29 Days Muay Thai and Yoga Retreat in Thailand

"I stayed 8 days and it was definitly too short, I would recommend a 10-15 days package as the time really flies. "

"The site is super, I had a suite room which was very spacious, modern and clean. Everything (the yoga, gym, restaurant and rooms) is cleaned and desinfected everyday and the food is really good and with a lot of choice. The boxing gym is appart from the city but at walking distance you can find 7/11, shops and restaurant which is convenient. "

"Everyone in the club is really nice as well as the other guests. "

"I was a solo woman traveler with no experience at all and I had a great time: the trainnings are good for experienced people who can do the 2 sessions and add personal sessions as welll, and for beginners wanted to have an initiation."

""

"Lynn and her daughter did a great job creating and managing that place."

BookYogaRetreats, edited

"Over the past month the Sumalee Boxing Gym has become a second home to me and leaving was exceptionally hard. The seven trainers excell in pushing you to your limits while still making sure there is always a fun vibe in the gym. What surprised me most was the high amount of personal attention every student got during the group trainings. The ratio of trainers over students was usually 1:2 and never exceeded 1:3, ensuring everyone got at least 3 rounds of individual pad work per training. Also during shadowboxing, sparring, and bag work there would always be a trainer around to teach you and to correct you. "

"Not only the trainers, but also the rest of the staff were always friendly and made my stay very comfortable. The food provided by the Ringside Restaurant was always of high quality and was literally everything you could ask for after a heavy training. The rooms were nice and very clean and the pool and the yoga studio provided the opportunity for relaxing in between training."

"Thanks to everyone who made my stay so amazing, I'll be back!"

TripAdvisor, edited

"Me and my wife were in our honeymoon and we decided to do something not specific. So we started looking for Muay Thai gyms around Patong and Phuket."

"After to tries at the gyms by the 2 main MT stadiums in Patong i was almost ready to drop the idea. The guys there spoke very bad English and were very arrogant with us. At one of the gyms, the trainer was eating and turned his back on us and waived us to go and said: you go now, come tomorrow! At the other one, they were just trying to sell us tickets to the watch the matches."

"So we looked on Tripadvisor and found Sumalee. We gave it a try and it turned out good. I took part in 2 group classes, morning and evening and my wife did a yoga class around noon. We also ate there."

"Training was awesome, the trainers spoke good enough English for people to understand what they have to do. The session were very well structured, the ideas were clear: warm up was warm up, stretching was stretching, shadow boxing and drills were also as they are supposed to be. I also had a few rounds of sparring which were balanced enough. All the trainers were good."

"I really recommend and I am looking forward to come back and spend more time training."

"Unless you stay at Sumalee for longer you should either rent a bike or a car. It was easy to get there by taxi in the morning, but it took us an hour to get a taxi in the evening."

TripAdvisor, edited

"I discovered Sumalee boxing gym through a research to find a Yoga retreat for one week in Thailand. I took the Yoga package thinking that I wanted to relax through Yoga classes yet discover something new (in this case: Muay thai). "

"The package includes yoga classes every day, two training of Muay Thai per day and two individual classes of Muay thai. "

"First of all I will start by the most important: The Muay Thai classes. It is important for me to say that I had absolutely no knowledge into this sport nor any in boxing. The trainers are very attentive yet push you to give the best you can. I really enjoyed the classes and had a lot of fun (and a lot of sweat). It gave me good energy and the stretching and water breaks were enough for me to not feel sore the next days. "

"For the Yoga classes this is a more personal opinion. I enjoy a type of yoga that focuses on relaxing and breathing in different postures. I thought the instructor in the gym went a bit fast between postures and therefore it felt more rythmic than enjoyable."

"In terms of the premises they were good in my opinion. The Gym is clean, the pool is clean and the yoga shelter is very, very enjoyable. The rooms are basic but then again cleaned every day and fully furnished."

