Transformative Self Care
Sunday, March 3 – Sunday, March 10, 2024
Indulge in a rejuvenating getaway like no other at this exclusive wellness retreat on the breathtaking Samana Peninsula of the Dominican Republic. Nestled amidst pristine beaches, lush jungles, and crystal-clear waters, this retreat offers the ultimate haven for those seeking a transformative experience for mind, body, and soul.
Each day will provide opportunities to recharge your spirt through transformative self care. Daily themes will introduce you to the pillars of self care and provide inspiration for incorporating these valuable strategies into your daily life.
Engage in invigorating movement and mindfulness sessions, partake in revitalizing spa treatments, and relish in nourishing cuisine that will energize and heal from within. Mostly, you will connect with the stunning nature around you and therefore your own extraordinary natural self.
When?
March 3-10, 2024
How many times have you vowed to plan a tropical vacation for early March? The weather in Samana, Dominican Republic is warm and dry. The water temperature is a balmy 80°. Early March is also the peak season for whale watching! Our group will be taking a day to visit the North Atlantic Humpback Whales who overwinter in the warm marine sanctuary of Samaná Bay before they begin their long migration to their summer grounds.
Where?
Villa Serena, Las Galeras, Samana, Dominican Republic
Villa Serena’s peacefulness, harmony and elegance invite relaxation and rest; its pristine tropical setting offers exploration and adventure. Ocean front rooms with terraces, under coconut trees, surrounded by lush tropical gardens: the splendor of natural beauty. By the pool or at the beach, you are wrapped by lulling sounds of the waves and winds singing in palm trees. It’s secluded, but just minutes away from a quaint village.
How Much?
From $1940
This is a special retreat with two venues! We will be spending 6 nights at Villa Serena in Las Galeras and one night in the capitol Santo Domingo. Villa Serena rooms feature a large private terrace, a hammock and rocking chairs, and a stunning ocean view. Single and double occupancy are available but singles are very limited. Double rooms will have two full sized beds or a king sized bed. You will indicate your preference after registration.
retreat details
Transformative Self Care
It’s one thing to escape from your life with a week’s vacation and completely another to reengage with self. This retreat will provide ample opportunities to rest and rejuvenate but also moments for awareness and reflection. Daily practices will invite you to challenge or restore your body. Each day we will contemplate the pillars of self care with a daily theme. Develop your own self care plan for more vibrant health and longevity.
As you are soaking up the beauty of your natural surroundings. Nourishing your body with movement and local cuisine. And connecting with your fellow retreaters, you will be building skills to bring home to your life and to your loved ones.
Special Features of this Wellness Retreat
Curated Experiences
Experience the less touristic side of DR with off the beaten path experiences included in your trip price.
Fresh Local Cuisine
Wellness from the inside out. Healthy meals and nutrition education are included
Daily Movement Practices
Explore the pillars of self care each day and learn to make wellness fit into your life.
Group Transfers Included
Relax on retreat knowing that everything is taken care of for you for one affordable price.
Hike Hidden Beaches
Samana, Las Galeras
Samana, Las Galeras
Dominican Cuisine
Dominican Cuisine
Visit El Limon Waterfall at Sunset
Private Whale Watching Tour
Villa Serena Yoga Shala
Sunset Yin Yoga Practice
Dominican Healthy Cuisine
The Seaside Yoga Shala at Villa Serena
Relax on your private sea view terrace
Playa Rincon
One of the world's most beautiful beaches
Santo Domingo
Transformative Self Care
Late Winter Wellness Retreat in the Dominican Republic
This is a rough itinerary meant to give you an idea of how you will spend your time in Samana, Dominican Republic. Everything except the arrival and departure dates, location and venues, are subject to change. The nature of the special tours will remain the same though the details may shift as well.
Please read the full itinerary to see the included tours and options!
Beginnings are so sweet!
You will fly into Santo Domingo/Las Américas International Airport (SDQ). Our included group transfer to our venue in Las Galeras will depart from SDQ at around 3 pm*.
There is a group air option available! This will allow us to all arrive and depart at the same time. You will learn more about this option after registration. For pre-registration questions, email Mandy
We will take a lovely drive to the Northeast Coast, Las Galeras, Samana where our venue, Villa Serena is located. The drive will take approximately 3 hours.
You’ll take an hour or so to unpack and freshen up before our dinner.
Meals included: Dinner
*The transfer from and to SDQ is included in your retreat price. You are welcome to make your own transfer arrangements but it will be at your own expense.
If you would like assistance with transportation or car rental, flights or additional accommodation, please contact our travel pro, Max Brown.
Settle in to retreat life
8 am Yoga in the Yoga Shala
9:30 am Breakfast
Today is all about settling in and restoring yourself. We invite you to slow down with some gentle Yoga and somatics, plenty of sunshine and delicious, nourishing food. Lay by the pool or the playita (private beach) for take a short walk to another nearby beach.
