Are you looking for an exotic destination to complete your 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training rather than at home? I bet you are! Why spend time and money in a stuffy yoga studio just down the road when you could be exploring one of the most exotic places on earth? And I am not just talking about white sandy beaches, jungles and sunshine. I'm talking about mountains, ancient cultures, plant medicines, Fjords and snow!

Hold on to your yoga mat! I'm going to take you on a tour of our top 10 most exotic yoga teacher training in the world!

1) Yalah Yoga - Morocco

A warm breeze, heavy with the scent of spices, so rich you can almost taste it. Sunsets that take your breath away and feed your soul. Food that tantalises the taste buds and nourishes the body and the soul. Morocco, a land steeped in history, culture and some of the most amazing food on the planet. Now, combine this image with a journey deep within yourself. A Yoga Teacher training program unlike any other that will deepen your practice, your appreciation for the world we live in and transport you to a different time.

Yalah Yoga offers an intensive 27-day program is led by Jade and Geo, two yogis that are set on making your experience of Morocco and the Ouarika Valley unforgettable. During your experience, you will be staying in the beautiful Bab Zouina villa which is surrounded by olive trees, red okra and is only 40min away from the vibrant Marrakesh markets. The chef will prepare Moroccan-inspired vegetarian meals three times per day as well as snacks to keep you fuelled for your day's activities.

The curriculum covers:

  • Hatha Asana
  • Alignment instruction
  • Anatomy
  • Philosophy
  • Sequencing
  • The art of teaching
  • Meditation practices

What’s included:

  • 26-nights accommodation (shared room, double or triple)
  • Return airport transfers
  • All-inclusive, 3 meals per day, luxury accommodation
  • Only 12 places available - Intimate

Location: Ouarika Valley, Morocco

Investment: USD $3,300

Website: Click Here

2) Karuna Yoga Journeys - Kenya

Diversity. Community. Compassion. Three words that sum up Karuna Yoga Journeys YTT program. The tranquil surroundings, majestic accommodation and warmth of the teachers welcoming you at Kaurna Yoga Journeys will instil a sense of awe when you first arrive. The founders are dedicated to offering one apprenticeship per YTT to an individual from the local community or to someone who is working through trauma or from a refugee camp. This compassion for humanity is deeply grounded in their philosophy and is shared and encouraged during their training programs.

Take yourself on a journey to a place that is surrounded by wilderness, compassion and community. Come away from your training not only physically fit and ready to teach but mentally prepared to deal with trauma victims with compassion and love.

The curriculum covers:

  • Techniques Training/Practice: Includes alignment and adjusting asanas, pranayama, kriyas, chanting, mantra, meditation and other traditional yoga techniques as well as an introduction to dealing with trauma.
  • Teaching Methodology: Comprises the principles of demonstration, observation, assisting and correcting, instruction, teaching styles, qualities of a teacher, the student’s process of learning and business aspects of teaching yoga.
  • Anatomy and Physiology: Both human physical anatomy and physiology (bodily systems, organs, etc.) and energy anatomy and physiology (chakras, nadis, meridians, koshas etc.). Includes both the study of the subject and application of its principles to yoga practice (benefits, contraindications, healthy movement patterns, etc).
  • Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle and Ethics for Yoga Teachers: An in depth study of yoga philosophies, yoga lifestyle and ethics for yoga teachers.
  • Practicum: Each student must be actively engaged in the process of teaching, receiving feedback, observing others teaching and hearing and giving feedback. Also includes assisting students while someone else is teaching.

What’s included:

  • 21-nights accommodation (single or shared rooms)
  • Return transfers to the island
  • Vegetarian and vegan breakfast and lunch each day ($110 for dinner supplement)
  • Afternoon tea (vegan cake)
  • Luxury accommodation

Location: Manda Island, Kenya

Investment: USD $3,259 (Single room, breakfast and lunch included)

Website: Click Here

3) Yoga School Institute - Fiji

Fresh coconuts, radiant coral reefs and warm air that kisses the skin. Fiji can feel like a lost paradise made up of 330 islands, all of which boasts white sandy beaches, crystal clear water and the happy faces of the local people. Why not escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and jet off to one of the most remote places on the planet to really get away from it all and experience what it is to become a yoga teacher?

The Yoga School Institute in Fiji offers their 200-hour YTT program at Daku Resort which has been built on an old coconut plantation. This stunning resort is where you will learn, practice, and deepen your understanding of Yoga. The resort offers a variety of accommodation options and meal plans to meet your budget and needs.

The curriculum covers:

  • Asana
  • Alignment instruction
  • Anatomy
  • Philosophy
  • Sequencing
  • Meditation practices
  • Art of teaching and touch

What’s included:

  • 21-day tuition
  • 4 scholarships are available per training!

Location: Vanua Levu, Fiji

Investment: USD $2,300 (Tuition only. Accommodation and meal options available)

Website: Click Here

4) The Kula Collective - Peru

Are you seeking a deeper meaning? Are you looking to step out of this world and into the traditions and ancient wisdom of the Andeans? The Kula Collective will take you on a journey through the Lower, Middle and Upper worlds of ancient Andean tradition to truly understand your purpose and passions in life.

