INTO THE WILD
A Yoga & Adventure Retreat with Sheranne Wong & Simone Topel
SRI LANKA
April 26 – 2 May, 2027
Step out of your everyday and into a week of wonder.
Set on the shores of Koggala Lake, this retreat invites you to step out of your everyday and into something wilder. Wilder landscapes, yes, but also the parts of yourself that go quiet when life gets busy. Your curiosity. Your sense of wonder. The part of you that's been craving more than another full calendar.
Days move between practice and adventure. Vinyasa as the sun rises over the water. Breathwork that takes you somewhere words don't reach. Workshops where you'll find yourself upside down, laughing at what your body can do. A safari through Udawalawe National Park. A boat trip across the lake at dawn. An afternoon learning the ancient science of Ayurveda with an Ayurvedic doctor. And between it all, long unhurried meals of Sri Lankan cooking at its best: fragrant curries, fresh seafood, hoppers and sambols, tropical fruit that tastes 100x better than it does back home.
You'll leave with a steadier connection to yourself, a group of new friends, and the aliveness that only comes from opening yourself up to new adventures. We can’t wait to see you there!
// Simone & Sheranne
This retreat is for you if
You're craving a real adventure. Somewhere new, somewhere far, somewhere that shakes up your sense of what's possible.
Your days are full and your calendar is fuller, and you know it's time to step out of your environment and hear yourself think again.
You want to deepen your yoga practice with varied classes, playful workshops and personal guidance in a small, supportive group.
You're curious about the inner work: breathwork, philosophy, Ayurveda, and honest conversations that go beyond small talk.
You want awe. Elephants in the wild, a lake full of birdlife, sunrise from a boat, jungle and beaches to fill up your cup with time in nature.
You'd love every detail handled for you: the venue, the transfers, the excursions, the food. All you have to do is arrive.
Or just maybe, Sri Lanka has been on your bucket list for years and you've been waiting for the right reason to finally go!
This retreat is open to everyone. All genders, all ages, all levels of experience. If the wild is calling you, you belong here.
What’s Included
6 nights’ accommodation at Kurulu Bay, an award-winning boutique resort on Koggala Lake
3 daily meals, made fresh with organic, locally sourced ingredients
Opening and closing circles to ground the group and honour the journey
Daily yoga across a variety of styles: Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin and Yoga Nidra, taught in two beautiful shalas overlooking the lake
Breathwork sessions to quiet the mind and access what's underneath
Arm balance workshop (animal themed, naturally!)
Inversions workshop to play with turning your world upside down
Yoga philosophy workshop to bring depth and meaning to your practice, on and off the mat
Guided Ayurveda workshop with a local Ayurvedic doctor
Safari through Udawalawe National Park, home to hundreds of wild elephants
Sunrise boat trip on Koggala Lake, visiting a temple, cinnamon island and fish spa
One group airport transfer to and from the retreat
*Flights and travel insurance not included*
The Journey
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2:00pm - Arrival, check-in and settle
4:00pm - Welcome tea and property tour
5:00pm - Movement practice and opening circle
7:00pm - Welcome dinner
9:00pm - Yoga Nidra (optional)
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8:00am - Vinyasa Yoga practice
9:30am - Breakfast
11:00am - Yoga Philosophy workshop
1:00pm - Lunch
2:00pm - Free Time
5:00pm - Yin Yoga practice
7:30pm - Dinner
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5:00am - Sunrise boat trip on Koggala Lake (island temple, cinnamon island, fish spa)
11:30am - Brunch
1:00pm - Free Time
2:00pm - Afternoon Snack
3:00pm - Arm Balance Workshop
5:00pm - Free Time
6:00pm - Breathwork
8:00pm - Dinner
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8:00am - Hatha Yoga practice
9:30am - Breakfast
10:30am - Ayurveda Workshop with an Ayurvedic doctor
12:30pm - Lunch, then a free afternoon (surf, spa, turtle rescue centre, Galle, or nothing at all - we can provide recommendations!)
7:30pm - Dinner
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8:00am - Vinyasa Yoga practice
9:30am - Breakfast
12:00pm - Udawalawe National Park Safari
8:30pm - Dinner
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8:00am - Breathwork
10:00am - Breakfast
11:00am - Free Time
12:00pm - Inversions Workshop
2:00pm - Lunch
3:00pm - Free Time
5:30pm - Integration and closing ceremony
7:30pm - BBQ Dinner
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8:00am - Morning Movement practice
9:30am - Breakfast
11:00am - Departure transfers to the airport
Please note that the schedule is subject to slight changes and we will always aim to honour & respond to the needs of the group.
