Inspire

Yoga & Meditation

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Hello all,

Wow! How time flies when you are having fun. Damien and I have been having an amazing adventure travelling around the world. During our travels, we have met so many wonderful people and had so many life-changing experiences and in between it all, I have been trying to maintain my travel blog, which unfortunately meant somewhat neglecting this blog. So, I’d like to start off with an apology to all my readers- sorry guys, I will endeavour to be more attentive in 2019!

So, with my good intention set, I’d like to start the year off with some good news. Damien and I have been given the opportunity to run some yoga retreats in the beautiful (and warm) Sierra Nevada Mountains in Andalucia in southern Spain throughout February, March and April and we would absolutely love if you could join us on our latest adventure!

About the location:

Armonia Alpujarra is a very special place where you can breathe in the beauty of nature, fresh mountain air and feel the joy of being alive in every moment. Armonia Alpujarra is a place where you can revitalize your body, mind and soul with transformative yoga and healing treatments. 

Set within the stunning Sierra Nevada Mountains in Andalucia, Armonia Alpujarra Healing Retreat Centre offers Yoga Retreats and an abundance of organic goodness.

Allow the tranquillity of nature, the exquisite simplicity of Armonia’s Eco-friendly accommodation and the authenticity of the unique healing practices offered nurture your core being and restore your inner harmony.

The dates of our retreats are as follows:

28th Feb- 4th Mar 5th: The gentle ease of being

Activities presented: Yin, Yoga Nidra, Hatha & Nature walks

8th Mar- 11th Mar: Flow of Grace

Yoga presented: Restorative Yoga, gentle Hatha & Yoga Nidra

15th Mar- 18th Mar: Yin and Yang: The dance of wholeness

Yoga presented: Yin & Hatha

4th Apr- 8th Apr: Yin and Yang: The dance of duality

Yoga presented: Hatha & Yin

12th Apr- 15th Apr: Finding comfort and ease in yoga and in life

Yoga presented: Hatha

26th Apr- 29th Apr: Dropping into a deep, clear rest

Yoga presented: Hatha & Yoga Nidra

We really hope that you can join us for one (or more of our retreats), for further information including a more detailed description of each retreat, prices, and accommodation options, please click here.

If you still have further questions/ queries, please do not hesitate to contact Natalie directly by clicking here. Please indicate which retreat/s interests you in your enquiry.

Do you have a friend or loved one who would love to attend one of our retreats? If so, please like and share because sharing is caring.

Namaste,

Natalie & Damien

Join us for a Yoga Retreat in southern Spain! Hello all, Wow! How time flies when you are having fun. Damien and I have been having an amazing adventure travelling around the world.

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Floating in the Dead Sea

Floating in the Dead Sea

The last thing we desperately wanted to experience whilst in Jordan was a float in the Dead Sea and after comparing the prices to do it in Jordan and Israel (where we are off to next), it didn’t seem to be much of a difference except that there was a sale on for accommodation at the Ramada Resort and it worked out cheaper to do it here on this day than any other day in the month, so we packed up…

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Petra- Day 2

While the Treasury may be the most photographed building in Petra’s ancient kingdom (it is also the easiest to get to which may have something to do with it), we were keen to see as much as possible, and in particular the Monastery. On our way, we passed several huge rock-cut tombs with intricate carvings, temples, columns, beautiful mosaics, obelisks and even a Roman-style amphitheatre large…

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Petra- Day 1

Petra is always appearing on top travel lists- the top ten places to see in your lifetime, the new seven wonders of the world, etc, etc. So, what is Petra?

Situated between the Red and the Dead Seas, Petra is an ancient Nabataean caravan-city, dating back over 2000 years. It was once an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the beautiful…

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Wadi Rum

The landscape of Wadi Rum is astounding. Also known as the ‘Valley of the Moon’, Wadi Rum truly does look like something from another planet!

Sandstone and granite boulders and rocks are met with seemingly endless dunes of the reddest sand you can imagine, and the result is something so aesthetically pleasing, it is almost guaranteed to take your breath away; and if the views don’t do it,…

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Arriving in Wadi Rum

Arriving in Wadi Rum

We drove north through the dry terrain, passing camel crossing signs along the way until we reached the small village of Wadi Rum. Our taxi driver pulled over and we were introduced to a young man, no older than 24, who owned the desert camp where we ended up staying for 2 nights.

We were taken to the owner’s office in the village where we were asked to take a seat and he started explaining the…

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Know before you go- Overlanding Survival Tips

Know before you go- Overlanding Survival Tips

“A long journey begins with one step” – Kikuyu proverb, Kenya.

Overlanding is about making memories that you will talk about for the rest of your life. However, it is essential that you know what you are getting yourself into before paying the deposit. So, your first step to your long African journey is doing your research. After all, there is an African proverb that states, ‘Only a fool tests…

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Final thoughts on Africa

Final thoughts on Africa

Well, this has been a long, arduous journey through beautiful, crazy Africa. Our overlanding adventure started in Cape town, South Africa and finally finished 117 days later upon the backs of some trusty steeds at the pyramids in Cairo, Egypt.

