Off-Grid Island Yoga Holiday on Darocotan Island, Philippines

A typical day starts early, because the island is bright and the huts warm up quickly. Yoga runs in the treetop shala, an open-sided structure with views over the jungle canopy and out to the sea — sessions are usually vinyasa or hatha style and suit most levels, with the teacher adjusting for beginners. Breakfast follows at the Mothership: fruit, eggs, rice, pancakes, coffee. After that the day is yours. You can snorkel the reef off the beach, paddle a kayak around the headland, walk to the next cove, or take a boat trip to one of the nearby islands. Lunch is served at the restaurant, and there's a second yoga session in the late afternoon before dinner.

The camp sits on Darocotan Island off the northern tip of Palawan, near El Nido. It's reached by boat, and once you're there you're not going anywhere — there are no shops, no roads, no cars. Power comes from solar panels and is limited, so charging happens at set times in the main building. Water comes from the island's well and is cold. Bathrooms are shared across most room types, cleaned regularly, and the camp is upfront about this rather than pretending otherwise.

What separates DRYFT from the dozens of yoga retreats in Southeast Asia is the architecture and the setting. The huts — Puno Pods, Puno Huts, Datu, Kubo, Hive Huts, the Lux Tipi — are built from locally sourced bamboo, coco-fibre roofing and beeswax-coated walls, each one designed differently rather than repeated from a plan. The Mothership, designed by Nuno Finez, is the centre of camp life. Guests consistently mention the food as the standout: fresh fish every day, local Filipino dishes with Southeast Asian influence, and enough vegetarian and vegan options that nobody is stuck with a side salad.

The flexible Yoga Holiday format means there's no fixed group and no fixed schedule you have to keep to. Some guests come for three nights, some stay two weeks. The Batara Gat Baya retreat, when it runs, is the opposite — a set group, a set programme, and a focus on Filipino ritual and healing alongside the yoga. If you want structure and a group to travel with, book that. If you want to show up, do yoga, eat well and swim, book a holiday package.

Yoga is taught by the camp's resident teachers, whose backgrounds vary — the camp doesn't publish a single named lead instructor for the holiday packages, so the style you get will depend on who's on the island during your stay. Classes are in English. The retreat versions bring in specific facilitators for the ritual and healing elements.

What's included

- Accommodation in your chosen room type (Glamping Tent, Puno Pod, Puno Hut, Kubo, Datu, Hive Hut or Lux Tipi) - Daily yoga classes in the treetop shala - Three meals a day at the Mothership restaurant - Drinking water at camp - Use of the beach, hammocks and communal areas - Boat transfer to and from Darocotan Island (arranged with the camp)

What's not included

- Flights to and from Palawan - Travel insurance - Ground transfers on the mainland before the boat crossing - Alcoholic and soft drinks from the bar - Massages and spa treatments - Optional excursions and boat trips - Personal expenses and tips