WELCOME
TO THE MAGICAL SATAYA
OUR UPCOMING RETREAT
NOVEMBER 2-9 2024
Your investment: €2000 - Book here
Welcome to a heart opening dolphin and yoga retreat
Come and join us in the beautiful Sataya lagoon. Let the sun, salt water, and beautiful surroundings help you relax and recharge your energy. Swimming with the empathic and playful dolphins can lift your mood and spirit.
Our retreat program focuses on self-love, joy, and healing. This week is all about nurturing yourself and connecting with nature.Make new friends for life, engage in inspiring conversations, and gather beautiful memories to take back home. Join Marie in the sunrise and evenings under the stars. Yin Yoga, easy flow, reiki healing in groups, singing circles, ceremonies, and sharing circles. You can enjoy optional activities like Free diving and Scuba Diving during the day for the ultimate experience of relaxing on the sun deck or snorkeling in the beautiful reef. Every day, we will go out to meet the Dolphins. This will be an experience you will always remember.
Including
Always included on our retreats:
- 3 times a day - magical dolphin encounters
- One morning meditation or easy flow, depending on the dolphins
- Sound journey (Singing bowls).
- One Yin Yoga every evening after sunset with Reiki healing
- Dolphin Seminars
- Ceremonies, Singing circles, Sharing Circles, workshops
- All-inclusive 7-night accommodation on the yacht
- Three buffet meals a day (A tasty buffet of international and Egyptian cuisine) and snacks between.
- Healthy, fresh squeezed juices every day from the seasonal fruits. (The Mango in Egypt is heavenly in the summer)
- Unlimited water, tea, coffee, and soft drinks.
- Snorkeling guides
- Mask, fins, and snorkel can be provided, but we recommend you to bring at least your own mask and snorkel for the best comfort and experience.
- National Park Fee
- *Airport transfer
- An experienced crew will give you a warm welcome ;)
*Bus is leaving Hurghada on Saturday morning and returning on Saturday evening.
What's not included:
- Flight to and from Hurghada/Marsa Alam. (If you fly to Cairo, we can organize the transport for an additional cost).
- Travel Visa (€28 euro cash can be bought at the airport in Egypt. Bring euro or Dollar in cash)
- Tip for the crew (approximately €100 for the week)
- Extra transfer costs and personal expenses outside our retreat.
Additional services for private booking this week:
- Scuba adventure for certified divers
- Try scuba diving
- One-on-one introduction to free-diving
- Private Reiki Healing
What you will experience:
- Magical dolphin encounters with the playful spinner dolphins. Learning about their behaviour and how to approach them respectfully and with an open heart.
- Slowing down. Be more in your body and live the present moment.
- Yin Yoga under the stars. The art of letting go and meeting your hopes and fears.
- Morning meditation / slow flow yoga for inner connection in the sunrise
- Self Reiki Sessions in group
- Snorkeling at the beautiful Reef in Sataya
- New, beautiful connections with each other. Conversations and stories that will be in your heart forever.
- Learn about dolphin behaviors and how we can connect with them.
Happenings and workshops:
- How to make your dolphin encounters magical
- Channeling the dolphins - morning dolphin meditation
- Sharing sessions
- Yin yoga workshop.
- Swimming/snorkeling technique classes
- Feel more comfortable in the water. How to relax and let go.
- Introduction to freediving with Mido
HOW TO GET THERE
You can fly into Hurghada or Marsa A.lam. We always recommend coming a day early and staying in a hotel so you can rewind and relax before the journey to Sataya. We will pick you up at the hotel on Saturday morning around 9am (depending on the last arrival participant) or from the airport if you fly in on Saturday. If you need to arrive late on Saturday, we can arrange a private transfer to the boat for an additional cost.
On Saturday, the week after, we leave the boat in the morning between 8-10 am, depending on the flight schedules. We can be at the earliest in Marsa Alam airport at 12 and Hurghada at 3 pm.
The drive from Hurghada to Hamata port, where we will depart to Sataya, is around 5 hours, and we do stop on the way for refreshments.
About Us
About Al Thuraya
We are a recently started Egyptian company that combines the blue wonders with exploring ourselves. It consists of a Swedish-Egyptian duo, a dive master, and a yoga teacher, who found each other through giving people a genuine experience and a huge love for a common passion: the sea. We met at a diving center in Port Ghalib, a Marina near Marsa Alam, and became good friends. Between dives, there was a lot of talk about dreams and life goals, and we found our dreams were aligned. We felt an amazing connection and a common feeling of trust in each other and started planning for the future.
Caring for the dolphins is our most important value. We don't chase them; we always provide a solid briefing to ensure we don't disturb the animals. This is why seminars and workshops are important for us. Not only for you to have the best experience and understanding, its also to show you how amazing it can be when the dolphins reward you. And your encounter will be even more magical. We also
Our values and hearts lie in sustainability, and we strive to let this nature experience also help foster the conservation of this unique place. We are guests of Mother Nature, and having as little impact as possible is central to how we want to operate. Whether it is reducing our carbon footprint or our use of plastic, we try to improve, to do more, and to do better.
We are trying to eliminate disposable plastic and offer all our customers refill bottles for water.
We strive to use boats that share our interest in sustainability and have as little impact on the environment as possible. We still have a long way to go.
We want to give back to the sea, among other things, by offering to participate in a clean-up day on one of the islands near Sataya.
Marie Pleione
I'm a Hatha/Yin yoga teacher, a Reiki healer, a life coach, and a divemaster. For the last 5 years, I have dedicated myself to helping people find their true calling and overcoming self-doubts.
