Cambodia retreat | Sacred Root

SACRED ROOT

CAMBODIA

Immerse yourself in nature in the tranquil Cambodian countryside

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Reconnect & Rise

2023 dates coming soon

Relax, unwind and reconnect with yourself in nature

In our busy chaotic lives it’s easy to lose touch with ourselves and the world around us. Overworked, overwhelmed or out of balance, we can feel disconnected and lose our sense of purpose.

Our Cambodia retreat is designed to help you reconnect. We’ll take you on a journey of self-enquiry using yoga, meditation and workshops which will challenge you to step out of your mind, re-inhabit your body and experience life from a fresh perspective.

We’ll stay in a beautiful Khmer farmhouse set in the heart of the Cambodian countryside, nestled between the foothills of the mountains and the coast. We’ll explore the world around us with a range of cultural activities allowing you to really get under the skin of this enchanting country.

Location

Our retreat venue is situated in Kep province in the heart of rural Cambodia, far from the standard tourist trail. If you want to immerse yourself in nature, you’ve come to the right place. It’s lush, tropical and brimming with wildlife.

Nestled at the foothills of the Phnom Vor mountains and the south coast, you can experience the peace of the countryside and be close to the beach too.

The property is a 3.5 hour drive from Phnom Penh International Airport (150km), 30 minutes from Kampot (30km) and just a short drive from Kep beach (15km).

Getting to the retreat

The closest international airport is Phnom Penh International Airport. The airport is well connected with daily flights from Europe, Asia and Australia.

We can arrange negotiated set-rate transfers from the airport or anywhere else in Cambodia to and from the retreat for you, so that you can avoid any hassle upon arrival. If you’re travelling from an airport, we may arrange for you to travel with other guests if you’re arriving on the same flight.

Alternatively, if you’d like to make your own way to us, just drop us a line and we’ll provide you with directions.

Venue

Traditional and tranquil, our retreat venue is a beautiful Khmer farmhouse, set in peaceful, green farmland. Its three wooden floors overlook the foothills of the Phnom Vor mountains with views stretching for miles across tropical greenery.

The property is set in a large garden brimming with flowers and wildlife. It is home to an organic pepper farm and a fruit and vegetable garden, where most of the delicious food served on our retreat is grown. It has a salt water swimming pool with day beds where you can relax and soak up the sun, a massage hut and numerous chill-out areas.

We have two areas dedicated for our daily yoga and meditation practice; an outdoor yoga shala in the garden and a breezy open-fronted room on the third floor of the property with stunning views of the surrounding countryside.

Yoga & Activities

We know how overwhelming and busy modern life can be, which can often leave us feeling disconnected and without purpose. With this in mind, we’ve designed this retreat to help you reconnect with yourself and others.

During the week, we’ll take you on a journey of self-enquiry where we’ll explore a different core theme each day through yoga, meditation and workshops. Each theme will build on the day before and will explore what it means to feel fully alive and connected.

Yoga and meditation

Each day will begin with a guided meditation, with the aim of helping you to establish a basic regime that you can follow at home.

You’ll have two 1.5 hour yoga classes each day where we’ll explore a range of different yoga styles, including vinyasa, slow flow, hatha, yin and nidra.

Rather than following a rigid format of one or two styles of yoga, we prefer to keep our classes creative and playful, and adapt them according to your needs and energy levels. However, as a general rule, our morning session will consist of a dynamic asana practice and our sunset session will be more mellow and nurturing, drawing on a combination of yin yoga, restorative practices and yoga nidra.

Workshops

We’ll come together as a group to explore the theme of the day through a variety of group exercises, pair-work and self-enquiry in a daily workshop. These sessions are designed to challenge you to consider yourself and your life with a sense of fresh perspective. We’ll provide you with tips and life lessons to help you lead a happier, healthier and more connected life.

What levels do you cater for?

We cater for all ages and abilities; so whether you’re a seasoned yogi or completely new to yoga, we adapt our classes to your individual needs, so you can be sure that you’ll be as supported or challenged as you want to be.

Our guided meditation sessions offer an introduction to meditation for complete beginners whilst also providing more seasoned practitioners the opportunity to develop their practice.

Other activities

Rest day and sunset SUP

We’ll have a free day mid-week without any yoga classes or workshops to give you the chance to have a lie-in, explore the surrounding area or relax by the pool.

