private overwater villa, on the beach, at the yoga champa or guests can choose to soothe the soul on the sand with twice-weekly beach meditation sessions. These private practices are customized based on the individual’s physical condition, ability and desired end result and are suitable for all, whether exploring the ancient practice for the very first time or a seasoned pro.
Guests wishing to step their well-being up a notch can book into Gili Lankanfushi’s award-winning Meera Spa, which offers holistic healing in a spectacular overwater setting. Open-air walkways link the treatment rooms, steam room and sauna with the vast relaxation areas, where guests can watch the waves and enjoy a spicy pot of freshly brewed Maldivian ginger tea after their treatments.
From immersive, one- to five-day wellness journeys to new active programs that combine surfing and scuba diving with tailored spa therapies, treatments range from the traditional to the cutting edge. Therapies utilize organic products by Voya, created using the finest oceanic and plant extracts including detoxifying seaweed baths. Year-round yoga, meditation, reiki, crystal healing and ancient singing bowl sessions are complimented with a rotating schedule of visiting practitioners, for a curated program of world-class wellness experiences.
Private yoga sessions are available to book for $100++ (£79*) per person.
Nightly rates at Gili Lankanfushi start from $1,722 (£1,366*) based on two adults sharing a Villa Suite with breakfast included. For more information or to book please visit www.gili-lankanfushi.com.
KENYA: Wildly Relaxing Yoga in the Bush at Great Plains’ ol Donyo Lodge
Great Plains, the iconic eco-tourism company founded by National Geographic Explorer-At-Large filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, is proud to offer a wildly unique yoga experience at its ol Donyo Lodge in Kenya. Yoga is the harmony of mind, body and soul and a stay at ol Donyo Lodge truly encapsulates this with a balance of movement, peace, nourishing healthy food and immersion in nature.
Each suite at the luxurious camp comes complete with a Great Plains yoga mat to roll out next to a private plunge pool or sky bed deck, overlooking the plains of Kenya with Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance. Here, guests can find their flow to the sounds of birds chirping in the background and elephants slurping from the water hole below. For the ultimate bucket-list-in-the-bush moment, guests on a private game drive vehicle can bring their yoga mat along on an afternoon game drive and roll it out on top of a hill with 360 views of the wilderness beyond. There, yogis can enjoy a moment of calm and meditate to the sounds of the bush, connecting to themselves and the surroundings, finishing with a peaceful silent guided bushwalk.
Post-session, yogis can nourish the body both inside and out, with superfoods and healthy juices curated with care by Great Plains’ expert chefs for maximum health benefits. These include a brand-new herbal tea menu to aid digestion or provide a calming effect, and a range of new delicious vegan superfood breakfast options. For a complete wellness experience, Great Plains’ talented therapists are on hand to deliver pampering treatments such as The Renewal, a spoiling treatment that encourages the releasing of the emotions of the past and bringing mindful positive focuses to the future, all while enjoying a massage.
ol Donyo Lodge, which sleeps up to twenty guests in eight Deluxe Suites and a two-bedroom Sambu family suite, is located on the Maasai-owned Mbirikani Group Ranch, comprising 275,000 acres of wilderness between Amboseli and Tsavo National Parks and bordering Chyulu Hills National Park. The camp is very remote, offering extreme privacy and a vast amount of activities to choose from – morning and evening game drives, mountain biking, bush breakfast and dinners, horse riding for intermediate to advanced riders, guided bushwalks, tracking, conservation and community out-reach programs and sleep-out star bed experiences.
Nightly rates at Ol Donyo Lodge from $1,090 (£858*). For more information or to book visit https://greatplainsconservation.com/safari/ol-donyo-lodge-kenya-safari/
FRANCE: Purple Ski to Launch Snowga at Chalet Harmony, Méribel
Purple Ski, the premier luxury chalet operator offering exceptional properties across the French Alps, is delighted to reveal the latest addition to its portfolio, Chalet Harmony in Méribel. The brand-new build, which sleeps up to 15 in seven bedrooms, will be available for stays from December 2023.
