A Day in a Yoga Retreat

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to take part in a yoga retreat? Or wondered what a “normal” day in a yoga retreat is like? In this blog post, our Yoga & Wellness Manager, Heini, wants to share her experience as she trialled our yoga retreats at Hilltop Wellness Resort. This is one day in a yoga retreat in Phuket…

My Wednesday at Hilltop Yoga & Wellness Retreat

7.30am: I wake up with a gorgeous view from my room. I make some coffee in the room and enjoy the view before heading to the yoga studio downstairs. Yesterday, we had a sunrise yoga class early in the morning, so today I feel like I’ve slept in 😊

8.00am: Morning yoga class in the yoga studio. Our morning practice is a vinyasa flow class which is exactly what I needed to wake up today. The class is strong but ends with a nice long relaxation which makes me think that maybe the teacher knows about the trip we’re going on today…

9.15am: I head back to the room for a quick shower and to pack my bag for today’s jungle trek.

9.45am: Breakfast in Plearn restaurant. I meet the others in the restaurant for breakfast. They’ve already ordered their food, and I’m having difficulties making my breakfast choices for today. I decide to have a fruit plate, yoghourt with granola, an omelette, juice, and a cappuccino – more coffee for me! I know that today’s trip is going to be physically quite challenging, so I make sure I have a lot of energy for the hike.

10.30am: Excursion time! We meet our guide, Khun Sa, at the resort lobby and she checks that we have everything we need for our jungle trekking and kayaking trip. I’ve got my trainers, water bottle, swimming gear, and a towel just in case. We get into the van which will take us to the start point of our trek.

11.15am: We’re ready to start our jungle trekking at Khao Phra Thaeo National Park which is one of the only remaining true rainforests in Phuket. Our guide and one of the park rangers lead us through the forest path explaining about the plants and animals that we come across. This is an absolutely amazing experience and I’m just in awe of all the huge trees and flowers surrounding us! The path is actually much easier to walk than I expected, so the whole trip is really relaxed and we’re not in a rush at all. About half-way through, we stop at a waterfall and some people from the group go swimming (or more like showering) in the waterfall. I’m not a fan of cold water, so I skip this opportunity, but it looks really fun and refreshing!

About 1pm: We’re back at the van and our guide has some snacks and drinks for us. We enjoy them quickly and use the toilet before heading to our kayaking spot just a short drive from the national park.

1.30pm: Kayaking! We’re ready to jump into our kayaks in the nearby mangrove forest. We all have a kayaking guide in our kayaks, which makes the experience really relaxing as we can just enjoy sliding through the mangroves. I feel at peace in these quiet surroundings.

2.30pm: Lunch time! Our lunch spot is next to the kayaking place by the water, a really peaceful place to enjoy some local Thai food prepared on the spot for us. While eating, our guide explains a bit more about the local mangroves and the rainforest. There’s so much to

learn about Phuket’s nature and its animal habitats! After lunch, we jump back in the van and head back to the resort.

About 4pm: We arrive back at the resort. I go to order a healthy fruit smoothie from the restaurant and go to the pool to enjoy it. The views from the pool are just spectacular and I find myself relaxing there until it’s time for our evening yoga class.

5.30pm: Sunset yoga class at the outdoor yoga deck. After the long day of hiking and kayaking, I really appreciate the gentle evening yoga class. It’s really nice to stretch out the tired legs and wind down with the sunset views. I enjoy the changing colours in the evening sky as I lie down in my Savasana pose. I almost fall asleep…

6.30pm: I head back to the room for a shower before dinner at Plearn restaurant.

7.15pm: I meet the others in the restaurant for dinner and I find myself really hungry browsing through the menu. Tonight, I want to mix the restaurant’s Wellness and Thai menus, so I choose the Japanese cucumber salad for starters, then the vegetarian Pad Thai noodles as my main course, and a fruit platter as a dessert.

8.30pm: I’m happily full and tired, so I head back to my room. It doesn’t take long for me to fall asleep. I’ll be well rested for the next retreat day tomorrow…

We hope that this diary entry gives you an insight into what life is like in our yoga retreats. If you’re curious to know more about our offerings, just drop us a message.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Pictures 1, 3, 4 & 5 by Hilltop Wellness Resort

Picture 2 by Nilla Rafael (@nillarafael)