"My yoga holiday in Sunflower Retreats in Casperia was from 16th to 22nd July 2015. The whole environment of Casperia was part of the experience. Let's start at the arrival. Very specific instructions were given as to how to reach Casperia from Rome Airport. My flight arrived into Fiumicino Airport and there was a train station just below the airport. I got the train directly to the designated station, Poggio Mirteto, which took about an hour and half. I was picked up by the Sunflower driver and brought to Casperia. Unfortunately in my case, it was late and I had missed the first night buffet dinner available to guests to meet and greet each other and the Sunflower representative. However, they did save me a platter of food and I was glad to have it as I hadn't eaten much that day. Casperia is a traffic-free ancient hilltop village in a beautiful setting, which must be navigated via the many steps and winding streets. My accommodation was at the top of the village which was a steep climb. One of my housemates said there were 500 steps from the bottom to our house at the top of the village. I believe it, although I didn't count them myself. I stayed in village house number one which is at the top of the village beside the church where the bell tolls every morning at 07:00 a.m. This was a good wake up call to prepare for the 08:00 a.m. morning yoga session. I had originally booked a single room and shared bathroom but was upgraded by Sunflower Retreats free of charge to a single en suite room for my stay, as I would have been the only occupier in the other village house. This worked out very well for me and was an unexpected bonus. My room was clean and spacious and my bathroom was tiny. The house had five guests and we shared the kitchen. The kitchen was well equipped with utensils and a fridge cooker and kettle. All the guests in the house, and indeed the whole group, got on very well and we were good friends by the end of the week. I met people from all over Europe and the USA. Our yoga teacher, Paola, was excellent and ensured we all had a memorable yoga journey. I am not a regular yoga practitioner and the group was of mixed yoga experience. In fact, some of our group had never done yoga before. Each day she added a bit more and always challenged us gently. She also held workshops in the afternoon which covered a variety of themes. I attended just one which was a guided yoga Nidra and total relaxation. I felt the benefit for days afterwards. The yoga rooms were serene and cool and the yoga deck where we practiced each morning was a lovely space. Breakfast was very good and offered a great variety of food. The dining room was very pleasant. We had an opportunity at this time each day to book some of the holistic treatments which were also offered by Sunflower Retreats. Ciara, the holistic therapist, was very helpful and friendly. There were other types of activities on offer which we could book at this time. I didn't participate in any daytime excursions but those who did enjoyed their experiences. Other guests went to the Sulphur Springs, guided walking in the hills and horse riding. Some also went to a local Agri Turismo for dinner on the second night. The week I stayed was during a heatwave with temperatures of 38 degrees centigrade every day. Even the Italians found it too hot! I booked one holistic treatment with Ciara, the crystal reflexology treatment I opted for was both relaxing and informative. It consisted of a reflexology massage and a scan of my chakras to see which were open and which were closed. Areas which were closed were given special attention during the massage. Chakras were checked again at the end of the treatment and in my case all were open. Afterwards, I felt totally peaceful and relaxed. Ciara has a genuine gift for this type of treatment. Ten out of ten for the treatment alone. Thank you Ciara."
"As the weather was so hot, I went to the swimming pool most days which was about a mile away. We walked there and back the first day but got a lift with the Sunflower driver every day thereafter. The pool is in a beautiful private setting, overlooking the undulating hills and fields of fruit trees. It is privately owned and exclusive to Sunflower guests and the representative needed to know we were going to use it in advance so that it was opened for our use. There was plenty of shade and open areas to sunbathe and rest. Sunbeds were also provided. There are no facilities laid on but there is a fridge provided and guests can bring drinks and food if they choose. We ate a couple of times at La Vigna, the only cafe bar within the walls of the village. We always stopped there for a drink on the way back from the swimming pool. It was a hub of activity as it was one of just two Wi-Fi areas within the village. The other was at the Sunflower Retreats office. There was one other Wi-Fi area at a bar just outside the walls opposite the supermarket. The food at La Vigna was far from spectacular but its location on a terrace overlooking the hills and capturing the stunning sunsets made it worthwhile. It was a great place to people watch and experience life in Casperia as the locals all gathered there too. I availed of one excursion to a restaurant in a neighboring hilltop village where the food was homegrown, home-prepared and the portions very generous. The hospitality, food, wine, and company were great but, as we were sitting outside, the mosquitoes were very busy. So too were the scavenging cats. It wasn't until a group arrived with two dogs in tow that the cats left us alone. Aside from those nuisances, it was a lovely evening. On the final night, the house guests at Casa Latini kindly invited the rest of us to eat at their place and experience the spectacular views from their balcony. We all brought and prepared something. It was a wonderful way to finish off a great week. I scored this holiday 8 out of 10 because I found it expensive. As a solo traveler, holidays are generally more expensive. The initial outlay is a given, but in this case, I found running a tab, as it is done here, makes the total run up quickly. I personally find it easier to manage my budget paying as I go. I also found the prices in La Vigna for mediocre food very expensive. I understand this is probably outside of the control of Sunflower Retreats, but it was an intrinsic part of my experience. The price charged for the first and final night buffets is also expensive although, in my own case, I did not have to pay in full for the first night and we all went to Casa Latini on the final night. The whole holiday, the location, the staff, the yoga, treatments, and the company, made for a really memorable experience. If I were to return, I would go outside of July or August so as to avail of the various opportunities to explore the surrounding area and take part in other activities. The extremely high temperatures during my stay put me off on this occasion. Casperia truly is a retreat, far away from the noise and distraction of traffic, crowds and social media, leaving time and space to just be. This was the best part of the holiday for me. Even getting lost in the winding streets, as happened with me regularly, was a sensory experience, which I mostly enjoyed. I was only rescued once because I was late for yoga class! Thank you Addie, for finding me and guiding me to the yoga deck. Thank you Sunflower Retreats for an extraordinary experience."
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