"The only point where I was not very pleased with is the non-flexibility of the packaged in term of food. In my opinion, it is always very irritating to be offered a package saying "breakfast and dinner" when in reality it is on a certain choice of plates. It is the same with the juices (normally one juice per day) and that is restricted to a selection of 4 juices. Anything over the limits has to be paid and it is quite expensive (meals 6-10 euros when in Thailand the average is around 3 euros)."

"To conclude, awesome Muay Thai and premises. A little more reserved in regards to the Yoga and the food."

TripAdvisor, edited

"I stayed at Sumalee back in august of 2016 for just under 1 month."

"I had never been to Thailand prior to this trip so was unsure what to expect and travelling with my 9-year-old son I had certain reservations after reading various horror stories across the net."

"Lynne from the outset was great answering my constant bombardment of questions via email ensuring my mind was at rest and we were making the right decision by choosing sumalee as they gym we wanted to train at. "

"I’ll break down my review "

"Accommodation: -"

"There is on site accommodation available, ranging from single rooms to family rooms and even has 3-4 onsite suites. We opted to stay in a suite as this gave us a larger living area and a full-size fridge and kitchen facilities. The rooms were cleaned and bedding changed daily by friendly staff who always seemed like they could not do enough for you. "

"Muay Thai Training"

"Onto the Muay Thai training the main reason why we went to Thailand. "

"So, both my son and I had been training for around 6 months prior to going to Sumalee so we knew the basics and wanted to perfect our techniques etc. the trainers were certainly able to do that and in fact I would say propelled our development tenfold. The classes are well structured and there is a great trainer to student ratio. I also had a fair few private sessions with various trainers and found this to be a massive benefit and I genuinely could not recommend these enough. Each trainer has something they are particularly strong at so it’s a great way to perfect your all round game. I had the majority of my 121’s with ‘Lib’ he has a great understanding of English and it also helps that they guy is an actual genius when it comes to Muay Thai! "

"There is also a great lad called Gunn who is Thai but lived in England for a fair few years so has perfect English and can act as an important translator if your trying to learn something tricky or complicated maybe and the trainer perhaps doesn’t know the exact words to use. Gunn was also helpful when organising basic things such as Taxis, day trips etc. "

"When I was looking to book this trip, I needed to find somewhere that would allow both my son and I to train at the same time, and Sumalee offered this, the trainers were great with him and were able to help him develop but have fun at the same time. One thing I can’t stress enough is when looking for a camp to train you need to decide what it is you actually want, if you want a large, heavily commercialised, mass class setup then perhaps Sumalee isn’t the gym you should choose, if you want a Muay Thai camp where the trainers actually get to know you, understand what it is you want to achieve and want to work with you to get the best out of you then Sumalee is the place for you!"

"You only need to read the reviews or watch the YouTube videos to get an insight as to what it is like there. "

"Food:"

"There is an onsite restaurant that is ran by Rhian who is the daughter of the gym owner Lynne."

"The beauty of the restaurant is it serves both Thai food as well as western food, this came in particularly handy for my son, who pretty much stuck to sausage and mash for the duration of our stay  there is also a shop located right outside the gym and a few local places to eat just up the road."

"To Recap - I couldn’t recommend Sumalee enough. So much so that we plan to go again this year."

"I hope this helps anyone thinking about where to train when in Thailand."

