Gather in community for a soul journey to explore the African wild. In alignment with the cycles of nature and connecting deeply to the mother place, the womb of humanity, experience Tanzania's magic through the practice of kirtan, asana and ritual.

Bhakti Safari is a 10-day/9-night yoga and kirtan retreat with time spent exploring both the mystical island of Zanzibar and Ruaha National Park. We will start and end our retreat on Zanzibar, the Spice Island, known for it's crystal clear waters, Swahili artistic aesthetic, aromatic breezes, and peaceful vibration. We'll land and ground in Zanzibar for 5-days of relaxing and rejuvenating at the beach while connecting and preparing our community to venture on a 4-day Safari to Ruaha National Park. Ruaha is a wilder and more remote park in Southern Tanzania far away from the more accessible tourist trail of the Northern circuit-- a land few humans will have the opportunity to visit in their lifetime. We've arranged for private flights to/from Ruaha-- making our journey to this sacred land easeful and to allow the group to stay in a state of spiritual bliss (in the Bhav).

As we move through modern society we can lose our connection to Gaia, to the knowing that we are all made of the same elements. The vastness, the open expansiveness of the African savannah and all of her animal inhabitants, reconnects us to who we really are--just another one of nature's creatures. This knowing allows us to shed the masks that we carry around daily, shed the heaviness of our egos and drop into our hearts, to that place that connects us back home.

Daily yoga and Kirtan will be led by Sita Devi. Sita is a yogini, kirtan artist and ecstatic dance facilitator in service to the divine. Sita feels the divine channel so deeply and intensely through Bhakti Yoga, she has chosen to make it her life’s purpose. Sita is registered with the Yoga Alliance for 500 hours and has been teaching yoga for 10 years.

Day 1: Arrive in Zanzibar

Day 2-4: Matemwe, East Coast, Zanzibar

Day 5: Depart Zanzibar Airport to Ruaha Airstrip - Safari in Ruaha

Day 6-8: Safari Ruaha National Park

Day 9: Return to Zanzibar (overnight in Stonetown)

Day 10: Departure

There are three major international airports in Tanzania: Dar es Salaam (DAR), Kilimanjaro (JRO) and Zanzibar (ZNZ).

While we will start and end our retreat in Zanzibar, depending on how early you book, it may be more expensive to buy a ticket directly to ZNZ. In this case, we encourage guests to look into flying into DAR or JRO and connecting with local airlines (Precision Air or Air Tanzania) to ZNZ. This may require a layover in DAR or JRO. If you require a layover hotel we will suggest properties in both locations for your convenience and safety.

From the United States, we recommend KLM flights through Amsterdam as the layovers are short and it is the most direct route. It's best to buy as early as possible as prices increase significantly closer to the departure date. Other good options can be found with Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airlines (though please pay careful attention to flight duration, number of layovers and length of layover). 

Note: Round trip flights between Zanzibar and Ruaha National Park are included in the retreat package price.

Welcome Call: Upon registration Ingrid Brill of Gaia Goals will offer a 20-minute welcome call for each guest to discuss travel preparations and pre-post travel suggestions.

Travel before/after our retreat: Tanzania is an amazing, diverse and vast country. There are so many life changing places to explore. If you would like to arrive early or stay later we would be happy to advise you on great options for further travel. We've chosen to start and end in Zanzibar as all other parts of the country are easily accessible from ZNZ airport. Zanzibar also has so many beautiful places to explore, is easy to navigate and has affordable budget options for ongoing stays.

Luggage Weight Limits: As we will be landing on a remote airstrip in Ruaha using a small plane there are strict luggage weight limits of 15kg (33 lbs), so please plan to pack light.

As in any travel there is potential risk. Please be aware of all possible risks by doing your research. 

Vaccinations/prophylactics:  There is only one vaccination which is required by law to enter the country, that is Yellow Fever. Many people take other vaccines before coming to Tanzania--please do your research to decide which other vaccinations you are interested in if any. Many people choose to take Malaria prophylactics--please do your research to decide if you are interested in taking Malaria prophylactics.

Travel Insurance: Medical evacuation travel insurance coverage is included from our tour operator while we are on Safari in Ruaha. We also recommend purchasing travel insurance for the remainder of the retreat.