Join us on the beach in Kerala for a Yoga Retreat & Holiday in India 2020: 16 Feb – 1 Mar
It was so beautiful again this year, we just have to go back in 2020! Lasting 13 days, this is a wonderful way to explore a stunningly beautiful part of India within a supportive group setting, with a Yoga retreat taught by Dave Charlton and Ranju Roy. We will be visiting the city of Kochi in southern Kerala and a stunning beach resort near Kasaragod in Northern Kerala. The beach venue offers ample time to really relax, take Ayurvedic spa treatments, and this will be the principal venue for the Yoga retreat.
Although we will be aiming for 2 Yoga practices a day at the beach venue, please note that this trip should be considered as a Yoga Holiday rather than an intense retreat – with the emphasis on holiday!
Cost £2395 (earlybird £2195 if booked before 30 June 2019)
includes all accommodation, half- board, yoga tuition and group travel within India*
*cost does not include flights, independent travel, lunches and excursions/entry fees
Booking now for February 2020!
Itinerary :
Sunday 16 Feb: Depart UK to Kochi
Monday 17 – Friday 20: Kochi
Friday 21: Travel by train from Kochi to Nileshwar (near Kasaragod)
Friday 21 – Friday 28: Travel to Kasaragod, Kerala and beach resort 7 nights: Yoga retreat, relaxation, local excursions and option to take Ayurvedic treatments
Friday 28: Day train to Kochi
Saturday 29: Kochi
Sunday 1 Mar: Depart Kochi in morning to arrive UK late afternoon
A number of optional local excursions will be arranged by us during our stay, and there are others that can be arranged when you are there. Where we have transport available for the whole group, we will use this, but otherwise excursion costs are extra. This is not generally very expensive in India (unless you want to travel far or journey like royalty!). We would encourage you to branch out a bit and make the trip as action packed or as laid back as you choose.
What’s Included
The vast majority of accommodation is twin/double bedded shared and we will give preference to couples and travelling pairs as that does make things a lot easier from our end (in other words have a word with friends and colleagues for a room mate). There is the possibility of 2 singles, although the single rooms at Kanan are smaller and may not have a direct sea view, and they do come at a hefty supplement (how it is in India regrettably).
Accommodation is on half board basis (bed, breakfast and evening meals), except for the final 2 nights in Kochi where it is bed & breakfast. Lunches are generally very reasonable (typically £3-5). All travel (excluding flights) and airport transfers for the recommended flights are included.
Costs
Total cost of the trip is £2395 (earlybird £2195) not including visas (about £100), flights, local excursions and entry fees, lunch and dinner( 2 nights only), beverages, ayurvedic treatments. This is based on a twin/double room with 2 people sharing. Please contact us for the cost of single occupancy.
The cost is specified and payable in £, but we may charge a supplement to cover additional costs if there is an adverse fluctuation in exchange rate exceeding 3% prior to departure.
We are always asked how much additional money is required and that is an impossible question to answer definitively, but for lunches, the basic excursions and non-alcoholic beverages you are unlikely to exceed £300. We operate a group kitty system which pays for tips, group excursion costs and entry fees, shared lunches when on excursions etc. This simplifies things significantly and saves you the agonising question of when and how much to tip, and is included in our estimate of the £300. Then you need to add souvenirs etc (there can be some nice things to bring back, but obviously none essential), spa treatments or extra trips (if that’s what you like) etc. India does not have to be expensive but if you want to push the boat out …
To reserve a place on the trip requires an initial deposit of £600, which is non-refundable. This is the point that you are committed to the trip. We would then recommend you book flights. The balance is due by 30 Nov 2019.
Flights
We will suggest that you travel on Emirates flight EK530 from Dubai to Kochi, arriving 07.55 on Monday 17 Feb and return to Dubai on EK531 departing Kochi on Sun 1 Mar at 09.20. We would recommend connecting Emirates flights from the UK, which means that you could travel out from Birmingham, Manchester or London. We will give more advice in due course, but obviously you would book from your chosen UK airport all the way through to Kochi, ensuring that you connect with the flights above and it is a sensible journey time allowing for the connection in Dubai (typically 13-16 hrs total: 8hrs to Dubai, 4hrs Dubai-Kochi + wait time in Dubai). If you choose to travel on other flights or dates, you are responsible for either meeting the coach at Kochi airport at the appointed time or arranging your own transfer to the Kochi hotel on arrival.
Please Note
You will need to arrange a tourist visa and we strongly recommend that you take out cancellation insurance in case you cannot travel due to ill health or other unforeseen circumstances (usually included within your travel insurance). Once the trip is viable and you confirm, the deposit is non-refundable, and the balance is also non-refundable after the 30 Nov date. We will ask you to sign a document confirming the booking conditions which is important in allowing you to claim on your travel insurance should you need to cancel. We also insist that everyone has adequate health insurance covering the trip and will ask to see evidence of this prior to departure. We can informally advise on visas, but cannot be responsible for visa formalities. Please note that we will be entering India via Kochi which at the time of writing is not included within the E-Visa system, so a full tourist visa will be required, assuming the situation remains the same. You won’t need to worry about this until December at the very earliest. You will also need a passport with AT LEAST 6 months validity from the date of departure.
There will be Yoga practice arranged at the beach resort taught by Dave and Ranju (one or two practices per day – optional). We are hoping to offer Yoga practices in Kochi also but it will depend on the venue when we are there and our schedule. This trip should be considered as a Yoga Holiday rather than an intense retreat – with the emphasis on holiday!
India always has a habit of throwing up a few quirks, surprises and frustrations – that’s half the fun (at least viewed with hindsight!). We will aim to make it as smooth as possible, and we have booked venues that are of a high standard, but if you are someone who likes everything just so, this isn’t the trip for you. We like to think of it as a comfortable adventure. India is always a test for one’s śānti …..