5 Yoga Retreats to Die For

By British crime writer Daniel Pembrey

Yoga has brought many positive things into my life. I like to get involved in as many related events as I can, and one sunny morning recently, at an outdoor class in London, I had the pleasure of chatting to local yoga instructor Kelly Brooks.


I’d written a dark short story about a Mexican retreat gone bad, and I was ready for some illumination from Kelly about the good places to visit around the world. So here we go – a list of five overseas retreats, specially curated for Brit Crime. Please note, prices quoted in this post do not include travel to and from the retreat locations:

1. Morocco

Yoga mixes well with most things, but perhaps few more so than surfing – that other expression of active balance and oneness with the universe. So why not indulge both together in sunny, coastal Morocco?

From just £300 (incl. yoga) for a week’s stay: http://surfmaroc.com/en/villa-mandala 

 2. French Alps

Yes yes skiing’s all about the après-, fondue and gluehwein. However, yoga and skiing also make a pretty tasty combination, and both can be enjoyed at La Rosière, in the French Alps.

For prices and possibilities visit: http://www.chaletrosiere.fr/

3. Iceland (via Amsterdam!)

Who said yoga’s not for guys? Meet Yoga Boys, a brotherhood of yogis filmed here on location in Holland. But if you’re tempted to try a retreat with them, perhaps consider Iceland?

Prices begin at $3,195: https://thetravelyogi.com/yoga-retreats-adventures/iceland/michael-james-wong/

4. Tuscany

Here’s a treat-and-a-half: Kelly’s own eco-week, running annually in Tuscany. Can you get much more balanced and harmonised than this?

Starting at £400 for the week, the retreat details are found here: http://www.kellybrooksyoga.com/retreats/yoga-camp-casolina-italy/


5. Bali

For those really wanting to get away from it all, there’s always Bali, where the irrepressibly positive Emily-Clare Hill leads a retreat involving all manner of unusual, fun things. Healing Waters Temple excursion anyone?

Prices for a week there start at $1,895: https://thetravelyogi.com/yoga-retreats-adventures/bali/emily-clare-hill/

And …

Finally, the Mexican Yucatán Peninsula is where my own novella was set, offering a considerably darker take on the retreat experience than any of the above. But there must always be duality!

Lawyer John Farnsworth returns to the site of his wife’s disappearance the year before: a yoga retreat on the Yucatán Peninsula led by the sinister Yogi Raja. As his former wife’s story becomes clearer, John’s own life starts to unravel, with shocking consequences. Can we ever escape the pull of our pasts? A chilling, enigmatic read.


Consider downloading Vanishing Point to your Kindle in the UK here or the US here.

Safe traveling, reading and summering, everyone … and Namaste!