BALI BLISS - YOGA RETRAT with MICHELA Picture: view from the yoga shala 1-9 MARCH 2019 8 nights at the beach + 3 nights option in Ubud This is another dream coming true! After two years of Costa Rica retreats, 6 years of retreat experience in Europe, I am ready to jump to the other side: Asia here we come! I have been exploring Bali for more than 2 months in the winter of 2017-2018, in research of a magical place to invite my students to. After long search, I found this gem and I am more than happy to share it with you and to practice there! Balian is a secluded black sand beach on the West Coast, famous for it s sunsets and surf. To get there you drive approximately 3h from the Denpasar international airport. Already the drive will open your senses, all the colours, the people and temples you will see will make you land already heart open. Balian Beach is an explosion of green, black and blue colours, different textures and elements of Nature! The powerful element of Water will support magnificently your yoga practice during this 9 days. Balian is a laid back surfer town with a couple of accommodation possibilities and restaurants. The Balian River, which ends it s journey here, is an amazing and very clean fresh water river. When I was there, I used to swim in it everyday. By the way, Balian means "healer", and still today the locals perform healing ceremonies on the shores of the river. We will be staying in a private location, not a hotel or B&B. This is important for me, so we can really feel free and undisturbed as a group to grow our yoga practice day after day. The property consist in several small houses to sleep in, an amazing yoga shala with views over river and ocean, a small swimming pool and a common area where we share meals. We will have a cook who prepares vegetarian meals with fresh, local products and love and have staff to keep things organised and clean. This is how Ben, the owner, describes it: The house was the first house to be built at Balian, it was built back in the day when there was no electricity, no road, only a track though the coconut trees.
It was built as a place for friends to come and hang out, have a good time, and enjoy the pristine surf and spectacular sunsets. This is pretty much what still what happens here today, except now there are few more bedrooms so instead of bunking down on mattress's on the Bale floor or in hammocks strung from the eves, we can accommodate larger groups more comfortably. But the essential charm and the way we do things has not changed at all. The rooms/houses are simple but clean, there is no A/C. There are 3 double/triple rooms with private bathroom, the other rooms share a bathroom. The houses are all different in traditional Balinese/Javanese style and are spread over beautiful green and lush grounds, there is plenty of space to just be. Don t expect luxury, we are guests of Ben s amazing house and he has picked us to stay with him. Ben is a surfer and craniosacral therapist and opens his house to groups only when he knows the teachers and feels their work is in line with his own. We will practice Yoga twice a day, start the day with an invigorating, complete Hatha Flow Practice of 2 hours and end the day with a Yin Yoga class of 2 hours. Teachings will include breath work, sitting and mantra. For more information on my teaching style, visit my website www.yogami.ch I will teach in English and/or Italian depending on the group. Program* 1 March Individual arrival from 12.00 2-8 Hatha Flow Breakfast 9.30- March Yoga 7.30-9.30 10.30 9 March Hatha Flow Brunch/Lunch Yoga 7.30-9.30 10.00-11.00 Light Lunch 13.00-14.00 Closing & departure 13.00 Hatha Flow Yoga 17.00-19.00 Yin Yoga 17.00-19.00 Dinner 19.00 Dinner 19.00 On one day we will go for a half day trip, Yoga schedule subject to change. Many other activities are possible, with extra charge. *Subject to change in order to cope with the given conditions.
OPTION +3 nights in UBUD 9-12 march 2019 Since you took a jet plane all the way to Bali, it would be great if you could spend some more time on the island. I therefore decided to add a +3 nights option to visit and get to know Ubud, the yoga capital of Bali if not one of the more influential yoga hubs in the world. Ubud used to be a very sacred area of the Island. Today it s a vibrant town with many cafes, hotels and yoga studios. Ubud is very busy, so be ready for a change after quiet Balian! The concept of this +3 nights option is open. I envision this as a trip among friends. By the 9 th day at the beach we will for sure know each other a little bit better. I will help you organize hotel and transportation there, we will go together and stay in the same hotel if you wish, but this is not a must. I will not teach yoga, the idea is that we explore freely Ubud, go to yoga classes in studios like Yoga Barn and Radiantly Alive, and just enjoy the freedom of the moment. Price From 840 to 920 US$ for the 8 nights retreat in BALIAN BEACH (does not include Ubud option) - in a shared room. Prices vary according to room option/room occupancy. The 840 US$ price includes stay in a shared double/triple room with no private bathroom. We have only one single room available (price: 1100 $ with shared bath). Spaces are limited to 12, the retreat takes place from a minimum of 8 participants. ALL IS INCLUDED - 8 nights ACCOMODATION AND ALL MEALS (incl. snacks all beverages like herb tea, coffe, kombucha, etc) - YOGA twice a day - 2 Balinese MASSAGES - 1 half day trip - Beach, Fun and lots of Nature!
Activities in BALIAN BEACH In Balian you can surf, stand up paddle in the river, swim in the river, walk for kilometres on the beach to discover lava rocks and remote fishing villages, play in the waves and get in touch with local people. We will arrange 2 Balinese massages per person during the stay. We will also do a half day trip either to a water fall or a temple, is subject to change due to weather conditions. Let me know if you are interested in any other trip/activity and we can arrange it. Rooms in Balian
How to get there / Practical information Weather. March in Bali is the very end of the rainy season, on the coast it rains less then inland. It s hard to predict, but generally there are days of sun with no rain and days with a bit of rain and some days with heavier rain in the afternoon. Generally everything dries out very quick after the rain and the sun comes out. It s tropical climate: everything changes in writhing minutes sometimes! It s hot, there s about 30-32 Celsius during the day. HOW to get there. Flights to Denpasar/Bali international airport are fairly cheap in March. February/March are indeed low season. I normally use Qatar Airways from Zurich or Milan. Check Zurich, it s often cheaper than Milan. Also Emirates and Singapore Airlines offer good deals. For a taxi from the airport do Denpasar to Balian Beach count 40-50 Us$. It will be easy to share if you arrive on a same flight like someone else in the group. We can arrange taxi for you in advance. What else? There are almost no mosquitos or other bothering animals. No vaccination is needed. Generally no Visa is needed for stays under 30 days, but please check if your case applies here:
https://www.bali.com/visa-indonesia-entry-requirements-bali.html Closer to the trip, I will send you a list of what to take and what is important to know! Conditions and Cancelation policy v Please note that flights, taxi rides (or bus rides), alcoholic beverages and extra meals are not included in the price. Transportation from the airport to Balian beach and back is not included. v As soon as you get the confirmation e-mail after your booking, the registration is binding. A deposit of 500 US$ is due within the following 15 days. The balance, according to room occupancy and type of room, is due by 15 January 2019. If for any reason, you have to cancel your trip, please note the following cancelling conditions. a) Cancellation before 15 December 2018: course fee (if paid) minus half of the deposit of 500 US$ will be refunded. b) Cancellation 15 December 2018 15 February 2019: course fee (if paid) minus the deposit of 500 US$ will be refunded. c) Cancellation 15 February 2019 1 March 2019: no refund unless you find another person who will participate at the course at the same price and general conditions. We highly recommend a travel insurance that covers the fees in case of cancellation. If you have any further questions please don t hesitate to contact me at any time. Michela Montalbetti - www.yogami.ch - +41 79 103 74 43 info@yogami.ch