Paddleboards, kayaks and snorkeling equipment are provided free of charge by our venue so maybe you would like to take some time to connect with nature and explore. Whatever you do, be gentle and compassionate with yourself today.
6:15 pm Yin & Somatics
7:30 pm Dinner
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Whale Watching!
7:30 am The bliss of the body in motion practice
8:40 am Breakfast
10 am Departure for our Tour
Today is all about that big bucket list item, seeing humpback whales in their natural habitat. Every year, they come by thousands and thousands in the warm and calm waters of the Caribbean, to mate or to give birth. Samana bay, considered is considered one of the best sites in the world to observe them. Our group will enjoy a private catamaran tour to witness this amazing spectacle.
We will board a boat right at our venue and head to a whal sanctuary not far from shore. Afterward we will motor to a crystal clear island beach for swimming and snorkeling, or resting on the white sand. If you choose to explore the island you will be treated to interesting rock formations and caves.
We will enjoy our lunch right on the beach.
6:30 pm Yin & Somatics
7:45 pm Dinner
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Self Compassion is Self Care
8 am A Somatic Movement practice for exploring self compassion
9:30 am Breakfast
12 pm Lunch
Today we will spend a bit of extra time in practice to discover an important pillar in Self Care – self compassion. During practice you will have the opportunity to reflect and after practice we will have a short discussion on the topic.
The rest of the day is free to explore. There are many beaches just a short boat ride away from our venue including one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Playa Rincon. A list of beaches and prices for boat transport will be provided to registrants.
6 pm Yoga
7:15 pm Dinner
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Adventure and Connection
7:30 am Movement for Connection
8:40 am Breakfast
10 am Depart for Hiking Hidden Beaches Tour
Our theme today is connection. We’ll start by exploring social connection, a key pillar of self care in our morning movement practice.
After breakfast we will depart for our tour. Las Galeras is home to some of the most pristine beaches in the Dominican Republic. We will have the opportunity to hike to 7 hidden beaches along the coast. The trail is about 2.5 kilometers and features spectacular views. A delicious lunch will be waiting for us at one of the beaches. We will return to our venue by boat.
6:45 pm Yin & Somatics
7:45 pm Dinner
Nourishing Yourself
8 am Movement Practice
9:30 am Breakfast
1 pm Depart for our Tour
Our theme for today is nourishing yourself. With movement, food, community, nature. All of the things that are proven to keep us well and thriving. In the afternoon we will depart for a day in nature with members from the local community. They will show us how local ingredients are prepared as well as educating us about the native flora and fauna. In the late afternoon we will take a short hike (2.5 km) to the famous El Limon waterfall. Savor the different sounds of the waterfall and indulge in a delicious cup of organic coffee. After a light dinner we will head back to our venue, arriving around 9 pm.
Onward!
Discover Santo Domingo
6:30 am Breakfast
8 am Depart for Santo Domingo
12 pm Lunch at our hotel in the Colonial Zone
1:30 pm Optional bicycle tour of the historic colonial zone $40 pp
3 pm and after check in to the hotel
The evening is yours to enjoy the city
Breakfast and lunch included
We depart
Our last day! You will have the morning to explore Santo Domingo, pack and say your goodbyes. Breakfast at the hotel is included. We will depart the hotel via an included group transfer to the airport.
Since there are very few flights out of Santo Domingo we have a good idea of the timings. We are working on a group flight option to Atlanta.
*Group air option and timings TBD
Breakfast at the hotel is included
*flights are not included in your trip price we offer this option as a courtesy.
Transformative Self Care
Movement Practices
Affirming, energising movement is a key pillar in self care. Move your body each day with accessible, sustainable practices. Practices will include Yoga, body weight resistance, somatics and relaxation. Classes will be all levels but geared toward individuals who are active. Your morning practice will be more vigorous and focus on strength, mobility and cultivating stamina and energy. Your evening practice will be a blend of somatics, yin yoga and meditation. As always, copious options and adaptations will be provided to ensure that you have a practice experience that supports you.
Each day’s practices will delve into the pillars of sustainable self care.
Our venue provides Yoga mats, straps, blocks and blankets. It is recommended that you bring a travel Yoga mat to layer your mat over the loaner. Bring a hand towel as well for sweat and to cover the community props.
Book Your Wellness Retreat Today
Treat yourself to an unforgettable wellness retreat in Samana, Dominican Republic. Leave feeling refreshed, inspired, and ready to embrace a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. Don’t miss the opportunity to embark on this transformative journey. Reserve your spot now and unlock the door to wellness and serenity.
Wellness Retreat 2024
Instructor/Host
Mandy Ryle, E-RYT 500, CSCS, Pain Care Coach, Certified Nutritionist
Mandy has been a movement professional since 2008. She is a teacher of teachers and has taught yoga and movement all over the world having led retreats in Costa Rica, Greece (2x), Spain, Colorado, New Mexico, Croatia and locally in Nebraska. Her style is unique, nurturing and inspiring. Mandy’s teaching is evidence based and informed by her appetite for scientific research. Her interests revolve around her work as a pain care coach and include movement sciences including strength and conditioning, nutrition, neuroscience and pain science.