If you fancy doing something active, we’ve arranged a stand-up paddling river tour in the afternoon near Kampot. This beautiful tour will take us from the river to the sea, via peaceful mangrove-lined waterways, pretty coves and a fishing village.

Cultural activities

Monk blessing

We’ll be visited by local Buddhist monks who’ll perform a traditional blessing ceremony where you’ll also have the chance to ask questions about their daily lives. This is a magical and unforgettable experience.

Talk from our Cambodian man in the know

Our incredible Cambodian man on the ground, Vutha, will talk to you about his experience of growing up in Cambodia and life under the Khmer Rouge.

Khmer cooking class

There’s no better way to connect with a country and its culture than through its food. With this in mind, we’ve organised a Khmer cooking class for you. You’ll learn how to prepare a range of Khmer dishes with guidance from our local cook.

Trip to Kep

We’ll also take you on an afternoon visit to Kep, a pretty coastal town near the property. Take time to explore the beach and visit the famous crab market.

Sample daily schedule

6.30-7.00 am – Tea and fruit available
7.00- 7.30 am – Guided morning meditation
7.30- 9.00 am – Dynamic morning yoga
9.00- 10.00 am – Breakfast
10.30- 11.30 am – Workshop
1.30– 2.30 pm – Lunch
5.00- 6.30 pm – Restorative/ Yin Yoga
7.00- 8.00pm - Dinner

Sacred Root Cambodia Team

Freddie Valente-Perfeito

Sacred Root Cambodia Yoga Teacher

A natural teacher, Freddie’s yoga classes are strong, powerful and soulful. A self-confessed anatomy and alignment geek, you’ll learn how to deepen your practice safely under her expert guidance. No two classes are ever the same; her teaching style draws on her training in Hatha, Vinyasa, Sivananda, Ashtanga and Yin Yoga. She has an uncanny knack of supporting beginners while challenging more experienced students. Her classes are infused with spiritual soundbites, a deep understanding of yoga philosophy and beautiful playlists.

Freddie will be leading the yoga and meditation sessions during the retreat.

“Freddie’s teaching is at a level that is hard to describe”.

To find out more about Freddie click here

Sophie Colyer

Sacred Root Founder & Cambodia Retreat Host

Sacred Root’s Retreat host, Sophie, will look after you from the minute you decide to book a Sacred Root retreat until you return home with your post-retreat glow. Friendly, vivacious and caring, you can rely on her to make you feel immediately at ease. Her infectious enthusiasm for travel, yoga and supporting local communities, allows her to create unique retreats which immerse you in the heart and soul of each country.

A qualified yoga teacher and human rights lawyer with a passion for Buddhism, spiritual development and learning, Sophie is a keen observer of life. She’ll be leading the workshops during the retreat.

“Sophie you really did the most incredible job bringing us all together, and giving us such an all-rounded local, spiritual, mind and body experience … you nailed it! And Freddie, the symbiotic relationship you two have makes a perfect team. Thank you both”.

To find out more about Sophie click here

Food & Drink

Every meal is freshly prepared by the retreat cooks using delicious produce grown in the organic fruit and vegetable garden and locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients. You can expect a range of Khmer dishes which include mouth-watering soups, salads, curries, stir-fries, local specialities and more.

All meals are included in the cost of the retreat and served at the property with the exception of our evening dinner at a stunning water-front location in Kep.

We’ll be serving delicious vegetarian and vegan food during our retreat. Let us know in advance if you have any specific dietary requirements or food intolerances and we’ll do our very best to accommodate you.

Unlimited fruit from the organic garden, herbal tea and filtered water will be available throughout the week. Please bring your own water bottle to avoid using plastic bottles wherever possible.

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Cambodian food

Cambodian cuisine is delicious. It has much in common with that of its Thai and Vietnamese neighbours, but usually contains less sugar, chilli, and coconut cream. Typical dishes are often seasoned with spicy Kampot pepper, lemongrass, turmeric, tamarind and cardamom. The most important part of every meal is rice. In fact, Cambodians even greet each other by saying "Nyam bai howie nov?" ("Have you eaten rice yet?")!

