15-Day Yoga and Meditation Wellness Retreat on the Mekong River in Cambodia

Blue Indigo Cottage Retreat Center is a purpose-built yoga school and retreat house on the Mekong River, about 15 km from Phnom Penh. It's a place with its own quiet character—quirky, simple, and home to a handful of resident cats. The rooms are scattered through a big garden, basic but comfortable, with mosquito nets and fans. There's a pool for cooling off, a riverside garden for meals, and an outdoor yoga shala where the daily practice unfolds.

A typical day has several yoga and meditation sessions, each with a different teacher and a distinct emphasis. You might start with a dynamic vinyasa class, move into an Iyengar-style alignment session later, and finish with pranayama or yoga nidra in the evening. Meditation is woven through the schedule, with teachers like Jean, who works in the Anapanasati and Vipassana traditions, and also brings in sound healing and Qi Gong. Aerial yoga is on offer too, in case you want to take your practice off the mat and into the air.

The retreat takes the traditions seriously, but it does not require any prior experience. Beginners and long-time practitioners find a place here. The emphasis on Eastern practices—pranayama, kriyas, yoga nidra, mantras—distinguishes it from a purely physical retreat. On Sundays, guests have the chance to visit a local pagoda for a blessing ceremony, which roots the practice in the Theravada Buddhist culture all around you.

The food is vegetarian, mostly Khmer, and cooked fresh daily. The cook adds a French touch to local dishes, so you get things like amok, curries with seasonal vegetables and rice, and breakfasts of honey, bread, porridge, yogurts, and oats, with house-blend flower teas. Meals are served at set times in the garden—a social event where guests and teachers share stories. The schedule adapts to the heat: classes happen in the cooler morning and evening hours, afternoons are for rest, reading, swimming, or exploring the village.

By the end of the fifteen days, guests typically leave with a stronger, more balanced body and a quieter mind. But the retreat's own advice is to come with an open attitude, attend all the sessions, and be willing to step a little outside your comfort zone. The setting—the river, the garden, the simple life—does the rest.

What's included

- 14 nights accommodation (choose from dorm, twin, or private room) - Daily vegetarian breakfast, lunch & dinner - Water, tea, and coffee throughout the day - Daily yoga classes (styles vary) - Daily meditation classes - Daily pranayama classes - One Ayurvedic yoga massage - Pagoda visit and blessing ceremony (on Sunday) - Wi-Fi connection - Transportation during the retreat (for scheduled activities) - Access to all facilities (pool, garden, yoga shala)

What's not included

- Airport transfers - Visa fees - Flights - Travel insurance - Additional activities not included in the itinerary - Additional treatments (beyond the one included massage) - Personal expenses - Optional upgrades (e.g., extra nights, private classes)