Ulpotha Yoga & Ayurveda Retreat

There’s pure magic here. Every detail is so thoughtful and meticulous. I did a two week retreat and could have stayed for double the time. I felt relaxed and inspired. I cannot get over the food… some of the best I’ve ever had in my entire life. I’ve been vegan for 25 years and it was so nice to be able to eat so beautifully. Everything is prepared with such love and care that you can really feel it. Our host, Mark, was so on top of everything and really fun to be around. The massage therapists, Flo and Boris, were stellar!!!!! And our yoga teacher, Lila, was a brilliant yoga teacher and even more incredible human. Felt like such a privilege to be there. I’ve never left a holiday feeling this rejuvenated. A stay at Ulpotha may be the best thing you ever do for yourself!

My one week at Ulpotha was magical. It was a luxury and a privilege to be so close to nature and to be well taken care of by Ulpotha’s village people. I appreciate Ulpotha’s effort and intention to keep this special place close to its roots, yet so warm, welcoming and safe. Although it took me a bit of time to get used to not having city modern comfort, I found it light to ease into the life without wifi and electricity here. There’s so much beauty everywhere I looked - the nature, the mud huts, the food and the kindhearted people. 🌞

One of the highlights for me was the food. Not only the meals and snacks tasted amazing, but they were also so full of life and love. Ayurvedic treatment by Dr Srilal and his team made me feel so pampered and nurtured.

I probably do not have good enough words to fully describe the uniqueness of this place. All I can say is the best way to understand Ulpotha’s magic is to be here. Just come with an open heart 🤍

Ulpotha - thank you so much for having me. I look forward to going back already 🤍🍃🌾

Ulpotha is a magical place for the body, mind, and soul. Having had a wonderful getaway holiday here to refresh myself, I found that I reconnected with my body's natural rhythm within two days, and felt rejuvenated by the incredible landscape and the fresh, organic food.

My favourite part of the property is the lake, where swimming or paddling can be enjoyed in the mornings or afternoons. The property is in a part of the country that is dry and hot, and there is something exciting about this kind of wilderness, and I loved exploring and going on walks, watching the monkeys, squirrels, or peacocks as they roamed around. We even had a sighting of elephants, which delighted everyone to no end.

The huts are open and rustic, and I appreciated the simplicity, where one could connect back to the earth. With no distraction, I could just be, enjoying my time in a space that felt almost like it was from another century.

The mealtime 'ambalama', where everyone gathers for lunch and dinner, is a wonderful place to casually catch up with everyone else also on the retreats. There is a great sense of community here, fostered mostly by the fact that the locals are very much front and centre of what Ulpotha is about. One feels like one is welcomed into a warm and gentle village community, and not that one is being served at a resort. This engenders a great feeling of 'being at home' with everyone.

Ulpotha is a unique experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone who feels the need to ground, connect, and grow.

This was my 7th time in Ulpotha and I love this place. Completely isolated from the outside world, without internet, without electricity, you live on a lake in the middle of paradise. Ayurveda, yoga, drinking water from the tap, excellent food, lovely people, interesting conversations, that's all the soul needs to be happy. The sounds of the jungle are the music. From the moment you book you are in perfect hands with Priyanthi and Anna Lisa takes heartwarming care of the guests on site. I'll definitely be back!

It took me a while to get back to the „normal“ life after the incredible Ulpotha experience and the truly transformative yoga retreat with Samanta Duggal ♥

I have been in many yoga retreats around the world and I usually enjoyed it, but after two weeks at Ulpotha magical place in the middle of Sri Lankan jungle I cannot imagine to ever choosing another place to recharge & go within...
And after experiencing the deep meaning of yoga from Samanta‘s teachings I don’t need to search for another teacher 🧘🙏

Why I loved it so much?