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Rooms

We can offer you a range of rooms to suit your needs and budget:

Standard room with shared bathroom
Standard room with ensuite
Superior room with ensuite

(Prices can be found below)

Standard rooms come with single beds (but they’re roomier than most singles back at home) and superior rooms are slightly more spacious and come with double beds. All of the rooms are built with locally grown wood and are decorated simply in keeping with the natural environment.

All of the rooms have mosquito nets and fans. Air conditioning is not required due to the property’s altitude and proximity to the Phnom Vor foothills, which helps to keep it naturally cool.

We have a limited number of single superior rooms available and can also offer rooms with triple occupancy if you’re travelling with friends or family. Please get in touch if you have any special requirements and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

Prices

To find out more about costs, please send an enquiry including potential number of people

What’s included

7 nights’ accommodation in a beautiful Khmer farmhouse, near Kep, Cambodia
Daily guided meditation sessions
11 x 1.5 hour yoga sessions
5 workshops
1 Khmer cooking class
Traditional Buddhist monk blessing ceremony
Breakfast, lunch and dinner each day (except for dinner at the Sailing Club in Kep)
Unlimited fruit from the property’s organic garden
Unlimited herbal tea and filtered water
Welcome gift upon arrival
Use of yoga mats, blocks and straps

Optional extras

Sunset stand up paddle board/ kayak tour in Kampot (additional cost of £49, incl. transport)
Airport transfer (negotiated set-rate transfer of £30 one way per person, available upon request)

What’s not included

Flights to and from Cambodia
Entry visa for Cambodia (available upon entry at Phnom Penh airport for USD30)
Travel insurance (required to join the retreat)
Massages (can be arranged at the property upon request)
Dinner in Kep at the Sailing Club

How to Book

Contact us by email, phone or using our contact form on this website for more information.
We’ll give you a call to answer any of your questions and to confirm room availability.
Once you’ve decided to book, let us know what type of room you’d like and we’ll email you with payment details.
A non-refundable deposit of 20% of the retreat cost is required to secure your spot.
Your booking is secured once we’ve received your payment and sent you written confirmation of your payment.
The full balance is payable 60 days before the start of the retreat.

"I had the absolute pleasure of experiencing Sacred Root in Cambodia last month. Not only was it restorative from a spiritual perspective but also such an education into the country itself, one that would not have been possible had I been travelling alone. For someone who is not naturally drawn to the joys of yoga, the wonderful Freddie could not have made it a better experience for me - challenging in just the right ways. As a nutritionist, I was fascinated by the food offering and intrigued how they would introduce variety into an all vegetarian menu - they did not disappoint, every meal was DELICIOUS. I feel truly grateful to have had this experience and will definitely be back in 2020 - Sophie & Freddie you have created something magical, thank you for sharing it with us all :)"

Juliette, Phuket

“The Cambodia retreat was exhilarating and incredibly rewarding. The mix of Sophie and Freddie was perfect – a great complement to each other. The yoga was lovely – structured and balanced; each class was varied with a different tempo. The food was delicious – fresh, healthy and presented beautifully. Being in the presence of the Buddhist monks for the blessing and being able to ask questions was amazing and culturally enlightening.”

Olivia, London

“What a beautiful, relaxing spot with fantastic ambience. The yoga was perfect. Sophie you really did the most incredible job bringing us all together, and giving us such an all-rounded local, spiritual, mind and body experience. I know it takes a lot of hard work to organize – you nailed it! And Freddie, the symbiotic relationship you two have makes a perfect team. Thank you both.”

Clare, Cornwall

“The Cambodia retreat was an amazing experience, personally enlightening and a real privilege to share with others. The workshops were great, challenging but allowed people to get to know each other. The yoga was excellent. Freddie managed to keep a group of people with vastly different yoga skills entertained and moving. Excellent! Keep doing the retreats! I really liked the fact that we got to see Cambodia as well as having a beautiful yogic experience.”

Sue, Glasgow

“10/10 for everything!”

Joana, Porto

“Freddie’s teaching is at a level that is hard to describe. The yoga was excellent. The workshops were enlightening and very important. The monk blessing was informative and gave us a real insight into Buddhism and its importance to the people. The food was excellent.”

Sally & Iain, Sydney

Join us in the tranquil Cambodian countryside

to relax, unwind & reconnect with yourself