Join us for a rejuvenating week-long yoga retreat near Chiang Mai, Thailand. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the area while deepening your yoga practice and connecting with a group of like-minded yogis. Includes temples, eco-friendly accommodations, plant-based food, cooking class, Elephant Nature Park and much more.
Our Thailand Yoga & Adventure Retreat! Thailand, “The Land of Smiles” is one of our favorite countries in the world, a place where spirituality and kindness are essentials in daily life. Chiang Mai, the largest city in Northern Thailand, is situated in the midst of lush green mountains and rice fields. The area is home to intricate Buddhist temples and is the cultural and spiritual hub of Thailand, a perfect place to dive into your yoga practice, adventure in nature, learn more about meditation, plus eat delicious Northern Thai food! This retreat has been in the works for a long time, and we are so excited to finally guide you through both inner and outer journeys of exploration here!
Join us for a rejuvenating week-long yoga retreat at Mala Dhara near Chiang Mai, Thailand. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the area while deepening your yoga practice and connecting with a group of like-minded yogis. In addition to daily yoga classes, our retreat includes cultural and nature activities, such as a Buddhist philosophy class with a Thai monk, a night market, visiting local temples, plus hikes and waterfalls. An unforgettable visit to the best ethical elephant sanctuary in Asia, Elephant Nature Park, is also included! Thai massage, cooking class, and a cave visit will be offered as additional options.
For those looking for a permanent spiritual souvenir, we’ll also offer optional Sak Yant tattoos with a traditional Buddhist master.
Get ready to unwind, connect, and find inner peace on this truly unique and unforgettable retreat. As always, this will be a sober, alcohol-free retreat, with classes and activities focused towards authentic yoga philosophy and deep healing.
Mala Dhara Eco Resort offers unique and sustainable accommodations, two different yoga areas, plant-based Thai food, an eco-friendly salt water pool, a steam bath, on-site farm, and so much more! This will be our third retreat at this space and we couldn’t be happier to be coming back!
Daily or twice daily yoga and meditation of various styles (Hatha, Yin, Vinyasa) guided by Carrie and Zach. A chance to deepen your practice and grow! Classes will be themed around philosophical concepts in yoga and catered to the group’s needs and interests. All levels are welcome!
Special yoga, philosophy, breathwork, Ayurveda, and meditation workshops.
“Monk Chat” Buddhist philosophy lesson with a Thai monk
Single or shared accommodation in one of Mala Dhara’s fabulous sustainably-built earth villas or dorms. Rooms include comfortable beds, mosquito nets, Wifi. If you’re coming by yourself and select shared accommodation you will be assigned a roommate of the same gender.
Delicious, local, vegan meals and desserts, coffee in the morning
Use of yoga shalas, saltwater pool, farm, all common areas at Mala Dhara
Elephant Nature Park visit
Guided “Sticky Waterfalls” excursion
Herbal steam sauna and ice bath experience
Yee Peng Thai holiday symbolic lantern release
Chiang Mai night market adventure and a chance to visit temples at night
A chance to be disconnected from technology and your day-to-day tasks. Although Wifi is available, we encourage you to be immersed in the moment!
Not Included:
A few meals which we will be eating out
Transportation to and from Chiang Mai and Mala Dhara Eco Resort. We are happy to advise and assist you with booking your flights. We encourage you to add on extra days in Thailand if possible.
