Luxury Yoga & Wellness Escape in the Loire Valley, France

The week is built on two daily anchors — yoga and meditation — plus three evening workshops spread across the stay, and one included group excursion. Mornings begin with practice; meals are taken together in the main house, cooked by the estate's private chef. Afternoons are free, and the concierge team at Oranga can help arrange additional excursions (at extra cost) if you want to see more of the region. One full day is given over to the Château de Chenonceau, the most photographed château in France, with the logistics and cost handled inside your package.

What sets this apart from a standard yoga week is the venue. Oranga is a five-star classified estate that has been featured in The Times and has won a Wellbeing Award from Psychologies Magazine. It's fully privatised for this group, meaning no other guests share the grounds, dining room or yoga spaces while you're there. Rooms all have private bathrooms, and the food is organic, local and French — not a buffet designed to feed a mixed crowd. The retreat is run by Metrowest Yoga and Mati Yoga as a collaboration.

The teaching team is Shawn Shaw and her son Cote. Shawn has been teaching yoga for over 20 years and has led retreats in some of the most well-known destinations in the world. She describes the work simply: helping people step back from their everyday lives and into health and healing in a peaceful, luxurious setting. Cote teaches alongside her. Between them they lead all the daily practice and the evening workshops.

Location-wise, you're in the Grande Sologne, the largest forest in Europe, near the Loire Valley's famous châteaux. It's an easy reach from Paris — fly into Charles de Gaulle (CDG), then roughly two hours by train or van through the countryside. Arrival options and coordination are sent once you sign up. Flights and the airport transfer itself aren't included, though the team will help set up transport if you want.

There's a small discount structure worth knowing about: $200 off for Metrowest Yoga (MYoga) teachers and past MYoga retreat alumni, bringing the total to $3,099. A $500 deposit holds your spot at booking, and payment plans are available. Because capacity is limited and Oranga's rooms are configured as they are, only shared rooms are offered — and the organisers note that depending on final sign-ups, a shared room guest could be paired with a participant of the opposite sex, so it's worth raising in advance if that's a concern.

What's included

- 8 days, 7 nights at Oranga Wellness Retreat, Loire Valley, France - Exclusive use of the property, fully privatised for the group - Luxury shared accommodation (2 people per room) - Private bathroom in each room - 3 meals daily of organic, gourmet French cuisine from the in-house private chef - All diets catered (vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free, etc.) - Dinner on arrival night and breakfast on departure day - Daily yoga and meditation - 3 evening workshops - Optional hikes - One group excursion to Château de Chenonceau - Concierge services to help plan free time

What's not included

- Flights to France - Transportation to and from Oranga/airport - Lunch on excursion day - Additional excursions during free afternoons - Travel insurance - Personal expenses