When a girlfriend of mine invited me for a week of detoxing in Thailand post-Christmas, I didn’t need too much convincing. I’d happily take a healthy kick-start to the year to shed off the mince pies and copious amounts of “Quality Street” chocolates consumed over the festive period. And as she’s a travel journalist (Instagram here), making this her fourth return visit to Phuket Cleanse, I felt I was in good hands.

An hour away from Phuket airport, Phuket Cleanse is a family-run, unassuming retreat hidden by swaying palm trees just 15 minutes from the beach. What started out as a juice-cleansing retreat has now transformed into a fitness and health haven with all bases covered. It has a wonderful, welcoming community – something that the PC tries to promote with banquet dining tables for shared meals and a friendly, relaxed approach to life there whilst still ticking off scientific fundamentals.

A Typical Day:

Pre-breakfast: Fasted cardio activities such as the “Big Buddha hike” or an ocean swim.

Breakfast: 7am – 8am.

Pre-launch: More high-intensity activities such as HIT or Muay Thai cardio, as well as options for aerial yoga and icebath sessions.

Lunch: 11.30 – 12.30pm.

Post-lunch: With a focus on strength training in the afternoon, there’ll be resistance-based classes at the gym as well as some more unique options such as foam rolling workshops, cooking classes, bikram yoga and stand up paddle boarding to name a few!

Dinner: 6pm – 7pm.

After-dinner: Mindfulness & meditation classes and talks.

Whether you’re going for weight-loss, overcoming addictions, want a fitness boost or just a break from hectic life, it really does have something for everyone.

The Accommodation

Myself, Danae and Kayleigh stayed in one of their off-site villas known as The White House. A beautiful villa with its own private pool and two large bedrooms that can happily sleep 4. There are also a number of spacious double bedrooms within the main retreat vicinity itself, from which The White House is a breezy 5 minutes walk from – helpful for upping step count too! If you’d prefer somewhere a little more private, I’d opt for one of the villas but if not, the rooms at the retreat are equally as lovely.

The Food

When it comes to food, you might as well call me Joey Tribbiani. I don’t share, I don’t like to be short-changed and it’ll always remain a focal point in my life. Socialising and my best experiences are rarely not centered around food. I hope that sets a high bar and you’ll therefore lovingly trust my honest judgment of the food at Phuket Cleanse!

Bottom line, it’s marvelous.

It really was nothing short of the most fabulous and delicious plant-based cooking I’ve enjoyed. I was there for 6 nights and every meal had a totally unique and interesting spin, right from breakfast through to dinner. They don’t serve meat or dairy (there is fish at evening meals) and everything is as natural and nutritious as possible.

On my first day, we made our own Papaya salads (with the sweetness coming from coconut sugar) and a DIY-style lunch set up. Not only do you have the opportunity to learn how to put together healthy and tasty dishes but they with blossom with flavour. Vegetable spring rolls, “Poke Bowl” stations, buckwheat pancakes, pad thai, vegetable fritters are just some of the dishes that you can expect to try.

The Main Property

Along with a communal dining table, (which is lovingly decorated each lunch and dinner time in a creative way), there is an Asian-inspired main pool, lounge area, sauna, steam, and ice-bath, along with various indoor & outdoor rooms for different fitness activities like areal yoga and spinning.

With 45-minute foot massages offered every single day (yes, I know) as part of the package there, as well as hour-long full-body massages complimentary 4 times a week, it’s easy to feel well and truly escaped from everyday life. The vegan, chocolate protein shakes  that are made up throughout the day for you to snack on, as well as available add-ins like spirulina and the prebitoic, psyllium

I tried and failed at the ice bath a number of times. Clearly freezing cold water isn’t my vibe. Lathering on Magnesium oil that they provide and sweating it out in the sauna though … much more me!

What I didn’t fail at though, and in fact absolutely loved, was the early morning 4k hike up to The Big Buddha. It’s incredibly steep but scenic and laced with palm trees and excitable dogs on the journey up. If you can manage a part-run, you’ll feel as good as gold afterward! Phuket Cleanse will have you covered here, but if you’re doing the run solo then I’d highly recommend heading up for sunrise, it’s a captivating site.

There’s also a few furry friends waiting at the top to say hello and make it all the more special! Although, I do feel I need to add; say hello from a distance … I did witness one couple try and stroke them and it didn’t end well. I’m not sure why they thought it would!

The gym that Phuket Cleanse uses for the HIT, Muay Thai, and strength classes is called ‘Raw Fitness’. You can have a look at their website here.

It’s not fancy nor decked out with the latest gym equipment, but it has everything you need to get fit, tone up and shed fat. I actually loved the raw feel to the gym; it was a refreshing change of scenery to your usual white cladded walls!

Phuket Cleanse is a retreat that promotes a positive lifestyle, from the inside-out.  They have the experience and knowledge to deliver a concept that works and gets results but is enjoyable in the process. They’ve kindly offered to share a 10% discount with my readers so get in touch with me if you’d like to book so I can help arrange that for you.

I felt better about my body, healthier and cleaner and loved the break away from normal hectic life!

Did you like this post? What do you think of the retreat from what you’ve read?

Any questions please comment below! Would love to hear from you :) 

Carly x