TripAdvisor, edited

"I travelled to Thailand hoping for an authentic training experience,and feel I got it. Although I did have a great experience,I want to give both the good and bad so that future clients can get a better idea of the type of camp it is. "

"First I will start off with the owner Lynne. She is as professional an owner can be when dealing with clients and staff. Firm but fair. I asked a lot of questions and recieved an answer almost immediately. "

"Next is the facility itself. My first impression was the pictures on the website were not exactly what they seemed,and rarely are. My main issue was the old dirty mats on the ground. They were very thin and layed out over concrete floor,which can seriously damage your calves and shins if you aren't conditioned for that. They also had a bit of a funky smell that no cleaning product could help. I saw the mats being cleaned,so I know that wasn't the issue. Maybe invest in new mats after certain period of use. "

"They have 2 boxing rings. Both in great condition,and clean. I always preferred doing my pad work in them. You will have the opportunity to use them on a regular basis.They had enough bags throughout the gym and I had no problem getting one to use,but wow they are hard . Respect these bags or risk injury. "

"If you need gloves or wraps they have them,but wouldn't recommend them as they have definitely been used. But why show up without your own gear anyways,right? But if you do,just head over to their shop and buy some for a pretty good price. "

"The trainer's there are awesome! This is where Sumalee really shines. They will know your level of training almost immediately and go from there. If you have a weakness they will fix it. During training sessions,you will never get the impression they don't care. They are there help you get better...Period! Some of them will show you some pretty sneaky attacks if you ask. My personal favorite was Lip. Mostly because I found him to be very technical and that's what I wanted. One thing that amused me was doing each session listening to some of Thailand's best love songs. Anyone who had trained there will know what I'm talking about. "

"The lodging was okay. It's not the Ritz,so don't expect that. The bed was clean and the room was tidy. I had an issue with plumbing but it was dealt with promptly. Rooms have air,which I found to be a lifesaver after training. "

"The food was amazing. I would recommend the meal plan if you are there for training only. The restaurant is on the grounds and was super convenient. If you are there to explore a little,then the meal plan might not be your thing. If you have a request for something,they will do their best to make it. The menu has a lot of options to choose from and I took advantage of that. "

"So if you are looking for a place to sharpen your skills,this is the place. If I decide to go to Phuket again I will head over to Sumalee,no problem."

TripAdvisor, edited

"Training at Sumalee is more than just going to classes and learning Muay Thai- it really is an AWESOME EXPERIENCE. The management have done a great job and they have created something really special. "

"I visited Sumalee as a beginner, but it really is for any skill level. There were other beginners but also lots of pro's as well- the trainers assess your level and tailor it for you, so anyone can train here. "

"The gym is a perfect size, so you get to know everyone and feel INVOLVED! "

"You will not get this at the other gyms in the area, as a lot of them are bigger and you will feel lost!"

"At Sumalee, even when training in groups, it feels very personal and you are getting individual attention!"

"The size of the gym - The trainer:pupil ratio is just right, so you are on first name basis with the trainers and you get the individual attention you need at learning/improving your technique. "

"This applies to the group classes, as there was 1-1 time with trainers during the 2 hour group sessions. The trainers are friendly and clued up and you can build friendships with these guys from the get go."

"The facilities - the rooms are really well furnished and provide the perfect space to rest between sessions. They all have a/c and a fridge and the beds are comfortable! There was a pool to relax in when not training and also a kitted out gym to maintain any weight training, or do some strength/resistance. "

"I paid for a meal plan at The ringside restaurant, which was defo worth it. It has a massive menu and the portions really are HUGE. You definitely get your money's worth! Rhian and her team do a great job! You can sit down with your training buddies and chat over dinner, or you can enjoy a quiet dinner on your own, it really is up to you!"

"I paid for 1 month package, but I only stayed for two weeks, as I unfortunately injured myself during sparring. The management offered me a refund, but I declined as I loved Sumalee SO much, I told them to keep my money and I planned to visit again the following year!"

"Unfortunately my circumstances changed and so I emailed Lynn a month later explaining my situation. I received a refund for the other two weeks within 24hours. "

"I'm fairly certain that the other gyms in Phuket don't offer refunds, so this is definitely something to consider when choosing your Muay Thai camp, as injuries CAN occur."

"270 5* reviews on Facebook speak for themselves. If you are reading these reviews, then trust me, you have landed in the right place and should definitely visit this gym and see for yourself!"