Mandy’s love of science is generated by a passion for helping her clients and students to live a healthy and vibrant life throughout the lifespan.
Mandy is also the host of the popular Yin Yoga Podcast. Her podcast has listeners all over the globe and has reached the top 15th percentile of podcasts from all genres.
Wellness Retreat in the Dominican Republic
Accommodation Options
Single and double occupancy are available but singles are VERY limited. All rooms at Villa Serena have AC and ceiling fan and a private ocean view terrace.
Jacuzzi Bathtub
Safe Deposit Box
Laundry Available
Maid Service Daily
Double Occupancy
$2,140
When you register for a double room you register for only yourself. Your companion will need to register separately. You will share a private room with one other retreater at Villa Serena and at our hotel in Santo Domingo. Double occupancy can be with two full beds or one king sized bed at Villa Serena and one queen bed or two twin beds at our hotel in Santo Domingo. You will have the option to choose your arrangement and room mate (if applicable) after registration.
Single Room
$2752
With single registration you will have a room all to yourself at Villa Serena and also our Hotel in Santo Domingo. Single occupants will have a king sized bed in Samana and a queen bed in Santo Domingo.
Dominican Republic Wellness Retreat Inclusions
This wellness retreat is an incredible opportunity to renew yourself. Movement practices, meals and tours have been curated to help you to restore your vitality. Self Care is an essential skill that so many of us are terrible at! This wellness retreat is a chance to experience the pillars of holistic self care and will inspire you to continue these habits well beyond our time together.
A Curated Wellness Experience
This is an all inclusive experience. Your retreat price includes:
- 6 nights lodging at Villa Serena in a private room
- One night lodging at a 4 star hotel in the historic Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo in a private room
- Group airport transfer on arrival to Las Galeras
- Group transfer from Villa Serena to Santo Domingo
- Group Airport transfer on departure from our hotel in Santo Domingo
- Most meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner during our time at Villa Serena
- Lunch in Santo Domingo (dinner is not included on our one night in Santo Domingo
- Breakfast on our final day
- Once or twice daily movement sessions with Mandy: Monday-Friday
- Three included tours
- Whale watching and island beaches
- Hiking hidden beaches
- Limon waterfall and farm to table gastronomic experience
- Sales tax for lodging, tours, transfers and meals
Not Included in the Trip Price
- Tips and gratuities. Estimate $100 for all hotel staff. $5-$10 for tour guides per tour
- Flights (A group air option is available but you will pay for this separately)
- Transfers and transportation that is not a part of the included group tours or transfers
- Meals and snacks that are not included in our organized meals
- Beverages other than coffee, tea and water at Villa Serena
- Additional purchases
- Bicycle tour in Santo Domingo. Cost is $40
Flights are NOT included in your trip price.
We know that navigating flight itineraries and airlines can be a challenge. For your convenience we have arranged a group air option from Omaha, NE. If there is sufficient interest we will also arrange an option from Atlanta. You are not required to participate in our group air offering. This is offered only as a convenience for you.
Here are the group air options from Omaha:
Main Cabin $1029.35 pp does not include checked bag fee’s of $35 per bag
Comfort Plus $1461.35 pp does not include checked bag fee’s of $35 per bag
First Class $2643.35 pp does not include checked bag fee’s for $35 per bag
Benefits of booking group air
- Your flight and any issues will be supported by our travel pro, Max
- You will arrive and depart at the same time as the main group. This will eliminate any waiting for the group ground transfers
If you would like to book group air, please contact our travel pro
Maxine Brown
Phone: 402-759-1244
Email: max@topexperiencetravel.net
Payment and Cancellation Policy
You have two options to secure your spot and register for this Wellness Retreat in the Dominican Republic
- Pay in Full upon registration
- Use a Payment Plan. If you use a payment plan your payment will be divided into 5 equal installments. Your deposit will be the first installment. Monthly installments will be automatically charged to your card on file on the same date each month. Missed payments must be paid within 14 days or you forfeit your registration and your payments.
We understand that sometimes things happen. For that reason we offer a refund policy.
- If you cancel 180 days before the first day of the retreat, Mandy Ryle Yoga retains $200 of your retreat price
- If you cancel 90 days before the first day of the retreat Mandy Ryle Yoga Retains 50% of your retreat price
- Cancellation 0-60 days before the first day of the retreat will receive no refund. Please understand that by this point the vendors have been paid and funds cannot be recovered.
Intent to cancel must be received by email by Mandy at mandy@yoga.mandyryle.com. The send date of the email will reflect the date of cancellation. Your refund, if due, will be credited to the same credit card you used to register within 10 business days. Funds can take another 5-7 business days to appear on your statement.
It is highly recommended that you purchase trip insurance or check with your credit card company to ensure that you are covered in the event of the unexpected. We recommend Nomad Travel Insurance. My company is an affiliate with Nomad and may receive a commission if you purchase through the link)