I’ll be honest – I had never really considered going on a retreat before. I’ve had friends who have done ones in various places throughout the world and they talked about juice cleanses and completely detoxifying their bodies (I’ll let you use your imagination there), and slightly bizarre treatments. Needless to say, they didn’t exactly sell it to me. That is until a friend told me about Samahita Retreat Koh Samui – a yoga, health, and all-around wellness center in Thailand. It sounded perfect for people looking for more of a general relaxing getaway, so I spent three days there and left feeling completely refreshed. Here’s what my experience was like..

Programs at Samahita Retreat Koh Samui

Before I get into my experience, I’ll quickly explain what Samahita Retreat is all about. Having been in the business for 15 years, though originally as a yoga-focused center, Samahita offers fixed and flexi-date programs that cater to every individual. The fixed programs usually happen when a guest teacher comes to Samahita or for teacher training courses. If you’re looking for something more flexible in terms of days and length of stay (minimum of three days), the flexi-date programs are perfect. The flexi-date programs available are YogaCoreCycle, Detox, De-stress, Weight Loss, and Wellness Spa. I opted for the Wellness Spa Program because it offered all the classes from YogaCoreCycle along with one spa treatment a day, ranging from massages to facials.

A tour of Samahita Retreat

Samahita Retreat is located in the southern part of Koh Samui on Laem Sor Beach, about a 40 minute drive from the airport. The center is relatively small (it can accommodate up to 60 people and I think there was around 25 guests at the time I was there) and there’s a real earthy vibe to it. From the moment you step in, you’ll be surrounded by greenery, friendly smiles from the staff and other guests, and tranquility. Overall, I would use the word homey to describe Samahita Retreat Koh Samui.

As you walk through the grounds you’ll pass by their eco-friendly store, an outdoor meditation center, the Buddha and Ganesh Shala (where yoga and meditation take place), the spa, juice bar, steam room, dining area and buffet, swimming pool, cycle studio, and beachfront shala (where I did most of my morning yoga sessions). Though it may sound like there’s a lot going on, I still felt like I had my own space and the communal areas didn’t feel overly busy. Basically, you can be as social or as anti-social as you would like.

For my video tour of Samahita Retreat, click here.

Accommodation

Accommodation at Samahita Retreat is comfortably simple: there is no television in the room and minimal decorations. The bed was very comfortable and the bathroom was very spacious. The only drawback of the room was that the sliding door was a massive window, so I had to pull down the blinds in the evening.

For a video tour of my room at Samahita Retreat, click here.

Delicious vegetarian food

There are two meal times at Samahita Retreat: 9:30 am – 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. The food served is all vegetarian and is buffet-style, which I really liked. The menu for each meal is written on a large chalkboard and, though I’m not a vegetarian myself, I can honestly say I loved every single dish I tried (especially the curries and pizza!). If you’re doing Samahita’s Detox Program, there is a specific section of the buffet dedicated for you, although anyone at the center can eat that food as well. I walked away from each meal feeling completely satisfied – I actually had to stop myself from getting seconds and thirds a few times!

Aside from the food itself, the dining area has large communal tables, making it easy to meet other people. Or, if you’d prefer, you can head to a comfy couch and enjoy your meal solo.

Daily schedule – yoga, meditation, cycle

There is a weekly YogaCoreCycle schedule at Samahita Retreat and you’re welcome to join as many or as few classes as you’d like (there are 6 – 7 classes each day). Personally, I loved starting my day with the 8:30 – 10:30 am Dynamic Centered Yoga followed by a late breakfast. Then, I would relax by the pool or head down to the beach with a book for a few hours until the Core Fitness class at 4:00  pm followed by a Fun Cycle at 4:30 pm. There are also a few off-site activities throughout the week: a temple walk on Tuesday, a snorkeling boat trip on Wednesday, and a night visit to two different walking streets on Friday and Saturday. My program also included a 1-hour massage (honestly some of the best massages I’ve had in my life) and a 30-minute sauna session each day.

Overall thoughts on Samahita Retreat

From the yoga classes and friendly staff to the fantastic food and life-changing massages, I loved my time at Samahita Retreat. I was only there for four days/three nights, and I will say that it wasn’t until the third day that I really started to feel relaxed and get into the whole thing. If possible, I would recommend booking your stay for a minimum of five days. I left Samahita Retreat feeling refreshed, healthy, and positive – I would definitely go back in a heartbeat. The only thing I didn’t expect before arriving was that there would be small children there. While I would have preferred to not see kids running around, I do understand that Samahita wants to create a family-like feeling.

Samahita Retreat Koh Samui
55/20-24 Moo 4 T. Namuang 
Koh Samui Surat Thani 84140
Thailand

Tel: +66 (0) 77 920 090

My stay at Samahita Retreat was on a complimentary basis.  As always, all views and opinions are sincerely my own.