9 Day Vipassana Meditation with Ex-Buddhist Monk, Thailand

Indriya Retreat Meditation Center structures its 9-day program around a daily 15-minute one-on-one interview with Anthony Markwell — individual instruction that’s uncommon on a group meditation retreat at this $350 price point. Days start at 4:30 AM and run through eight sitting meditation sessions, four walking meditation periods, and a one-hour mindful yoga (Pranayoga) session, followed by breakfast and chores. Evenings add an hour of Dhamma teaching, Q&A, and 15 minutes of traditional Pali chanting with English translation. Formal practice ends at 9:30 PM, lights out at 10 PM — roughly 10 hours of structured meditation training a day.

The center is on Koh Phangan, with accommodation in simple eco-lodges built for meditation practice — shared twin-occupancy rooms with terrace access rather than resort-style suites. The retreat structure follows the eight training precepts and a noble silence protocol: no eye contact or gestures outside designated teaching windows, sense-restraint practices, and an encouragement to disconnect from devices even though WiFi is available on-site.

All-levels billing here means newcomers receive progressive technical instruction rather than being expected to arrive already trained, but the schedule itself doesn’t soften for beginners — 4:30 AM starts and eight sitting sessions a day are the same regardless of experience. Anyone expecting spa treatments, flexible timing, or social conversation during the day should look at a different style of retreat; noble silence and the fixed schedule are the entire framework here, not an optional add-on.

Insider Tip: The daily 15-minute interview with Anthony Markwell is the place to raise specific problems with the practice — posture, restlessness, a technique that isn’t landing — rather than saving questions for the evening Q&A, which covers the group.

Watch out: Only two meals are served, following traditional monastic timing with nothing after midday. Breakfast brings fresh fruit and whole grains; lunch is a full vegetarian Thai meal, but there’s no dinner and no evening snack built into the schedule.

Unlimited water, tea, and coffee run throughout the day, and the package covers retreat materials, secure on-site parking, and luggage storage, plus pre-retreat preparation guidance and post-retreat integration support. Free cancellation applies up to one day before the start date — unusually flexible for a residential program. Flights, travel insurance, visa fees, and any additional treatments are excluded from the $350 price.