This 24-day program will open your eyes and your mind to ancient traditions from the food that was eaten, to the ceremonies that were held all the way through to the connection they had with their spirit. The Kula Collective have created their own flow yoga sequence which you will be taught as well as how to create your own style and voice. In your spare time, you are invited to partake in sacred plant medicine ceremonies and visit the birthplace of the ancient Incas.

The curriculum covers:

  • Foundation of Yoga
  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Ayurveda
  • Pranayama
  • Meditation
  • Asana
  • Analysis & Assisting
  • Kula Flow & Creative Sequencing
  • Teaching Methodology
  • Cleansing
  • Philosophy

What’s included:

  • 24-day program
  • Accommodation and 3 Peruvian meals per day
  • Shamanism
  • Chakras
  • Satsang
  • Kirtan & Ceremony
  • Plant medicine ceremonies

Location: Sacred Valley, Peru

Investment: USD $4,645 (Shared accommodation, private room available through the website)

Website: Click Here

5) Zanzi Yoga - Zanzibar

If you are someone who wants to wake up with the sound of the waves crashing against the 2nd most beautiful beaches in the world (yes, there are actually awards) then Zanzi Yoga could be exactly what you are looking for. During your spare time, you can take to Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) or explore the exquisite nature around you.

Zanz Yoga offers a well-rounded program that will take you through Vinyasa, Hatha, Ashtanga and Yin Yoga for you to fully embody the different styles and learn how to approach them all different. This program differs from others in that it offers a “Science and Yoga” module which will have you looking at the latest research in Science that is proving the power of yoga.

The curriculum covers:

  • Asanas: Vinyasa Flow, Dynamic Hatha based on Ashtanga and Yin Yoga
  • Pranayama
  • Meditation
  • Chanting
  • Teaching Methodology: How to sequence the different categories of asanas.
  • Yoga Philosophy and Ethics
  • Anatomy (Physical & Energetic): Gain an understanding about the subtle energetic anatomy: chakras, nadis, grantis, koshas, gunas, tattvas, doshas, 5 pranas, bandhas and how yoga influences your energetic body. Learn about functional anatomy in yoga.
  • Practicum
  • Science and Yoga:Learn about the links between the latest scientific research of subtle energy and what the ancient yogis have been saying for years.

What’s included:

  • 20-day program
  • Accomodation and 2 meals per day

Location: Zanzibar, Tanzania

Investment: USD $2,894 (Shared triple room, other options available)

Website: Click Here

6) Tavoos Garden - Cambodia

Cambodia is fast becoming known as one of the spiritual hubs on this beautiful earth of ours. Powerful healing energy is being given through the Yoga community in this hurt country to heal old wounds. Tavoos Garden offers a mystical program that will not only transform you into a yoga teacher but instil harmony, healing and peace into your own practice.

If you are looking for a program that offers a more one-on-one experience than this might be what you are looking for. With a maximum of 15 students, the instructors have time to not only instruct you but get to know you. Explore this amazing country in your free time, meet the locals and give back some positive and healing energy to this land.

The curriculum covers:

  • Practicum
  • Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle and Ethics for Yoga Teachers
  • Teaching Methodology
  • Techniques, Training and Practice
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Self Practice
  • Self Study Projects

What’s included:

  • 20-day program
  • Accomodation and 3 vegetarian meals per day
  • Airport pick up
  • Drinking water

Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia

Investment: USD $2,089 (Boutique Hotel , other options available)

Website: Click Here

7) Alpen Retreat - Austria

Exotic does not always mean beaches, palm trees and coconuts. Exotic can also mean mountains, silence, lakes and snow. Alpen Retreat in Austria offers you a space to clear your mind and rejuvenate your soul in the clean mountain air of the alps.

This specialist program will focus on taking you through the principles of Hatha and Tantric yoga, from a non-sexual perspective. You will learn the power of Kundalini awakening, breath work and silent meditations before you leave this magical place. Each day you will be greeted with a vegetarian/vegan menu that is homemade and caters to dietary requirements. In the evenings be inspired by the night sky, take a solo walk or spend an evening in the Tipi as part of a healing and communication circle.

The curriculum covers:

  • Hatha Yoga
  • Chakra Yoga & Yoga of the Elements
  • Tantra Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Yoga Philosophy & Theory
  • Psychological & Spiritual Self-Inquiry
  • Teaching Methodology
  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Practicums

What’s included:

  • 29-day program
  • Accomodation, 3 vegetarian/vegan meals per day and drinks and snacks
  • Kirtan, Dance, Silent walks/hikes, Evenings in the Tipi, Om healing circle

Location: Tirol, Austria

Investment: USD $3,245

Website: Click Here

8) East+West Yoga - Bali

Nothing says exotic quite like Bali, “The Island of the Gods”. This magical land beats with the energetic heart of the conscious people who inhabit it. Be that the local spiritual people or the number of expats who have chosen to call it home. Bali offers you jungles, beaches, oceans and an inclusive culture like no other.