Welcome to paradise
Your home for the week
We’ll be staying at a private hotel on the edge of Koggala Lake, just inland from the beaches of Sri Lanka's south coast. Kurulu means "bird" in Sinhalese, and the name fits: the estate sits beside a bird sanctuary, wrapped in jungle, with monkeys in the treetops and the lake glittering through the trees. With just 14 suites and cottages across the grounds, it feels more like a beautifully designed home than a hotel. There are two pools, a spa, and two stunning yoga shalas overlooking the lake, fully equipped with Manduka and Rumi mats, bolsters, blocks and Tibetan sound bowls.
We are in love with the venue, and it’s no surprise it has been recognised by The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveller, National Geographic, AD Middle East and the Michelin Guide.
Your Investment
Secure your space with a $300 deposit. Flexible payment plans available. We keep numbers intentionally small so every experience feels personal, and this retreat will have no more than 15 guests. Earlybird pricing is available until October 26th or until all spots are filled — whichever comes first!
Twin Suite
$2,885 // $2,685 earlybird
Share the experience with a friend (or a soon-to-be one). Two beds, en suite bathroom, air conditioning and an overhead fan, plus your own outdoor seating area with garden or lake views.
Private Suite
$3,497 // $3,297 earlybird
Your own quiet corner of the jungle. A private en suite room with air conditioning and an overhead fan, and an outdoor seating area looking onto the garden or lake.
Private Sanctuary Room
$3,699 // $3,499 earlybird
The full sanctuary. Everything the private room offers but in a two-room villa, which hosts its own private pool with sun loungers, a kitchenette and a lounge area. For when you want somewhere beautiful to retreat to within the retreat.
The price includes everything you need for the week upon arrival. Rooms are limited and allocated on a first come basis. Flights and additional extras are not included.
Questions: Any questions at all? We would love to hear from you at hello@heldretreats.com
Meet Your Hosts
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Sheranne is a Singapore-based yoga and breathwork teacher with nearly ten years of teaching behind her, shaped as much by her own practice as by the teachers who guided her along the way: Ganga Devi, S.N. Goenka, Tania Barton, Christina Sell, Patrick Creelman and Nicky Hadjithoma.
Her work is about helping people slow down, turn inward and return home to their bodies. Not necessarily to find something new, but to remember what was always already there.
On this retreat, Sheranne holds the softer side of the practice: Yin, Yoga Nidra and the breathwork sessions that sit at the heart of the week.
Whether in a class, a retreat or a one-on-one session, she creates spaces where people feel held and safe enough to go quiet, and honest enough to meet themselves there.
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Simone is the founder of Held Retreats and the thread that holds it all together. Currently based in Barcelona, she is an ICF-certified coach, yoga teacher and speaker, she has spent years helping people rebuild confidence, reconnect with themselves and step into life more fully. Her yoga training spans across Rocket, Hatha, Ashtanga and Vinyasa, with specialist training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Yoga for Depression. She has taught everywhere from the beaches of Barcelona to schools, studios, gyms, and corporate offices at Meta and PwC.
On this retreat, Simone brings the fire: dynamic Vinyasa, Rocket-inspired flows, and the arm balance and inversion workshops that will have you challenging yourself to new levels.
As a coach, she works with people on self-worth, confidence, career and life design. She has designed and led wellness programmes for global organisations including BMW and Moët Hennessy, and her retreats have consistently turned strangers into lifelong friends.
What makes Simone different is not just what she knows. It is the way she shows up. Warm, direct, real. She creates a space where people feel genuinely seen, often for the first time in a long time.
Nourishment
If you’ve been on one of our retreats before, you’ll know that food is always one of the highlights, and Sri Lanka might just set a new bar. And if you’re new to us, let’s just say you’re in for a treat!
The Kitchen at our retreat home is a sea-to-table restaurant overlooking the lake, built around fresh seafood and organic, locally grown produce, all prepared in an open kitchen. Expect hoppers and tropical fruit in the mornings, and fragrant curries and grilled fish as the sun goes down. Simple, fresh and properly delicious.
