*We do not want to withhold from you that we get a small commission for referring clients. However, we would like to explicitly mention that we ourselves have participated in the Shanti Toya Yoga Retreat in Bali as a payer and thus report on first-hand experiences. With the coupon code TRAVELSLOTH you get 5% discount on the booking of your retreat!
Who would have thought that we will write about a yoga retreat in Bali?! Well, Naomi turned 30 and loves yoga. Since we were just in Malaysia so an ideal gift to come down again after 5 months on the road. I myself had never done yoga before, Naomi had done it a few times. So I went looking for the ideal yoga retreat in Bali for both of us.
Why you should choose Shanti Toya Ashram?
But I had some principles I wanted to choose the yoga retreat by, so in the end there wasn’t that much to choose from. I heard from Naomi more often that she enjoys Vinyasa yoga a lot. It was especially important to me that we had local yoga teachers and that the retreat was not in the hands of rich westerners – because especially after the Corona time I much preferred to support the local people and I am interested in yoga in the traditional sense. Add to that the fact that Naomi is a vegetarian and there should be classes suitable for beginners as well as advanced students. I also thought “if you’re going to do it, do it properly” and wanted a retreat that lasted a week. In addition, the whole thing should also be affordable. The main gift here, however, is that I am joining for the retreat.
So those were my conditions for a yoga retreat in Bali in a nutshell:
- Location in the green and not in the tourist agglomeration area.
- Owners and yoga teachers should be locals
- It should last for a week
- Vegetarian food
- Yoga classes for different levels
The grounds of Shanti Toya Ashram
The retreat is located in absolute idyll surrounded by fields, far from all road noise. The site has a few cottages scattered around the grounds. On a gallery is the outdoor yoga area with a view of the greenery. The equipment includes mats, cushions and yoga blocks. Further up is the common room, where people meet for meals and various activities. At the bottom of the ashram is the pool, which is fed by natural spring water. On the grounds, typical of Bali, there are several temples, which are filled daily with offerings.
Yoga Shala Aerial view of the site Pool of Shanti Toya Yoga Retreat
How does a yoga retreat in Bali work?
Of course I can only speak from our experience at Shanti Toya Ashram in Bali but the program was extremely enjoyable and the size of the group very manageable. In total we were about 10 people of different ages and backgrounds. There are 2 yoga sessions a day except for the day of arrival and departure. The first one starts in the morning at 7:00 am and the second one at 4:00 pm. In the morning there is Hatha and Vinyasa yoga. In the afternoon Restorative, Yin and once Laughter Yoga, which was really weird for us. In between there is breakfast, lunch and a program point. Participation in the program points is of course voluntary. If you don’t feel like entertainment you can also relax at the pool in the afternoon, go to Ubud or to the sea. Besides food, accommodation and yoga classes, the following things are included in the price:
- 1 fresh coconut per day
- 1 balinese massage (very recommendable)
- Pick up, depending on the distance (only for people with double and premium room).
- Agenda point 1: Making Canang (Balinese offerings)
- Agenda point 2: Balinese Experience Tour (visit a temple, a home, a school, make sate skewers, plow a field with a buffalo in the mud incl. a delicious lunch together on site.
- Agenda item 3: Balinese cooking lesson (Tempe curry cooked in Balinese style)
- Program punt 4: Balinese dance lesson (unfortunately a bit unorganized but still funny)
- Agenda point 5: Making Jamu (a traditional Balinese drink)
If you want, you can of course treat yourself to an additional massage. The massage lady will also tell you exactly why you need another, then chargeable massage ;-). If that is not enough yoga, you can of course also book private lessons.
The yoga classes
In the morning at 7:00 am you meet for a common yoga session. The Yoga Shala is wonderfully idyllic, in the middle of the Shanti Toya grounds. Thus, during the yoga session you have a view of the beautiful green garden, pure relaxation. Mats, blocks and meditation cushions are provided, so nothing gets in the way of a wonderful session. The yoga instructors guide you through the routine, always giving several alternatives for the different positions, so the different needs of the participants are covered. At first, I felt a bit silly when they told us to relax cross-legged for 2 minutes. Relaxing cross-legged? Impossible for me – fortunately there are alternatives which I gratefully accepted. And so I sat there, most of the time covered with blocks and supported by pillows. But the nice thing about yoga is that it’s not about “power struggle”, as I know it from many other sports, but everyone does it for themselves and as well as they can. If I can do it, probably pretty much everyone can ;-).
The accommodations at Shanti Toya
The rooms are the only small criticism I have. We had, after all it was Naomi’s birthday, taken the most expensive room, which I actually found a bit disappointing. As lovely as the grounds are, the rooms unfortunately seem loveless. They are super clean and it’s all there – just lacked a bit of love for me. I think I would just book a standard room next time, that should be perfectly fine. The rooms differ in size, air conditioning and bathroom (private or shared) .
The cheapest single room at Shanti Toya Retreat (Wisnu) The cheapest double room (Goppala) Standard double room
How much does the Shanti Toya Yoga Retreat in Bali cost?
All prices are inclusive of the above services and 6 nights. Taxes are already all included. With the coupon code “TRAVELSLOTH” you get another 5% off the total price.
| Acommodation | Cotss |
| Budget single room (shared bathroom, fan, shared terrace) | 249 $ |
| Budget shared double room ( 2 single beds, private bathroom, a bit damp and dark). | 249 $ |
| Budget double room (private bathroom, A/C) | 624 $ (2 pax) |
| Standard double room (king size bed, A/C, bathroom w. tub) | 642 $ (2 pax) |
| Riverside single room (king size bed, A/C, bathroom w. tub) | 486 $ |
| Riverside single room (king size bed, A/C, bathroom w. tub) | 726 $ |
Payment and refund
A deposit of 30% is due upon booking. This will be refunded if the retreat is cancelled 29 days prior to the start date. The remaining amount is due at the start of the retreat.