I took a huge leap of faith and gave up a secure life in Sweden to pursue a calling from the dolphins. After 20 years of marriage, I realized I had become completely comfortable and unfilled. I needed to find myself, and I had a huge hunger to create a different life. I missed a purpose, a community of like-minded people. I wanted to wake up in the morning and feel that I was connected to nature and made a positive impact on the world.
When I first came to Sataya, it felt like this was meant to be.
Meeting the dolphins changed me—my frequency, thoughts, and approach to life. Before, I was completely driven by fear of everything in my life, and for the first time, I felt I could do anything I set my mind to.
My love for the sea goes beyond passion. It's a calling. Scuba diving, free diving, and yoga have such a common feeling. It's about being present, in the moment.
My yoga teaching is about self-healing, restoring, accepting, and not running away from your feelings. We store a lot of emotions in our bodies, and we can reprogram ourselves by learning about the communication between body and mind.
Many say that dolphins can heal you. I can't tell you if this is true, but I feel their calming energy when in the water with them. It is the same presence that I feel when I go into my breathing exercises in my yoga practice. It’s all about calming down your nervous system to be able to navigate through everything that is happening inside you. Finding some clearness and self-reflection.
You can read more about my journey and also our story here
Meet the yacht
We will spend the week on a beautiful 30 m-long yacht with all the conveniences you would wish for to make your holiday fun and relaxing.
She has a big restaurant and salon with air-conditioning on the main deck—two recreation decks. One is shaded, with sofas, tables (and space for yoga and retreat activities). A big top sundeck that is perfect for yoga classes in the early morning and evening.
10 cabins for 20 people, four twin cabins on a higher deck with a sea view, and six twin cabins on a lower deck. All have individual air conditioning and private bathrooms with hot water showers and toilets.
All of the cabins have individual air-conditioning and plenty of space to stow your belongings for the week. Cabins are pre-allocated when booking, so please remember to check if you have a specific request.
PROGRAM
We keep the program very open. For us, it's essential to follow the flow of the dolphins and the group. Having time for reflection is essential, and we have realized that a full and pretentious program can sometimes be too much. Sataya is very transformational. The dolphins are also opening our hearts, and we are there to guide you through this process. Connect and discover things about yourself that you might not have seen or realized before.
Saturday Check in
Arrival day. Checking in on the boat.
We make ourselves home in our cabins, having lunch and checking our equipment. Get to know the boat with a briefing when everyone has arrived, and then we start moving to Sataya (it's 2,5 hours to the south-east of the Red Sea)When we arrive, we will start by entering the water and for those who feel a lite bit uneasy in non-shallow water we will go through how to use the snorkel, getting in and out of the zodiac boats so that you feel comfortable and safe we go deeper into the lagoon and see if the dolphins are still in the lagoon.
After we enjoy the sunset, we will gather on the top roof for a Yin yoga class under the stars.
Dinner will be at 19:00, and we will rest and enjoy our time on the yacht for the rest of the evening.
Sunday to Thursday - A Typical day onboard
- Three times snorkeling per day:
6:00 am, 10:00 am and 15:00 am - Three meals per day:
Breakfast 8:00, Lunch 13:30, Dinner 19:00
& unlimited snacks and fruits all day. - Morning meditation/slow flow at sunrise.
- Happenings under the stars: Yin yoga, healing circles, and more...
- Three times snorkeling per day:
GOOD MORNING SATAYA
If the dolphins have arrived, we will start our morning with a snorkeling tour. At 9:00 a.m., we have breakfast, and then we go back to the dolphins or just swim along the reef. When we come up from the water, we have time for some relaxation.
Lunch is served around 1:00 pm, followed by some relaxation. During the day, we let the dolphins rest and focus on other activities.
In the afternoon, we return to the blue for more dolphin encounters. They are getting ready to go out for a hunt. Now, they are usually slower, and this is a beautiful chance to swim side by side with them.
Dinner is usually served around 8:00 p.m., and the evening is free for each of us to rest, read, listen to music, or just enjoy being together.
During the day
When the dolphins are resting, we will have time for some retreat activities, depending on the program, and also some fun adventures like trying scuba diving or joining a guided scuba adventure. Some of our retreats are packed with workshops and lectures, and some have more time for scuba or snorkeling if you prefer. Remember, it's always your choice to participate in what you want. However, for a stress-free week, we have a maximum of one guided dive daily. If you have at least 50 dives and a buddy, you can go diving yourself.
When the sun sets...
and the dolphins leave the lagoon; we sneak up to the high deck to finish the day with a beautiful yin & restorative session.
Yin Yoga and Ceremonies
Some evenings, we have different happenings, like cacao ceremonies, lotus and water ceremonies, or mantra singing together. We come together and open our hearts to each other, ourselves, and Mother Nature.
Friday
We will move the boat to Hamata Island. A beautiful heart ere we will relax and have a party in the evening. It feels important to give back to nature, especially after receiving so much from it during the week. We love to organize a cleaning day before sunset. It's very appreciated by our groups. Together, we can make the world a better place. Of course, it is always optional, and you also enjoy a walk around the island or go snorkeling.
Saturday
All good things must end, and so will this week. But we leave with new memories, friends for life, and so much love in our hearts. The closing ceremony will be in the evening before. This is because, on the last day, there is usually much packing that needs to be done and pictures that need to be taken (everyone suddenly realizes that they haven’t used their phones all week and taken any pictures). We are moving back to Hamata Marina and checking out at 10:00 am (depending on the first flight time, it can be earlier).
Ps After the retreat you can choose to continue your journey with Al Thuraya and book a tour to Asuan/Luxor or go Horseback riding in the desert, or try Swimming with horses.
Al Thuraya Team, the Dolphins & the ship's crew welcome you to this retreat.
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Still not sure?
Do you have any questions or request? Is the dates not right for you? Don't hesitate to reach out to us.
Fill in the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible or book a call here