Wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of Christmas time? Fed up of the exhaustion which often surround the festivities? Why don’t you try swapping the winter blues for a hard-earned luxury retreat in a paradise location.

Whether it’s a couples retreat you are after, or some solo alone time to reconnect with your inner self, or perhaps an active family getaway, engaging in a retreat of the Christmas and New Year period can be perfect for your wellbeing and happiness.

Here, we have listed our favourite retreats at Christmas time; retreats which are guaranteed to nourish and nurture your body.

Chalet Refuge & Lodge – Serre Chevalier, France

at Chalet Refuge after a perfect day of skiing

This retreat is perfect for those who want to escape the overwhelming aspects of Christmas but still want to be immersed in a snowy setting. It’s for solo travellers and strictly adults-only – with only 10-12 other skiers, this place is great for those wanting a quiet and relaxing Christmas. For evening meals you will all sit around one table as the emphasis on community and unity is key for this retreat – a life-lesson which benefit you for the rest of time.

More information: view Chalet Refuge & Lodge

 

West Coast Ayurveda Resort – Sri Lanka

                                   A perfect beach in the West Coast of Sri Lanka

If you’re looking for a detox rather than the usual over-indulged Christmas, then this plant-based retreat is perfect; it focuses on your wellbeing and a reconnection with the body – both spiritually and physically. It is for solo travellers who are in want of rejuvenation and transformation, which will be exactly what you get in this very personal and intimate experience. Your welfare is a priority for you in everyday life – if we have a positive relationship with the body and soul then we are sure to succeed in our endeavours. So, by escaping the hectic activities at Christmas and instead allowing a sole focus on yourself and your wellbeing, this retreat could be the best Christmas gift you could ever ask for.

More information: view West Coast Ayurveda Resort

Wendy Wu’s In Pursuit of Pandas Trip – China

Stepping stones in Pursuit of Pandas

This unique trip is great for you solo-traveller adventure-seekers out there; with the chance to explore the great landmarks of China and immerse yourself in the culture, you are sure to spend your Christmas the most exciting and exceptional of ways. Visit Imperial Beijing, the Terracotta Warriors, Leshan Grand Buddha and more! On Christmas Day you will walk on the Great Wall, with a trip to the Summer Palace in the afternoon. Not forgetting the food – you will indulge in true Chinese classics like Peking Duck and other local delicacies for your Christmas Dinner. When New Year’s Eve hits, you will spend it visiting the lovely pandas of Chengdu in their natural habitat and be given the unmissable opportunity to volunteer at the conservation centre in the afternoon!

More information: view Wendy Wu’s Panda Trip

Christmas & New Year Retreat – Dahab, Egypt

                       Sunrise yoga at Dahab

This yoga retreat is for anybody who longs to reconnect with their self and experience Christmas in a much less conventional way, by stepping outside of the hustle and bustle of city life. It is suitable for any skill level, you do not have to be a regular yoga-retreater for this – so why not try something new and open yourself to the possibility of transformation. This winter-sun is a great cure for the winter blues and you can get involved with not only yoga but activities such as kayaking and scuba diving.

More information: view Christmas and New Year Retreat in Egypt

Escape Christmas Yoga Retreat – Suryalila, Spain

Stretching at Suryalila Retreat

This yoga retreat in rural Spain has a whopping 45 acres of land on a working olive farm with 350 olive trees, proving it to be one of the most breath-taking locations for you to spend your Christmas. It caters for both singles and couples and provides a unique spin on traditional Christmas meals with vegetarian cuisine including a unique Christmas dinner of tofu-turkey. The days will consist of energising Vinyasa Flow Yoga classes and end with mellow styles of yoga (Restorative Yoga, Yin yoga, guided Meditation or Yoga Nidra practices) followed by a sauna/sweat lodge session. You will also be able to partake in hikes, a visit to the local Spanish town, fun workshops, a flamenco dancing class, live music and AcroYoga class. Not only does this retreat offer all these amazing activities for your mental and physical wellbeing, but there is also plenty of time to snuggle around a log-fire and watch movies. This retreat is great for those who enjoy the comfort of your normal Christmas routine but want a challenge in developing and transforming your spiritual welfare.