Imagine yourself waking up and felling asleep with the sounds of the jungle… imagine walking barefoot all day, truly grounding yourself and connecting with your inner sun. Imagine eating the most delicious & nourishing food every day, spending time with inspiring people and in the beautiful surroundings… and imagine finishing every yoga class in a deepest shavasana, bringing you home… ♥♥♥

And those words don’t even describe true magic of Ulpotha 🙌

THANK YOU & see you again soon ♥

We visited Ulpotha early January and did the yoga with Flo - 1 1/2 hours in the morning, and slower Yin Yoga late afternoon for 1 1/2 hours, the classes were fantastic - challenging, very well thought through, and just what was needed from my 3 girls and I. We also booked the Ayurveda package, and again it was truly wonderful (healing and cleansing). Ulpotha is a rare experience out in the tropical jungle of Sri Lanka - no electricity and out in the wild. If you want to do something exceptional that you will remember for a lifetime - BOOK. Thank you to all the staff and especially Mark and Boris (the girls loved you both) - you were great fun, and we had such an amazing time and overall experience. Thank you.

We had a wonderful time at this very special retreat in the jungle of Sri Lanka. The natural setting is hard to beat and we loved sleeping to the sounds of nature. The people at Ulpotha are warm, we felt well looked after and the food and treatments were amazing. Our host Mark made sure that everything went as smoothly as possible and that we had the best possible experience during our retreat. This place also attracts a special kind of community and we met some really beautiful people during our stay and connected with them on so many levels. Last but not least, we love Ulpotha's mission to make the retreat as regenerative as possible for the environment and the people who work there.

Ulpotha is truly an oasis. An oasis for all of your senses, for your mind, your body, your soul. In transition? Exhausted? In need of a tech break without any sort of justification? Nature lover? Birdwatcher? Yogi? There is something nourishing for everyone here.

Not only is the property gorgeous, and the mud huts super cool, the yoga rejuvenating, the treatments incredibly relaxing, the food mouth watering (sourced on site from the watha/garden!), sweet and thoughtful creative touches everywhere, and also the team (really more like a big family) has everything seamlessly covered in a way that feels extraordinarily supportive, generous, and kind.

Ulpotha is run as a not-for-profit, with proceeds benefiting the village, restoring the property, regenerative care for the land, and taking thoughtful care of the whole team. They are innovatively run by committee vs hierarchy and many have been with Ulpotha for 25 years, as testament to what a great place it is to work.

A retreat at Ulpotha is not only an act of selfless care for yourself, but also an act of care for community and planet.

Loved my time at Ulpotha, like nowhere I have ever been before. 💫
Days filled with yoga, ayurvedic treatments, amazing vegan food, swimming in the lake and massages.
Mark was a fantastic host
Go… you won’t regret it 🌟

Ulpota is one of the most beautiful places we know. We have been coming here regularly for eight years. It's a luxury that lies in simplicity. Without electricity, without internet - only at one small spot do you get internet reception - without cell phones. The rooms are cleaned daily, the beds are made. The about 10 guest-huts are situated in the forest and near a rice field. Guests are usually very cultured and come from all parts of the world. People in the age group between 20 and 75 years old visit this resort, so it's a mixed crowd. They come from all parts of the world. The center of the place is an old colonial-style villa, filled with very beautiful, carefully chosen, matching antiques. Through eating together, guests live very close and connected to each other. It's a family atmosphere. Due to the fact that the resort is very large, with its own small lake, there is plenty of space to be alone and offer peace and quiet. However, for people who want luxury and butlers service, it's definitely not the right place. But for those who want to live a cultured life and seek the simple, grounded, and tranquility, along with meeting other like-minded people, it's ideal for relaxing and finding inner peace again. The yoga teachers and therapists we've met were really good, the food as well. Ayurveda is basic and in the old style, like it might have been 100 years ago."
We will come there again next year.
Alex and Michaela Skrein, Austria

Back to basices, no electricity, no internet, no meat, total recharge through healthy lifestyle. Every family should spend a week here to understand what is required in life. Great area to cycle around.

A Little Piece of Heaven on Earth

ISTOUTI Ulpotha - thank you so much to you ALL for such a very, very special week. Absolutely Ulpotha is incredibly beautiful and relaxing - a real oasis of relaxation. Nature surrounds you, immerses & soothes you. I loved the luxury of my mud hut room overlooking the lush green paddy fields & being immersed in the sounds of nature day & night - waking up to the morning bird call - amazing . The food is delicious (thank you to all the kitchen team), the massage treatments were the best I’d ever had (thank you Eva), and the yoga was awesome (thank you Eilin & Michael). I loved the digital detox that Ulpotha provides (limited / no connection) and so allowed me to “connect again “ - to me, to the moment and this wonderful world. Istouti Ulpotha - thank you so much for such a very, very special week.