Our retreat menu is pescatarian, with plenty of plant-based options throughout.
Mealtimes are where so much of the connection happens. Everyone sits down together, stories from the day get shared, and plates get passed around.
Let us know about any allergies or dietary needs when you book (you’ll see this on the booking form), and we'll have everything taken care of before you arrive.
Your Adventure Is Waiting
You'll leave this retreat with more than photos of elephants (although you'll have plenty of those). You'll leave steadier, clearer and more awake to your own life. Stronger in your practice, closer to yourself, and carrying a week of moments you'll be telling people about for years.
If something in you has been asking for an adventure, this is your invitation. Come to Sri Lanka. Turn inward, look outward, and remember how big the world is.
Follow the link below to secure your spot with just a $300 deposit.
*EARLY BIRD pricing ends October 26th*
As this is an intimate retreat, spaces are very limited and early booking is highly recommended. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at hello@heldretreats.com - we’d love to hear from you!
BOOK A CALL
Interested in attending, but want to chat through your questions with us first? Book a call and we’ll be happy to connect.
FAQs
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Not at all. All levels are welcome, and everything is designed to be accessible and empowering - whether you're brand new or more experienced. You’ll be supported every step of the way, and encouraged to move at a pace that feels right for you.
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Yes and yes! Many of our guests come solo - and it's a beautiful way to meet like-minded people in a safe, welcoming space.
Alternatively, if you’re coming with a friend, you can let us know through your booking form and provided availability, we will pair you together in the same room!
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Absolutely! When you book your spot, you’ll be asked to share any dietary requirements or allergies. We’re happy to accommodate vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets, and we’ll do our best to make sure everyone is well-fed and feels great throughout the retreat.
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We recommend flying into Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) in Colombo, around 2.5 hours from the retreat by car.
Coming from Singapore? Sri Lanka is only a four-hour flight away, which makes this the perfect long escape without the long haul.
Group Transfers: We'll provide one group transfer from the airport to the retreat, and back again at the end of your stay. We'll take care of the logistics so you can arrive ready to unwind.
Extending your stay: Sri Lanka is made for exploring. Many guests choose to add a few days before or after the retreat for surfing, Galle, the hill country or the beaches of the south coast. We're happy to help you plan.
Need help figuring out flights or connections? Just reach out. We've got you.
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Check-in opens at 2:00pm on arrival day. If you're joining the group airport transfer, it will get you to the retreat by then. If you're making your own way there, aim to arrive around 2:00pm so you have time to settle in before our welcome tea and property tour at 4:00pm.
On departure day, we'll share our final morning practice and breakfast together before the group transfer to the airport. We know flights out of Colombo leave at all sorts of times, so if yours doesn't line up neatly, let us know and we'll help you figure out the smoothest plan, whether that's a later checkout, a place to hang out in town while you wait, or a separate transfer.
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Here’s what’s not included:
✈️ Flights to and from Fuerteventura
💆 Additional spa treatments or excursions not included in the itinerary, such as massages (available to book on-site)
🧳 Travel insurance (highly recommended for peace of mind) -
When you book, you'll have the option to pay in full or spread the cost over a payment plan. It's all automated through our booking platform, so once you're set up, the payments take care of themselves. The full balance is due by 28 February 2027.
If you have specific questions, just reach out to us at hello@heldretreats.com and we'll support you to the best of our ability!
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Most guests will need an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization), which is quick to apply for online and currently free for travellers from the UK, US, EU, Switzerland, Singapore and many other countries. Apply through the official government portal before you fly, and make sure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates.
Visa rules can change, so please check the official Sri Lanka ETA website closer to your departure to confirm the requirements for your nationality.
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We keep this one simple so there are no surprises. All payments are non-refundable. If your plans change and you let us know at least 60 days before the retreat starts, you can transfer your booking to another retreat instead, so your spot (and your investment) isn't lost. Cancellations within 60 days of the start date, or leaving partway through the retreat, aren't eligible for a refund or transfer.
We know life happens, which is exactly why we recommend booking travel insurance that covers trip cancellation. It's inexpensive and gives you a safety net we're not able to offer ourselves.
For more general questions you may have, you can find more information by visiting our general FAQ page.
Here to Help
Questions for us? We’d love to support you!
Fill out the adjacent form or contact us on:
Instagram @heldretreats or by email at hello@heldretreats.com