Question 1

In case of emergency, how can I contact Yoga Sutra Shala?"

Accepted Answer

In case of EMERGENCY please contact us by sending a
Whatsapp to 0034 684 13 05 03.

Question 2

What is included in the fee?

Accepted Answer

Your fee includes accommodation; all organic, plant-based food and drinks; all yoga and meditation classes; use of the facilities, including swimming pool & gardens; the guided hike; and workshops.
Please note that flights and transfers and massage treatments are not included.

Question 3

Is it possible to have a shorter stay?

Accepted Answer

To get the most out of your stay with us, we advise you to come for the whole 6 days of your retreat (Sunday to Friday) as your first class on Sunday provides a foundation for the progressive classes throughout the week. Not only will you miss classes by coming later or leaving earlier but you will also miss valuable time with your fellow retreat guests, in this wonderful, peaceful location.

Often guests stay a night in Alicante or Valencia before and/or after the retreat.

For Yoga Teacher Training courses it is essential to attend the entire course in order to qualify and obtain your certificate.

Question 4

How do I book?

Accepted Answer

You can see all retreat and course dates and their room options and make your booking here:
https://www.retreats-yoga.com/availability-yoga-retreats

Select the date you would like to come, then choose your room and the number of people you are booking that room for. You can then email those details to us and we will email you the health form back for you to fill in.
Once we have checked through your health form we will send you another email with details of how you can make your 50% deposit to reserve your room.

The balance is payable one month before arrival.

Question 5

How do I book my flights?

Accepted Answer

Two websites that we can recommend are either Skyscanner o(http://www.skyscanner.com)r Travelsupermarket t(http://www.travelsupermarket.com)o search for the most reasonable flights from your nearest airports. The closest airport to us is Alicante (ALC). The next nearest aiport is Valencia (VLC).

Question 6

Is it possible to arrange transport from Alicante Airport (ALC) or Valencia Airport (VLC) to Yoga Sutra Shala?

Accepted Answer

Once you book we can pass you on the details of local English drivers who can collect you from either airport. They can often arrange for sharing to and from Alicante or Valencia airport to save you money as all guests arrive and depart at the same time.  The drivers will charge you directly. These drivers are also excellent at helping you arrange local accommodation as well as details of public transport arrangements if you wish to take transport to Oliva, Denia, Pego or other nearby towns in order to save you money on the car journey. Taking a blabla car to any of these local towns and then using one of these drivers is also an option.

In order to get any idea of prices and local collection points if you are wanting to save money (also remember these drivers can often arrange for car sharing from these local towns too) then the following information may well be useful.

If travelling from Valencia by train the best station for a pick up is  Xeraco which is the station before Gandia. Cost from there tends to be 40-50 euros

If travelling by bus from Valencia the best option would be Oliva. The cost from here tends to be around 30 euros.

If coming from Alicante by train a good pick up point is Gata De Gorgos. You may  need to change at Benidorm if coming from Alicante. The price from Gata De Gorgos is around 30 euros if you want to  change trains. If you do not want to change train and be collected at Benidorm station then price tends to be around 50 Euros.

If you prefer to come by bus to Benidorm bus station from Alicante then the bus station is easy to get to and the collection charge would be around  50 euros too. You can also take a bus to Denia from Alicante and collection from Denia station tends to be around 40 Euros.

For retreat guests, the drivers leave ALC on Sundays at around 14.30 and on Friday at around 11.30 from the shala (for flights after 13.30).

For teacher training course students, the drivers leave on the first Saturday at 12.30 and arrive with us at 14.00.  At the end of the course on the last Sunday they collect you at 14.00 so you arrive in Alicante at 15.30 (for flights after 18.00).

Please remember to inform the drivers of all flight details including: flight dates & times; flight numbers; and the airports that you will be using for your arrival and your departure journeys.

Please note that you can also spend a night in Alicante or Valencia or any of the nearby towns we mentioned and arrange for the drivers to collect you from or drop you off there. The drivers are very good at helping to find local accommodation for you at any of these towns too.

Question 7

What are the best flight times to aim to be at the airport by?

