Soulshine Retreat - Kalkan, Turkey - Thurs 3rd - Tues 8th October 2024 - £1,350 (sharing) or £1,650 (private)

This Gin & Yin Retreat offers a mix of Dru yoga, coastal charm, cultural exploration, relaxation and a spot of fun and adventure thrown in for good measure.  If you’ve retreated with me before (firstly thank you), I want to give you the heads up that this isn’t my typical ‘off the grid’ property this particular villa is modern and located only a hop and sip away from Kalkan’s main town with its cobbled streets, boutique shops, hidden courtyards, restaurants and lovely harbour.  To enjoy everything on offer, this is the place to be, you’ll know what I mean when you see the views!

If you’re not familiar with Kalkan, it’s on the southwestern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, along what is described as the “Turquoise Riviera where azure waters meet the rugged beauty of the Taurus Mountains”.  I’ve opted for a 5-night stay on this one, to give us maximum time to relax and enjoy our location. The villa is located approximately 90 minutes from Dalaman Airport, so this one needs to be 5 nights to be a truly relaxing escape.

As always, the itinerary is optional, however, to give you a flavour of what’s in store, pop the kettle on or pour yourself a G&T depending on when you’re reading this, there's lots of lovely information coming up:

Thursday 3rd Oct (Flight info below)

Arrival day – welcome drinks and snacks on arrival.  Check in, unpack, relax, let your shoulders drop and breathe in the ocean air and views.

Early evening – an introduction to ‘Dru Yoga’ with Louise Edwards - “Dru can also be translated from Sanskrit as 'pole star' and represents our 'inner still-point”. Omm.

Sundowners & supper next to the villa in Kalamar (at own cost).

Friday 4th October

Morning sunshine yoga session, to welcome in the new day.

Turkish Breakfast - a wonderful Turkish-style brunch made with the freshest ingredients.

Mini well-being intention-setting workshop.

Turkish Hammam Experience - a must-try with many therapeutic benefits, this is the best way to wind down and set the tone for our amazing retreat. This begins with a soothing Turkish bath, followed by a relaxing face mask and a massage of your choice releasing any pre-retreat tensions. You will come out having shed dead skin, cares and worries feeling renewed and chilled.

Sundown yoga session, followed by sundowners & supper at the villa.

Saturday 5th October

Today, we’ll get out in nature and explore Saklikent Gorge, a name meaning ‘Hidden City’. This special place is true nourishment for the soul.  On arrival, we'll enjoy a traditional Turkish breakfast upon ottoman seating on a low pontoon over the clear water.  Afterwards, we’ll walk along the boardwalk over the rushing water below, to the entrance of this wonderous canyon.  Our private guide will escort us through the gorge itself. The walk requires good health and fitness, but it's not necessary to be super fit. We continue into the gorge, filled with meltwater from the Taurus Mountains, so, heads up the water will be refreshingly cold. We’ll see spectacular natural rock forms, flora and fauna and if possible, we'll reach a waterfall, which will be well worth the hike, and the wet feet!

Sunset Yoga session to ease any stiffness from our hike.

Supper at the villa tonight.

Sunday 6th October

Rise and shine yoga session.

Turkish breakfast/brunch.

A day just for you - enjoy time to do whatever your heart desires, read, sunbathe, journal, or take a stroll through the Old Town.

This afternoon we’re off on a ‘Sunset Cruise and Supper’ – seeing the coast on a traditional Turkish Gulet boat, watching the sun melt into the horizon is a definite must. Beautifully cooked Turkish cuisine and meze salads on board.  (Drinks not included).

Monday 7th October

Morning Yoga for ‘Rejuvenation & Longevity.'

Turkish breakfast/brunch and wellbeing workshop (part 2).

This afternoon we’ll head down to a local Beach Club and immerse ourselves in the warm hospitality of this Mediterranean gem of a location. Refreshments are available at the beach club, followed by a late afternoon lunch at the harbour (at own cost).

Tuesday 8th October

Turkish breakfast.

Fond farewells and check out at 10.30 am.

Complimentary flight transfer to catch flights departing around 13.30.

Flights

The nearest airport is Dalaman, there are direct flights from many UK airports.

Complimentary transfers have been arranged for arrival times between 13.30 and 14.30 on Thursday 3rd October and flights departing from around 14.30 from Dalman back into the UK on Tuesday 8th.   I am on the EasyJet EZY8563 departing at 07.30 from Gatwick North on Thursday 3rd which lands at 13.35.  I’m extending my stay slightly in Kalkan, so I won’t be joining you on the return transfer, however,  complimentary return transfers have been arranged to catch planes departing between 13.30 and 14.30 on Tuesday 8th October.

How much does it cost?

Twin en-suite room - £1,350 pp - (Sorry to state the obvious, but you’ll need a friend to share with if you book this option).

Private double en-suite rooms – £1,650 pp - Perfect if you’d prefer your own space and privacy.

Penthouse / 2nd Floor (Ideal for 3 friends). With private relaxed seating and sun loungers plus a cold jacuzzi to cool down in.  1 x large King-sized bedroom - £1,750 pp and 1 twin room - £1,350 pp – both of these rooms share an ensuite shower room, hence it is a better option for friends.

All of the bedrooms listed above either have an outdoor terrace or balcony with exceptional sea views.

What’s Included:

Complimentary transfers to match the flights above.  If you choose or need to take another flight option, that is also more than fine, however, you will need to cover the cost of the transfer yourself (no problem for us to arrange).

Accommodation for 5 nights in an ensuite room

Welcome drinks and snacks

Unlimited tea, coffee, water

Dru yoga classes and wellbeing sessions

5 Turkish Breakfasts (brunches)

1 BBQ dinner at the villa

1 Turkish Hammam experience

1 guided Saklikent Gorge trip

1 Sunset & Supper Cruise

Transport tips for drivers

What’s not included:

Return flights

2 evening meals out

Drinks and food at the Beach Club

Any additional taxis outside the trips listed

How Can I Secure My Place  and Payment Terms & Conditions:

A deposit of £350, non-refundable, is required to secure your booking, with the full balance to be paid by 3rd September 2024.

Cancellations:  Whilst we wish to treat cancellations sympathetically, spaces are limited and the following charge must apply. Cancellation for your holiday, for whatever reason, should be notified to us directly in writing.  Full Payments: For places paid in full and then cancelled the following applies:- More than twelve weeks before the start of the retreat: 100% refund minus the deposit.- eight-twelve weeks before the start of the retreat: 50% refund minus the deposit.- Less than eight weeks before the start of the retreat no refund can be given.

Travel Insurance:  You will need your own travel insurance which would cover you financially, not only for unforeseen events that may occur whilst on the retreat but also in the event of you needing to cancel.

Instalments:  If you’d like to send payments in instalments to keep this retreat viable for you, that’s absolutely fine, a number of ladies also do this so just drop me a line at hello@ginandyinretreats.com and we'll work on a plan.

Bespoke Retreat

If this doesn’t sound quite right, or you’d like to host something like this for a group of friends or maybe for your family, drop me a line at hello@ginandyinretreats.com and we can discuss some ideas and work on something together.