With an entire floor devoted to post-ski relaxation and entertainment, Chalet Harmony is the perfect destination in which to debut Purple Ski’s new ‘snowga’ offering. Available on request via Purple Ski’s concierge team, the snowga sessions will see a private instructor stretch and soothe residents’ tired muscles after a long day on the slopes and can take place in the dedicated fitness room or outside for a spot of cryo-therapy! Post snowga, guests can unwind in the beautifully appointed wellness area, where they can warm up in the hot tub, ease sore limbs in the sauna or steam room, work out in the fitness room or simply relax by the large indoor swimming pool.
Enjoying a privileged position in Méribel’s Central du Pont area, the opulent four-story property presents a rare opportunity to combine luxury and complete privacy with proximity to the Alpine resort’s charming center, with its bustling shops, bars and restaurants as well as the main ski lift area.
Comprising an elegant master suite with its own floor and six further en-suite bedrooms including one with an additional children’s bunk area, the chalet is the ideal choice for families and groups of friends alike.
A seven-night stay at Chalet Harmony starts from €41,955 (`£35,977*) on a catered basis. For more information or to book visit https://www.purpleski.com/chalets/harmony/
ITALY: Hilton Lake Como Launches Rooftop Yolates Classes
Throughout September, guests of Hilton Lake Como will be able to practice their downward dog with a view at the hotel’s rooftop yolates sessions. Set against a panoramic backdrop of lakeside splendor, the sessions are complimentary for hotel guests and take place at 7.45am each Saturday morning, providing a magnificent setting in which to soak up the sunrise.
A new and innovative fusion of the very best of yoga and pilates, yolates provides the ultimate way to gently stretch the body, building and toning muscles while restoring calm and balance to body and mind.
For those seeking a more exclusive experience, Hilton Lake Como’s very own Spa Manager, Francesca, will offer year-round small group (up to four) and one-to-one classes upon request either on eForea’s spa terrace or within the spa itself, weather permitting. Whether guests favor Power, Vinyasa, Hatha or Indonesian yoga, certified yoga teacher Francesca will be on hand to guide beginners and expert yogis alike. Customizing each session with a varied sequence of poses, guests will leave the class feeling cleansed, energized, and ready to face the day.
Formerly a silk factory, Hilton Lake Como is now a new-generation hotel with spectacular scenery, traditional charm, and jaw-dropping 360-degree views of the lake from its rooftop pool. There are 170 spacious rooms and suites to choose from, a pampering spa and a popular rooftop cocktail bar and restaurant.
Nightly rates at Hilton Lake Como begin at €350 (£300*) per night based on double occupancy with breakfast included.
Private yoga sessions available from €60 (£52*) for 50 minutes (1-2 people) or €80 (£67*) for 50 minutes (3-4 people). Sessions are available year-round.
ITALY: Calming Canalside Yoga at Hilton Molino Stucky Venice
Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, the five-star hotel on the peaceful island of Giudecca, offers group and solo yoga sessions upon request in its magnificent canal-side Stucky Garden throughout the warmer months. Post yoga session, guests can head to the hotel’s eForea spa, an oasis of well-being with a team of seasoned professionals. Between the greenery of the garden and the bright rooms, guests will restore body and spirit at the spa, thanks to the fitness rooms, the sauna, the Turkish bath, the jacuzzi, the relaxation room, and the face and body treatments using Maria Galland products.
Hilton Molino Stucky Venice is a modern Venetian masterpiece steeped in history. The historically listed building has been exquisitely restored with a series of recent refurbishments including sophisticated deluxe rooms and spacious elegant suites – some offering guests enviable views of picture-perfect Venice. After arriving by water taxi, guests will be spoiled for choice with 379 rooms and suites, an unrivaled conference centre and a collection of bars and restaurants including the highest rooftop bar in Venice.
Nightly rates at Hilton Molino Stucky Venice begin at €200 (£172*) per night based on double occupancy with breakfast included. Molino Suites start from €500 (£429*) per night.
*Prices in pound sterling £ accurate according to exchange rate at time of publication.
ENDS