It’s no secret that taking on Africa in the form of an overland safari is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The rewards are rich and varied from endless…

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First things first: is Egypt safe? Absolutely! Safety is often one of the biggest concerns for a lot of people planning a holiday to Egypt, but honestly, the country is really safe. Unfortunately, nowadays most of the Middle East is currently in a political or social unrest, but we often forget to see the difference between Egypt and the rest of the Middle East. To be honest, Egyptians take their security measures really seriously- many times we passed through police barricades, however, at no point during our month long Egyptian adventure did we ever feel scared or wary of the locals or my surroundings.

Sure, there may be some regions which are not safe, but the vast majority of the country are perfectly fine. Just like in any other country and city. That said, everywhere in Egypt we were told that the only rules for tourists in Egypt are to “enjoy yourself and feel like you are at home”. As with all travel experiences, common sense should prevail, treat your own safety in Egypt as you would anywhere else in the world and you will generally be fine.

Sightseeing in Egypt

As you may already know, we have been travelling through the beautiful continent of Africa for the last 5 months on an overland truck. This tour took us to the majority of Egypt’s top attractions. Here’s a list of what we did both with Oasis and independently after the tour finished (as we felt we hadn’t been to all of the best bits yet):

Marvelled over the impressive Abu Simbel Temples

Walked around the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu

Travelled via a boat on the stretching Nile River to the island Philae Temple

Learnt about the ancient Egyptian burial practices at the Valley of the Kings & Queens and The Mortuary Temple of Hatsheput

Snorkelled in the Red Sea in Hurghada

Were gobsmacked at the towering Great Pyramids and its guardian, the Great Sphinx of Giza

Wandered around the massive Egyptian Museum which houses an uncountable number of Egyptian artefacts. In fact, we were told that they’re building an even bigger museum, which will hold more remnants from Egyptian history

Lost Pam in the busy Khan-el-Khalili Bazaar

Relaxed and ate ourselves silly in Dahab

Explore the Black & White Deserts

Managed to go on a hot air balloon ride over the West Bank of the Nile River during our time in Luxor- what an experience!

We hope your experiences of Egypt were as good as ours!

As-salaam ‘alaykum,

Nat and Damo

Final thoughts on travelling in Egypt First things first: is Egypt safe? Absolutely! Safety is often one of the biggest concerns for a lot of people planning a holiday to Egypt, but honestly, the country is really safe.

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A detour in Nuweiba Saturday 3rd- 4th November The morning that we left Dahab was a big rush, the manager and all other staff in our hotel were nowhere to be found and we needed to check out and pay for the room.

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A few days in Dahab

A few days in Dahab

Tuesday 30th October- Friday 2nd

We arrived in Dahab after a gruelling 10-hour overnight bus ride from Cairo. The bus itself was not so bad, we’ve been in worse, it was the constant security checks that drove us crazy and kept us up all night that made this bus ride truly horrendous!

Every few hours we would have to stop for a security check, sometimes this meant just checking id and other times…

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White Desert & Bahariya Oasis

White Desert & Bahariya Oasis

Thursday 25th October

After a hearty breakfast, we bundled back into the 4X4 to the New White Desert. The New White Desert is absolutely amazing! Of course, this is where we were camping for the night, but since we arrived so late, it was hard to really comprehend how magnificent it is in such poor lighting. This place is the whole reason for doing the overnight trip. The desert consists entirely…

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Black Desert

Wednesday 24th October

Did you know that volcanoes, fossils and even a vast ocean once covered what is now hundreds of kilometres of desert? Interesting right?

One of our most memorable adventures in Egypt was an overnight stay in the White Desert, stopping and visiting the Black Desert and Crystal Mountain on the way. The trip took us just over 4 hours to get there by car from Cairo and has a…

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The Egyptian Museum, Cairo

The Egyptian Museum, Cairo

Tuesday 23rd October

The Egyptian Museum, which holds the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts in the world, is centrally located right off of Cairo’s now-famous Tahrir Square, one block over from the Nile River downtown.

One of the most incredible things about the Egyptian Museum is the sheer amount of Ancient Egyptian relics, statues, and art that cover every single imaginable…

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Pyramids of Giza

Monday 22nd October

Like many people, Egypt is somewhere I had wanted to go for years and years. I have always been fascinated by Ancient Egypt, and a visit to the Egyptian Pyramids has always featured prominently on any list of my must-see destinations. I was very happy when we booked our overlanding adventure from Cape Town to Cairo. Unfortunately, all these years of waiting to see the…

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Snorkelling in Hurghada

Saturday 20th October

“Buoyed by water, he an fly in any direction- up, down, sideways- by merely flipping his hand. Underwater, man becomes an archangel.” – Jacques Yves Cousteau. 

After a stop at the Red Sea Camp where we cleaned the entire truck, we arrived in Hurghada.

Nestled on the coast of the Red Sea, Hurghada is the second largest city in Egypt and is famous for its crystal-clear waters.

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Hot Air Ballooning over Luxor

Hot Air Ballooning over Luxor

Wednesday 17th October

You have not seen the land of the ancient Pharaohs until you have looked down on it from the heavens, or as close as you can get to that from a hot air balloon.

High up above Luxor we floated in our hot air balloon. Gliding through the air and soaking in views of the temples, Nile river and lush farmland all with a backdrop of rugged, tan mountains was a perfect way to…

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