Sunshine, Souks, the desert and the mountains
THE Wild Times away in morocco16 - 20th September 2023
Do
Settle in and start the retreat with mint tea and a delicious dinner on Saturday. Our first few days are all about grounding and resting with an adventure into the Atlas Mountains. There is an optional trip to the souks for shopping, mint teas on rooftops and exploring the square. Tuesday evening will take us to the rocky desert of Agafay, for a sunset dinner under canvas.
There will usually be two yoga classes a day, including dynamic vinyasa in the morning, calming yin before dinner and a couple of restorative yoga nidras (sleepy yoga!) before bed. The yoga sessions are themed around the natural elements, bringing the qualities and strengths of nature into your practice and life.
All activities are optional but encouraged, so you can nap, read or swim and explore - it’s completely up to you. There are free shuttles from our venue to Marrakech three times a day if you'd like to explore more. Otherwise, have a massage, lounge around the pool or a small siesta...
Stay
Our beautiful venue is a haven of peace and quiet that will have you feeling relaxed as soon as you arrive.
Set in the tranquility of a Berber Village with a backdrop of the Atlas Mountains and the distant twinkle of the medina, meandering flower-lined paths lead through scented gardens and secret courtyards to exquisite A/C ensuite bedrooms, all beautifully furnished in the local style. The bedrooms are spacious and all have fireplaces, hairdryers, towels, toiletries and dressing gowns.
Rooms will be allocated on a first-come first-serve basis. They are a mix of twins and doubles, and there are also a small number of larger suites available for an extra cost, email us for details and availability.
Eat
Breakfast includes delicious home-made juices, honey, yoghurts, pancakes, cheeses, locally made breads, fresh fruit salad and cereals will be served after the morning yoga class. Omelettes and eggs are available as an added extra for around £2/3.
Then we'll have a healthy and generous salad buffet lunch with around 10 delicious salads to choose from, with bread and fruit available too. Evening meals will be traditional North African dishes, with vegetarian or vegan options available on request.
Tea and coffees are included at meal times, extra drinks and alcoholic drinks are also avaiable to purchase.
Location: Morocco
Marrakech is a particularly amazing, colourful place. It has everything from fashionista Yves Saint Laurent's beloved gardens to Jemaa el Fnaa, the ancient square that was a trading ground from bedouins from the Sahara desert, to the busy, vibrant souks, peaceful hidden riads and rooftop restaurants.
Our retreat place is just 25 minutes away from the hubbub of Marrakech, in a tiny Berber village with views of the Atlas Mountains. The desert, with camels and sunset dinners is 40 minutes away, and the beautiful, rugged Atlas Mountains just over an hour away.
(I spent the first 7 months of the first lockdown living out in Morocco, and it's a country I love and keep returning to! It is so colourful, beautiful and varied, with over 300 days of sunshine a year. - Jen)
There are direct flights from the UK to Marrakech starting at £74 return with British Airways for these exact dates (as of 5th November). I'd also recommend perhaps staying for a night either side in a riad in the medina to experience a little more of Marrakech if you like! We can give you recommendations of places to stay once you've booked.
Example Schedule:
Saturday
4pm: Arrive anytime from 3pm
5.30pm: Opening circle
7.30pm: Dinner
9pm: Yoga Nidra
Sunday
7.30am: Help yourself to tea, coffee, fruit
8.30am: Vinyasa yoga, meditation
10am: Brunch
*Optional trip to the souks in Marrakech*
1.30pm: Lunch
5.30pm: Yin yoga
7.30pm Dinner
Monday
7.30am: Help yourself to tea, coffee, fruit
*Adventure to the Atlas Mountains*
5.30pm: Yin yoga
7.30pm Dinner
9pm: Yoga Nidra
Tuesday
7.30am: Help yourself to tea, coffee, fruit
8.30am: Vinyasa yoga, meditation
10am: Brunch
2pm: Lunch
*Avdenture to the desert for a sunset dinner*
Wednesday
7.30am: Help yourself to tea, coffee, fruit
8am: Vinyasa yoga, meditation, closing circle
9.30am: Brunch
12pm: Check out
What’s Included
● Four nights, five days accommodation in a beautiful, peaceful retreat hotel with two pools and a hammam.
● All meals, snacks + hot drinks at mealtimes
● Seven x 1/1.5 hour yoga classes
● Daily guided meditation
● A two hour hike from a Kasbah in the Atlas Mountains with a picnic lunch
● A three course luxury sunset dinner in the desert
● An optional shopping trip to the Marrakech souks
● A luxury goodie bag
What’s not included
● Transfers to and from the airport (we can arrange these for you)
● Extra treatments available - hammams, massages and more
● Travel insurance