7 Day Sober Living Sanctuary on Koh Phangan, Thailand

Holina Resort on the west coast of Koh Phangan is a 12-step recovery resort run by people in long-term recovery. This sober living week is for people who are already sober, not for detox or primary rehab. Holina asks for at least three months of continuous recovery before it accepts you.

How the week works

The structure is light but fixed. You attend four in-person 12-step fellowship meetings a week, along with morning meditation and “Just for Today” groups. The rest of the time is yours, and residents are encouraged to use it to explore the island, take up something new such as Muay Thai, or volunteer on beach clean-ups or animal welfare projects. On site there is daily yoga, breathwork and Holina’s “Inner Walking” meditation, and the resort can arrange diving, snorkelling and other trips.

The programme’s facilitator is Dr Lilly-Marie Blecher, a US-trained naturopathic and Chinese medicine practitioner who served as Chief Medical Officer at Soneva Soul. An enhanced version of the programme adds weekly one-to-one psychotherapy and somatic sessions, but that’s an upgrade, not part of this package.

The resort

Holina faces west for the sunset and has a private beach, several pools, a sauna, ice baths, a gym and massage. Its restaurant serves buffet meals with a nutritionist involved in the menus, and the kitchen handles vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free, keto and allergy diets.

Who it’s for

This is a holiday for people in recovery: a sober community with meetings built in, rather than a resort where alcohol is part of the scene. It isn’t a treatment programme. If you’re not yet three months sober, Holina’s primary care is a separate service.

Insider Tip: set start dates are few, so check the next one on BookRetreats before you plan flights. If it doesn’t line up, ask about starting late or adding nights before or after, which is easier than waiting for the next set week.

Getting there

There’s no airport on Koh Phangan. The quick route is a flight to Samui (USM), a 10 to 15-minute taxi to Bangrak or Pralarn pier and a 20 to 30-minute high-speed ferry to Thong Sala. Flying to Surat Thani (URT) is cheaper but adds a 1.5-hour bus to Donsak and up to 2.5 hours on the boat. The airport pickup is free from either airport. Nothing is lost if you pull out up to the day before the start date, and the rest of the bill is settled once you’re there.