East+West Yoga was founded out of the desire to bring the best teachings from the East and combine it with the structure and business focus of the west. This 200-hour training brings together three of the best and most well known eastern teachers into one training to ensure that your experience is authentic from start to finish, follow the styles of Hatha and Vinyasa.

During your stay in Bali, where the training is held, you will go through the steps of yoga much like ancient yogis did with their masters. Learning the principles, philosophy and true nature of what it is to practice yoga, from a non-religious, but rather spiritual, perspective. The accommodation is nestled in the jungles of Ubud, offering a 100% plant-based menu and a number of shared or private room options.

The curriculum covers:

  • Advanced asana practice
  • Pranayama
  • Meditation
  • Bandhas
  • Yoga Philosophy
  • Teaching methodology
  • The business of yoga

What’s included:

  • 22 day intensive
  • Includes 100% plant-based meals,
  • Accommodation
  • Manual
  • One traditional massage

Location: Ubud, Bali

Investment: USD $3,950 (Shared room and early bird offer)

Website: Click Here

9) The Shala - Cape Town

Be inspired by an African sunset. Feel power from the loving embrace of two oceans connecting. Give back to communities less fortunate than yourself. The Shala in Cape Town is a centre of excellence that will not only prepare you as a yoga teacher but will open your eyes to what you can do to make a difference in this world.

Cape Town is one of the most majestic places on this Earth, sitting in the shade of Table Mountain. It is also home to some of the most underprivileged communities on this Earth, but through The Shala’s outreach program you will learn how, through yoga, you can start to give back through your work as an instructor.

The Shala does not offer accommodation of food, which means that you can take your pick of some of the most breath-taking views to wake up to. You can choose something central to feel the hubbub of the city, or something a little closer to the coast for that morning sea-side stroll.

The curriculum covers:

  • Art of touch and body observation
  • Foundational poses and safe alignment
  • Holistic anatomy and physiology
  • Yin yoga, pranayama, and meditation
  • Self-inquiry and chakra systems
  • Foundational poses and safe alignment
  • Voice technique and teaching practical’s
  • The art of nutrition
  • Chanting and meditation
  • Teaching skills and technique
  • Kriya practice and feedback of assignments
  • Seva module (community outreach)
  • Business module with the company accountant
  • Anatomy and philosophy assignment

What’s Included:

  • 27 day intensive
  • Includes tuition
  • Educational materials

Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Investment: USD $1,666 (Tuition Only)

Website: Click Here

10) SivaSoorya - Norway

Are you in search of an authentic Yoga Teacher Training but would like to experience something different? SivaSoorya Ashram in India, one of the oldest Ashrams still standing now offers authentic teacher training in Norway! Experience the connection of traditional roots in yoga with the vast expanse and beauty of the Norwegian Fjords.

Guru Raviji, who leads the trainings in both India and Norway, have over 25 years of teaching experience. You will start your day with a bell at 6 am signalling your morning chanting before morning through a morning practice. SivaSoorya’s program will take you through the ancient teachings of Hatha, Vinyasa, Kundalini and Ashtanga to expand your experience and open your mind to the subtle differences.

This European program is 28 days broken into two 14 day programs with a 3 months break. This “break” is to allow you to go into the world and practice what you have been taught before coming back to share your experience, diver deeper into the yogic life and principles and graduate.

The curriculum covers:

  • Asana benefits physically, Asana benefits psychologically, Asana benefits spiritually
  • Kriya yoga benefits physical, mental, spiritual
  • Patanjali yoga Sutras, Nine yoga Sutras, Hathayoga pradeepika , Bhagavathgeetha
  • Different paths of yoga – Raja yoga, Karma yoga, Jnana yoga and Bhakthi yoga
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology, Rajas, Tamas, Sattvic, Mantra teaching
  • The science of prana and its applications
  • Chakra and channels
  • Mudras and Bandhas
  • Basic Ayurveda, Yoga and Ayurveda
  • Hatha yoga asanas basic and advanced
  • Kriya yoga basic and advanced
  • Kundalini yoga
  • Kallori yoga
  • Ashtanga yoga
  • Vinyasa Yoga
  • Asanas correction for individual students
  • Meditation techniques
  • Teaching methodology (Asana)
  • Teaching methodology (Kriyas)
  • Practical mantra chanting

What’s Included:

  • 13-day intensive
  • Accommodation, organic and Ayurvedic meals
  • Ayurvedic cooking class
  • Learn how to start your own yoga studio in an authentic way

Location: Røldal, Norway

Investment: USD $3,120 (Shared room)

Website: Click Here

To sum up

After that mind blowing tour of our top 10 exotic destinations for Yoga Teacher Training, I am sure you are eager to exercise those fingers and send out some enquiries! The time that you will spend learning how to teach will be one of the most magical and groundbreaking experiences OF YOUR LIFE (believe me!)

So take some time to really decide where you want to spend that precious time, what energy you want engulfing and what you want to have surrounding you in your free time. Anyone for the sights and sounds of incredible nature? Me, please!