TripAdvisor, edited

"I would like to thank Lynn, Rhian and Sun for their lovely welcome. "

"It was my first time travelling alone but also first time muay thai experience. I would say I definitely chose the right and best place ever to start ! The staff and trainers are lovely and friendly. Muay thai classes are very nice and well organized with kind attention from the trainers. "

"The trainers will adapt to your level and I took 6 private lessons during my two week trainings. I definitely learned quicker and lots of technics with Kru Keng and Kru Bang. "

"Today I feel stronger physically and mentally!! "

"Summer Ringside Restaurant is also amazing with its freshly prepared foods. Everyday I get full with the required nutritional elements to refill my energy :) "

"I also participated most of the yoga classes! Thanks to Rhian and her patience, I learned the basic positions in yoga :) it helped me stretching and feel relaxed after and before the Muay Thai classes!"

"I would definitely recommend this gym !!! "

"I already plan to go back but next time will be for a month !"

"Thanks again to everyone at Sumalee Boxing Gym ! "

TripAdvisor, edited

"For the past few years, I've been trying to visit as much of Thailand as possible,for culture, the food, and the lovely people but mainly because Muay Thai is my passion in life. I've been lucky enough to train in many different gyms, some good and some not so good. This year after visiting a gym in Koh Samui I wasn't really a fan of I moved to Phuket where I found Sumalee Boxing Gym. What can I say, from the moment I stepped through the gates I immediately felt more welcome than I have felt anywhere in a long time. I was greeted by the owner/manager Lynne, A friendly and engaging lady who didn't just take my money and show me to my accommodation, she took the time to get to know me and what I was hoping to get from my visit. Sumalee is the only place I have ever trained that has genuinely struck the perfect balance between traditional Thai training and western standard facilities, The training team are so friendly and make you feel welcome as soon as you step on the mat, They can judge your level of fitness & skill excellently so that they push hard enough that it's beneficial to your training but not so hard as to make you not enjoy it. Once training is done you can jump in the pool (a novelty I've never seen in a muay thai gym before) to cool down properly, This combined with the beautiful location is just what you need to relax after training. Now we get to my favorite part, The food. The on-site restaurant or 'Ringside restaurant' is genuinely astounding. The quality of food is up there with any western restaurant I've been in with an incredibly diverse & menu that offers both traditional Thai food and western favourites, You can clearly tell a lot of thought has gone into producing a healthy, diverse and varied menu combined with friendly staff and seriously cheap prices given the quality of the food on offer.There's also the option of paying for an excellently priced meal plan which gives you two meals a day allowing you to choose from pretty much everything on the menu (smoothies, shakes and snacks are extra which is to be expected). The restaurant is personally 1 of my favorite aspects of the gym. Also worth mentioning is the fact they offer yoga, something I've wanted to try for a while but for various reasons haven't found time at home, The classes are so much cheaper than anywhere I've seen at home that I couldn't resist, well worth it from beginner to veteran you'll find it excellent. "

"Anyhow, I feel like I'm rambling a bit but that's only because I can't sing the gym's praises enough, so much so that one of my training partners who comes out here in December has decided to go sumalee as opposed to his usual gym. "

"If you are going to phuket for muay thai seriously consider sumalee. Excellent training,facilities make it seconded to none on phuket, maybe even the whole of Thailand."

Tripadvisor website, edited

"I spent weeks planning for this trip and I must say the whole experience was perfect. Logistic arrangements by Lynne was precise; transport, lodging was all ready for me and my family when I arrived. I was slightly nervous when I went for my 1st session because it's my 1st time training in Thailand, but that quickly went away because the trainers were so friendly (although they all have a real tough guy look)! I was lucky as it was the quiet period for the gym when I visited so sometimes I had 3 trainers watching at my every move. Training was physically demanding but fun. I spent most of my time with Khru Keng and Khru Na, and I was really impressed at their attention to detail, and grateful for their patience to keep repeating themselves due to my poor memory. "

"Everyone else has said this already but I must reiterate - Rhian is an excellent chef. Everything I tried at the restaurant was superlicious."