This experience is completely unique. We live in a world where everything is fast and can be very lonely. In Ulpotha, I got what I was really looking for, which is connection. Connection to the lovely villagers, connection to the other kind like-minded guests, connection to nature and finally connection to myself. Of course the yoga, massages, Ayurveda and food is awesome but go for the connection and the unique experience. You won’t be disappointed.

It is very rare that just seven days can change the rest of the weeks of your life. It takes a very special setting and a very special community to make that possible. Ulpotha is one of the most beautiful, gentle and nurturing places I have ever been. I haven't felt that close to nature, to my own body, my soul or to the other people in so long. There is something so honest about the beauty of this place it defies language. Everything from the sounds to the tastes to the gentle pace is just perfect. I wish I could be there right now.

I haven been to Ulpotha now for 25 years and it is each time more magical. For me it is not just the best yoga retreat I have ever experienced ;Thank you this time James de Maria! ; but a world of its own, a unique experience in this part of the world whether you are a yogi or just a nature and good food loving traveler.
The massages are also world class. The combination of Pi- Jing’s deep thaï massage and Eva’s voluptuous and profound hawaïan treatment have taken away all the accumulated blockades in my body … 🙏😊💪
Thank you Nirosha , Giles and Viren and all the team for taking so much care of me and my family .

My mum and I had the most magical and amazing time at Ulpotha. Ulpotha is a very special place and words can’t describe our time there. The village people are some of the most beautiful and humbling people who went out of their way to ensure you were having a nice time. Our yoga teacher Jules was incredible, not only a beautiful person but her classes made you left feeling warm and energised. The food provided was exceptional and some of the nicest curries I’ve tasted. In our down time we enjoyed swimming in the lake and cycling around the village. We have made some very special memories and met and shared some wonderful experiences with an incredible group of people. I hope to return one day soon.

This place is just beyond imagination or expectation.. The beings, the beauty, the aliveness, the depth, the energy, the silence, the overwhelming expansiveness and most importantly the food and smiles of the staff is everything. I attended Samantha’s retreat and I don’t think I could’ve chosen better. She’s a very well experienced yoga teacher who was able to perfectly manage a group of 18 students with different levels of experience. Her authenticity, playfulness and inclusive way of teaching are inspiring and made this whole experience a truly unforgettable one. The hosts Suzi and Sophie were the highlight of my stay at Ulpotha. Thanks to them I now call this place HOME. Their kindness, love and support exceeded all expectations. They were very attentive to our needs and made everyone feel safe and welcomed. I can’t recommend this magical place enough to anyone who is looking for a real retreat from the craziness of day to day life into the silence of the jungle, rice fields, mountains and lake. I can’t wait to be back and this time definitely for a longer time, two weeks or even more! Thank you Ulpotha for all the magic, love and laughter. I will be back very soon.

Ulpotha is a magical place to slow down, recharge and heal. It was clear that everyone involved in running Ulpotha from the villagers, Ayurvedic therapists, hosts, cooks, yoga teachers, masseurs and owners were focussed on ensuring guests had the best experience. I first visited in March 2022 and I’m excited to be returning in summer 23. I’m looking forward to waking up with the sounds of the nature again and watching the fireflies dance around the night sky.

If you haven’t walked barefoot in the jungle in the rain at night you should probably add this to your bucket list!

We spent a magical week living in the middle of the jungle with no electricity, eating delicious local vegan cuisine, doing yoga, and making new friends from all over of the world!

We had so much fun swimming & paddle boarding in the lake, stargazing, hiking, cycling through rice fields, getting massages, relaxing & reading in hammock swings, climbing a treehouse, and wandering through the jungle surrounded by monkeys!

Thank you to the amazing Ulpotha staff for an unforgettable experience!

My first yoga retreat, now I’m worried I’ll be spoiled forever! What a pristine natural beauty. Great lake for swimming, wonderful nooks to relax in, great staff. The meals were amazing, Organically farmed on site, prepared by Sri Lankan cooks. Everything was simply amazing. Thank you!