Accepted Answer

FOR RETREATS:
Arrival at Alicante airport by 14.30 on Sundays and departure after 15.00 on Fridays are best.
This way you can join us for the welcome lunch on Sunday and for the farewell brunch on Friday.
FOR YTT COURSES:
Arrival at Alicante airport by 12.30 on the first Saturday and departure after 18.00 on the last Sunday are ideal.
The course begins on the first Saturday at 14.00 and ends at 14.00 on the last Sunday.

Question 8

What if I cannot find a suitable flight?

Accepted Answer

It may be easier for you to arrive one day earlier or leave one day later, depending on where you are travelling from.

If this is an option for you, we recommend that you book a hotel in Alicante or Valencia depending which airport you fly into or from.

If you are flying out of Alicante airport on the Friday evening, you can always ask the driver on the way back to drop you in the centre of the city and you can then take the C6 bus to get to the airport for whenever your flight is due.

There are also other local towns mentioned above and our drivers can help with travel and accommodation recommendations for any of these towns.

Question 9

I plan to come a day early or leave a day later. Can I stay at the retreat?

Accepted Answer

We can pass on to you the details of the owners of the building who can often accommodate you.

Question 10

Where can I find a good hotel in Alicante or Valencia?

Accepted Answer

If you are looking for a nice place to stay before or after the retreat you could have a look on:
Trip Advisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com), Booking.com (http://www.booking.com)or Air B&B.(http://www.airbnb.com) There are some lovely places to stay in the historic centres of Valencia and Alicante.

Question 11

What can I do in Alicante?

Accepted Answer

You can visit the Provincial Architechtural Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art; see the old town known as the Barrio Santa Cruz; visit the local beaches such as the Playa de Guardamar; walk along the Passeo del Puerto; climb or take a lift up to the Santa Barbara Castle to see some of the breath-taking panoramic views; enjoy some of the lovely local tapas; or go to one of the delicious and healthy vegetarian restaurants there.

Question 12

What will the weather be like during my stay?

Accepted Answer

You can see extended and monthly weather forecasts for La Valle de Laguar (https://www.accuweather.com/en/es/la-vall-de-laguar/2329986/weather-forecast/2329986)and for Pego (https://www.accuweather.com/en/es/pego/306457/weather-forecast/306457)on the Accuweather website.

Question 13

What is the Cancellation Policy?

Accepted Answer

Deposits and final payments are non-refundable. Final payment is to be made one month before the retreat commences.

The deposit payment will be due on any subsequent booking that you make.

We encourage you to ensure that you have travel insurance in place in order to cover any likelihood of cancellation due to illness and so forth.

Question 14

What are the options to come to you?

Accepted Answer

1. We can pass you the details of local English speaking drivers who can arrange for the ride to be shared with other guests at a lower price.
2. You can book a private taxi of your own choice.
3. Hire a car and drive to us.  Remember to check the conditions that apply to fuel refilling and to insurance when you book.
4. Take a bus, train or blabla car from Alicante or Valencia station to Oliva, Pego, Denia, Xeraco, Benidorm, Gandia, Gata de Gorgos or any of the towns mentioned above.
For timetables and tickets for buses see http://www.alsa.es a(http://www.alsa.es/)nd for train timetables see renfe.com
(https://www.renfe.com/es/en/suburban/suburban-valencia/timetables)Google also has good information on train timetables to and from these towns. You can then book a taxi from one of these towns to bring you to the retreat in time for the opening. We can pass you on the number of a local English speaking taxi driver who can often arrange for ride share and help with travel arrangements or you can book a private taxi of your own choice.
 
For your departure on the Friday, your similar options are:
1. A local driver or taxi can collect you at the end of your stay and drive you to a local town mentioned above. You can get a bus, train or blabla car from there to Alicante or Valencia.  For timetables and tickets, see www.alsa.es,(https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/home) renfe.com (https://www.renfe.com/es/en/suburban/suburban-valencia/timetables)or google.
2. A local driver or taxi can collect you from the retreat and take you to Valencia or Alicante.

Question 15

I am a solo traveller.  What are my room options?

Accepted Answer

For solo travellers there is the option of booking
1) the single occupancy rooms or suites or
2) a place in a twin shared room (this is the "twin shared" option). The price remains the same regardless of whether the second place in that room is booked (by another solo traveller) or not.
Usually twin rooms are for female travellers to share. The retreat centre has one twin shared room and the teacher training centre has four twin shared rooms that you can share.

Select one of the five folders below to see FAQs relevant to these headings and their responses