"I'll be sure to recommend Sumalee to my friends who are thinking of training in Thailand, and I myself will surely visit again."

Tripadvisor website, edited

"I have visited this Gym (for fitness purposes not boxing!) on several occasions and seen it develop from a basic fledgling into the stylish place it is now. So many of these Muay Thai places in Thailand look seedy and run-down but Sumalee is both smart, clean and very attractive. I see they've built a new Yoga Suite there now to expand the healthy activities on offer and it looks magical. Can't wait to return to try it out. I thoroughly recommend this place for all aspiring Muay Thai fighters who'll get really first class tuition from the trainers and others (like me) who are interested more in fitness than fighting!"

Tripadvisor website, edited

"I had the pleasure of staying at Sumalee for two weeks, but at the end of it I was wishing I had booked a month. It is a great gym with trainers and people who genuinely care about you. It has a great trainer to student ratio which is rare based on the reviews of other gyms. I can't wait to come back next year."

Sumalee Boxing Gym website, edited

"My experience at Sumalee boxing gym was incredible. This gym attracts hard working, passionate individuals who have no egos. Everyone is very friendly and always willing to help each other. The trainers are dedicated and extremely passionate when it comes to training and passing on their knowledge. They want to teach true Muay Thai to whoever is willing to learn."

Sumalee Boxing Gym website, edited

"Absolutely amazing. The trainers are fantastic! Talented and hell of a lot of fun. The facility is great and the food is delicious. They quickly become family and they make sure you are looked after. If you want to go on a tour, Sun will hook you up and if you need a driver, ask for John. Two weeks wasn't long enough and I can't wait to go back."

Sumalee Boxing Gym website, edited

"Sumalee can't be beaten. I've trained at six different Muay Thai gyms and this was easily the best experience I've had so far. The training was brutally awesome. The food was delicious and satisfying. The location was great, accommodation was even better, and the staff is wonderful human beings. See the breakdown below."

"Training- The have 6 trainers at Sumalee. Kanchai, Kengkla, Na, Meah, Bank, and Lip. All have their strengths both as teachers and fighters. Kengkla is the most mature of the group and gave me great technical feedback and graciously helped me with my Thai. We were calling each other brother by the end of my one week stay. Kanchi is the champion drill sergeant that will work your butt off. Na is quiet but a great sparring partner. Bank is very sweet and easy to help you learn. Lip focuses more on proper technique and gives great feedback. Meah is the goofball that keeps the gym lighthearted and full of laughter."

"The class is twice a day at 0730-900 and again at 1600-1800. Both classes follow a similar formula with the morning class being slightly less intense. Class starts with 10 minutes of skipping rope, with light conditioning in the middle. Followed by..."

"Stretching."

"Shadow boxing"

"Pad work (conditioning in between rounds, optional)"

"Bag work (" ")"

"Sparring (optional)"

"Conditioning (Walking knees, push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks, squats, punches in the gut)"

"I left every class exhausted, sweaty, and smiling."

"Sumalee caters to all levels of experience-whether you have a substantial background in Muay Thai or martial art, or none at all. You will learn a great deal. You will sweat. You will be pushed. All of the trainers are engaged and passionate about their sport. They will push you to work harder every class, but understand that you know your body best. I sprained my foot while I was there and had to take a day off. When I came back to class, I had to lay off my dominant foot but class was still enjoyable and rewarding."

"Accommodation- Sumalee has a few different options for on-site accommodation. My girlfriend joined me for the first few days and we stayed in one of the suites. It had everything we needed. A spacious studio with a comfortable queen size bed located at the back of the property. It was very quiet and we slept great. Some other amenities include a pull out futon, small dining table with two chairs, kitchen with microwave, large refrigerator and freezer, toaster, and a blender so you can make smoothies and protein shakes. Shower and bathroom were great with plenty of hot water but I found myself taking more cold showers than anything."