More information: view Escape Christmas Yoga Retreat

New Year Yoga Retreat – Bicester, Oxfordshire

Simple and powerful practice in Oxfordshire

This retreat over the New Year period is specifically aimed at couples who want to fully focus on well-being, healthy food and yoga. You will be immersed in the countryside in a luxurious manor that only has only 10 bedrooms in total, making it an absolute must for anyone looking for swapping the frantic antics of New Year for a relaxing haven. Couples who are looking for a peaceful environment in which your relationship can flourish and develop would really benefit from this experience; the psychological advantages are ever-lasting. The cuisine consist of healthy, vegetarian meals from locally sourced produce and a cookery workshop included too. As a whole, this retreat is largely focused on meditation, silence and yoga as a means to restore and regain health and connection with the body and strengthen relationship bonds.

More information: view New Year Yoga Retreat

Silent Couple’s Retreat – Lake Titicaca, Peru

Conscious Couple exercise at the Silent Retreat in Peru

This retreat is available over the New Year period and is completely focused on a reconnection and rebuilding the relationship bonds that may be tiring and starting to fray. By having a 5-day silent meditation with your partner, this retreat offers an invitation for a deeper and more meaningful understanding of your relationship which will benefit you both for all future ahead. It places a strict no-technology rule and offers the ideal location to fully appreciate the beauty of nature, whilst also strengthening the bonds in your relationship through the practice of meditation. Experience true tranquillity and allow yourself to reconnect and recharge your relationship dynamic by choosing this retreat, is guaranteed to boost and transform your psychological wellbeing.

More information: view Silent Couple’s Retreat

 

Beaches Negril – Jamaica

Praying on the beach in Jamaica retreat with the family

This award-winning festive family getaway is located on a 7km-long beach so you can relax in this paradise location whilst your little ones can enjoy the waves of beautiful blue seas and luscious sand between their toes. You will also experience some Caribbean culture as you enjoy Parang (a popular Caribbean folk music traditionally performed at Christmas time) and a beach carnival with a fire show, yet still enjoy the festivities of Christmas with treasure hunts, outdoor Christmas movies, and a Christmas Village filled with local crafts, jewellery and carvings. For the kids, Christmas Day will bring characters like Santa and Mrs Claus to the tropical beaches. This retreat is great for those wanting a family getaway from the usual repetitive routine of Christmas and will provide wonders for your family-unit as a whole.

More information: view Beaches Negril

 

Forest Holidays – Various UK Locations

Forest Holidays with the family 

How about taking time over the Christmas period to immerse yourself in nature in a woodland location, where you and your family can explore the beautiful countryside but also enjoy down-time in authentic cabins surrounded by the winter forest. This retreat has a real Christmassy feel – it includes everything from a real Christmas tree equipped with lights, to a gift from Father Christmas, to Christmas entertainment of brass bands, carolers, and pipers. If you are looking for a retreat which will allow you and your family to celebrate Christmas in a spectacular way, yet also provide the distance and space for you to develop and strengthen your unit – then this is the retreat for you.

More information: view Forest Holidays

Evason Ana Mandara Nha Trang, Nha Trang – Vietnam

Chilling in Nha Trang family retreat

With a beachfront location and lots of activities to keep your children entertained, this retreat combines typical Christmas festivities with a luscious location to offer you an escape from the hectic happenings of the period, so you can really focus on your individual and familial needs. The seaside location makes this family getaway a special and unique way to spend Christmas, by swapping your winter-blues for some vitamin D you are guaranteed to have a wonderful and rejuvenating family holiday. A lovely motif this retreat offers, and keeping with the theme of generous giving at Christmas time, is the Christmas tree in which children from a local orphanage place their wishes upon and guests can then buy these wishes for them, with all leftover wishes being purchased by the resort. This retreat does not only offer plenty for your family on spiritual and physical levels, but it also incorporates the idea of giving to the less fortunate (especially prominent at Christmas time) thus teaching your children (and adults too) the importance of kindness and gratitude as a catalyst self-growth.

More information: view Evason Ana Mandara Nha Trang, Nha Trang

 

Article credit to Caitlin McIlwraith from the Enrich Team (www.enrich.global)