THE LOWDOWN
Aficionados have been following Erica Gragg, known as the yoga mermaid, for more than seven years because her formula is a such a winner: wondrous locations (Cartagena, Marrakech, Laos, Mexico) and fast-paced, lively and fun vinyasa flow yoga (lots of sun salutations). This year's hit? Cambodia. You stay 10 minutes outside Siem Reap at Aussie-run (so very upbeat) Sojourn Villas, where lotus blossoms and waterfalls create a meditative retreat, showers are alfresco and the bright, light bedrooms in the little villas are decorated with Cambodian silks.
The new Origins Spa, a haven of natural ingredients and herbal infusions, has carefully thought-out treatments, including a honey and tamarind facial with a fresh cucumber pack (it leaves skin blissfully dewy). And don't be fooled by the tiny-looking Cambodian therapists: Prea furiously unknots muscles tense from months of work at a computer. The massage leaves you flying.
The main house - the once-daily yoga spot - is a sleek, open-plan space dotted with large, stone Buddha heads. Gragg, exquisitely lean and toned (you can't believe she is 42), is joined by other teachers, including impish yet reverent Andrea Maltzer who can spot a twisted hip or lazy limb a mile off and encourages genuine beginners to master asanas quickly by unravelling the flow into simple steps. Your body will love it.
Choose between beginner and confident levels (you end up panting if you push yourself). There's no overloaded yogi philosophy to weigh you down, although Gragg does gently highlight ideas such as mindfulness and letting go of your ego. And there is so much more interspersed with the yoga.
Rise at 4am to watch the sun come up behind Angkor Wat, and visit a group of Buddhist monks who leave you reflecting on their potent calm. Hikes are also an option, as well as dusty bike rides through villages with giggling school children. The bicycles are the simple, do-the-job type; bums and thighs certainly know about it.
And there's shopping - lots of it. Gragg researches everything meticulously and has rooted out the best art, photography and clothing; and don't miss the night food markets (lotus fruits, green coconuts, coriander and lemongrass, ginger and galangal - all overwhelmingly scented and fresh). Grab your favourites for the cooking classes where you'll create chicken curries and fish amok, raw-vegetable spring rolls (not deep-fried, Gragg teaches a clean and lean approach to nutrition) and green-mango salad. Inspiring, lively and uplifting, these retreats draw a creative, intelligent and witty crowd. Burma, the Galápagos and Kyoto are next on the radar.
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