"Location- The gym is located in a residential area right next to beautiful Chinese temple. It's about 30 minutes from the airport. You are far enough away from town to really focus on training yet still close enough to hop on a motorbike if you're interested in exploring. I rented a scooter for 1500baht for one week. The gym is close by a waterfall, a few markets, within driving distance to a few beaches, and in between town and the airport. I found it to be a great spot to escape the tourist trap that can be Phuket. Sunn is the guardian angle of the gym and will help you with anything and everything you need. Gunn is a Thai/English filmmaker and photographer that you can hire to capture your adventure at Sumalee."

"Facilities- The reception/pro-shop and the weight room are at the forefront of the property, right when you pull up. The weight room has a squat rack, flat bench, dumbbells, and enough plates to accommodate a serious body builder. They also have two exercise bikes, kettle bells, resistance bands, TRX, and stability balls. I used the weight room every other day. It was a great supplement to the Muay Thai training."

"Class takes place just beyond the office. There are about a dozen heavy bags. Two full-size rings. The floors are padded and absorb impact well with plenty of room. They have plenty of Thai pads, shin guards, gloves, and jump ropes. I would recommend bringing your own equipment but they didn't have a problem lending me shin guards when I needed them. You can also buy what you need from the pro shop albeit pricey."

"They also have a small pool, big enough for laps if you're looking to change up your workout. Next to the Ringside Restaurant is a pool table. You can also do your laundry on site which is a huge plus, and they provide drying racks for your clothes."

"Yoga- They recently built a beautiful open air yoga shala on site. My girlfriend and I did a demo class and I taught two classes during my stay there, one during a pretty heavy rain storm. The interior of the shala is lined with fans which helps cool you down. It's a beautiful space but I found myself practicing yoga in the weight room because of the bugs. Mosquito netting might be a great way to encourage people to practice in the shala."

"Food- The Ringside Restaurant is flippin' awesome. Neng and Rhian are the two on-staff chefs and they both did an incredible job. You can pay ala carte or opt for one of the two meal plan options. Both are very reasonably priced. They even have a Fighters Menu that helps you fuel up before and after the Muay Thai sessions. The portions are huge and the food was delicious- a perfect mix of western, Thai, and healthy food options. Fresh juices, smoothies, and coconuts are all available. Giant omelettes. Protein pancakes with fresh berries. Chicken burger with beets! I miss the food...."

"My only suggestion would be more green foods although they have broccoli and kale. Regardless, the Ringside Restaurant served up the healthiest food I've had here in Thailand, I looked forward to every meal, and I was never disappointed. Neng even dropped my food off in my room, wrapped up in plastic whenever I was off site."

"If you are looking for cheaper food options, there is a small place called Mae's under 5 minutes walking distance from the gym. You can get chicken or pork with rice, or pad Thai for 40 baht. And Mae is super super sweet. There is another restaurant down the highway that we ate at our first night that was delicious as well. Fried fish. Curry. Shrimp."

"A big thank you to Lynne for making the entire stay easy and educational. I'll be back."

Tripadvisor website, edited

"Was traveling by myself and wanted to try something different. A complete beginner."

"Had a fantastic time at Sumalee for the 2 weeks I was there. Lynn the host was great from start to finish by taking me through the induction and how it all works. I was made to feel welcome by everyone including the trainers, staff and other customers. "

"Was a little anxious as I had never done any fighting before but the trainers were fantastic with me and really focused on my technique. I signed up to the beginner package which meant I had a few privates and also included yoga and everything you need to get started. . . really recommend it."

"There isnt a great deal around Sumalee so I would suggest getting a bike (which you can hire from Sumalee) as everything is pretty close once your on the bike. Beaches, restaurants and bars."

Tripadvisor website, edited