It Just Got Easier to Book a Yoga Retreat

Jamie Ditaranto is a traveler in a love triangle with writing and photography. Follow the drama on Twitter @jamieditaranto and Instagram @jamieditaranto.

Ditaranto joined SmarterTravel in 2015. She loves ecotourism, cities with history, and discovering local hangouts. Though she likes all the continents equally, she holds a special place in her heart for rainy little islands.

Her work has also appeared online at USA Today, Huffington Post, Business Insider, and other publications. You can check out her photography on her website.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "My instant camera comes in handy for giving instant gifts to new friends."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Befriending penguins in Antarctica."

Travel Motto: "You have to get the hard places out of the way first."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "On short flights, the window. For long flights, the aisle."

Email Jamie at editor@smartertravel.com.

See recent posts by Jamie Ditaranto

Yoga retreats are a perfect way to rejuvenate yourself while simultaneously satisfying your travel itch and desire to go somewhere new and beautiful. But if you’ve ever Googled “yoga retreat,” you probably realize there are thousands upon thousands of options, some of which might not even be legitimate.

It can be stressful sorting through all the different styles of yoga, the destinations, the teacher bios, and accommodations all to find the perfect place to go and forget about all the work it took to get you there.

Now a new company has launched that’s not only helping travelers find vetted and validated yoga teachers, but also find the most perfect trip for them. BookRetreats is the self-proclaimed “Airbnb for yoga retreats,” and its goal is “to spread yoga to the world and change the way people go on vacation.” BookRetreats is a hub for yoga teachers who want to organize retreats and the students who want to go on them.

The website functions much like Airbnb and currently offers more than 250 yoga retreats, which are handpicked by staff. It also integrates reviews from TripAdvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent company) and lets you narrow down the choices not just by destination, but also by yoga styles and food restrictions.

With a selection of yoga retreats being offered from 34 different countries, you can travel as far as Bali or find something closer to home. If you do a little digging, you’ll find each listing offers something unique: Combine your yoga sessions with a surfing lesson, enjoy a massage, or bring a partner and enjoy couples yoga.

Retreats begin as low as $95, which is an attractive deal considering it includes food and accommodation.

With so many options already at the start, I’m excited to see what new retreats BookRetreats will be able to offer in the future as it becomes more established.

More from SmarterTravel:

Jamie Ditaranto is a writer, photographer, and nightly yogi. Follow her on Twitter @jamieditaranto.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.