Travel insurance which is recommended to protect your investment
Optional extras such as:
Thai bodywork or massage ($11 per hour to add on)
Optional cave and ridge hike ($10 to add on)
Optional Thai cooking class ($30 to add on)
Extra trips to local attractions (transport is easy and inexpensive to add on during free time)
Sak Yant sacred tattoo experience ($250 to add on) (blog about our experience)(video about our experience)
Check in time at Mala Dhara
Welcome ceremony and first yoga practice
Plant-based dinner
Plant-based breakfast
"Monk Chat" Buddhism and meditation class
Lunch out and time to explore Chiang Mai
Afternoon yoga and meditation practice
Plant-based dinner
Morning meditation and yoga
Plant-based breakfast
Sticky waterfalls excursion and lunch out
Yoga philosophy discussion
Yin Yoga
Dinner
Morning meditation and yoga
Plant-based breakfast
Free time to relax or go to a Thai cooking class
Plant-based lunch
Local caves visit and ridge hike
Yin yoga and Yoga Nidra
Plant-based dinner
Optional sunrise meditation
Early breakfast
Elephant Nature Park Day trip including vegan buffet lunch
Plant-based dinner
Herbal steam and fire body scrub ceremony
Morning yoga and meditation
Plant-based breakfast
Ayurveda workshop
Plant-based lunch
Free afternoon to explore temples and city
Dinner out at Chiang Mai night markets
Morning yoga & meditation
Plant-based breakfast
Optional Sak Yant tattoo experience excusions or free time
Yin yoga and meditation
Cacao ceremony and ecstatic dance
Final yoga and closing ceremony
Plant-based breakfast
Check out and departures
The price per person depends on the accommodation option you choose. Mala Dhara offers luxurious, earth house bungalows or rooms to suit different budgets. Specific bungalows will be assigned on a first-requested, first-served basis, so let us know if you would prefer to live in a specific bungalow!
Shared bungalow (twin beds, shared with 1 other person of the same gender, shared detached bathroom): $1999 per person
Small queen bed bungalow for 1: $2199
Large bungalow with 1 queen and 1 twin, private bathroom: $4198 for 2 people, so $2099 apiece
These are the early bird prices which will go up on May 1, 2025. A 33% deposit is required to secure your spot. Your remaining balance will be due in 3 equal payments, spaced evenly between your booking date and the retreat date. Monthly payment plans are also available if that is better for you.
SCHOLARSHIPS:
Full price bookings help fund our 2 half-price recovery scholarships for this retreat. To apply for a scholarship, fill out the form here.
Your retreats are true treasures, which is why I’m planning on booking my fourth one!!! And also why I flew halfway around the world to spend time with you guys!
-Leslie, 2023
Video testimonial from Ricky, first time yoga retreat guest 2023
Video testimonial from Terri, first time yoga retreat guest 2023
For easiest, quickest, travel you’ll want to book a flight into Chiang Mai International Airport (there will not be direct flights here from the US, you’ll have to have at least one connection). Plan to arrive by 2pm at the latest on the first day of the retreat. US citizens will automatically get a 30-day tourist visa upon arrival in Thailand. You do not need to get a visa in advance. We recommend giving yourself extra days in Thailand if you are able, so arriving a few days early will make your journey more incredible and less stressful. Air Asia offers cheap and easy flights around Southeast Asia if you are interested in exploring other destinations!
We can help you arrange taxis or shuttles from the airport to the event. We don’t know the exact cost but it will be inexpensive.
Travel booking option:
Since I get a lot of requests for assistance anyway, I decided to offer a new flight booking service for all my retreat guests and friends!
You provide me with your desired travel dates and airports and I will find you the cheapest, best flights possible and book them for you, no extra charge.
I’m a pretty good “travel hacker” thanks to years of experience. We can do this together via Zoom to confirm everything or I’ll make sure to triple check everything with you before booking!
This benefits YOU if online flight searching stresses you out or you just don’t find it fun.
Full disclosure, it benefits Zach and I because I book most of our travel using our credit card points. We have a lot of travel planned this year so we need as many points as possible. You’ll reimburse me and I’ll get the frequent flyer miles to fund my own travel habit, haha.
Could be a win win for all of us?
Let me know if you would like my help with this. I know booking a long journey with multiple connections can be a little bit annoying. But there are also ways to make it more enjoyable — 1 day layover in Tokyo, anyone? For the best prices, you’ll want to book these flights at least 4-6 months before we leave. Reach out when you’re ready if you want my help.
-Carrie
Since all retreat deposits and payments are used to secure venues, activities, and supplies, and since canceled spots require extra time and energy to re-fill, ALL PAYMENTS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. In true emergency situations, your payment *may* be able to be transferred to a future retreat or event, based on the decision of our team. We recommend travel insurance to protect your investment in the event you cannot make it.