By: Jools Sampson | May 13, 2026
One of the questions I get asked most is: how do you find these places? And I always say, it’s a mix of instinct, a slight obsession with going somewhere different, and a lot of very good conversations in airport lounges with guests. More retreats than I can count have started life as an idea floated over a terrible airport coffee after a trip, when everyone’s a bit tired and emotional and suddenly full of ideas about where we should go next. But to explain how I actually think about destinations, I need to go back to the beginning.
It started in Tanzania
Before Reclaim Yourself was even a glimmer of an idea, I spent five years living in Tanzania, working in international development. It was a profound time in my life in lots of ways. I experienced burnout, made a pretty significant shift in direction, retrained in massage, discovered yoga, studied nutrition and began to really understand what looking after yourself actually means in practice.
Living somewhere so wild and beautiful also meant spending a lot of time in remote, extraordinary places, and those experiences quietly shaped everything that Reclaim Yourself eventually became. But what struck me most about Tanzania was the tourism. There were the obvious places, the ones in every guidebook, where all the tourists went. And then there were all these other places, absolutely gorgeous, barely touched, that nobody had found. I couldn’t understand it. There are so many beautiful places in the world and most people just keep going to the same ones.
Living there also showed me the real impact tourism can have, both positive and negative. When it’s done well, it brings genuine benefits to local communities and environments. When it bypasses local people, the effects are hard to witness. That shaped the foundations of how I wanted to run Reclaim Yourself from the very beginning, and it still shapes every destination decision I make today. That instinct has never left me.
Finding places before everyone else does
My job, as I see it, is to find the places people haven’t thought of yet but are just about to. Norway is probably the best example. We’d been going for years before it became everyone’s dream destination. Finland was the same. For a long old time it felt like our little secret; a place we seemed to share only with the Finns on holiday. And now I’m watching the same thing happen with Kyrgyzstan. It’s been on my radar for a while and in 2027 we’re finally making it happen. Two years ago people would look at you blankly if you mentioned it. Now there’s a real curiosity building around Central Asia, and if you haven’t watched episode 7 of Race Across the World yet, I highly recommend it. You’ll understand immediately why I’ve been so obsessed. It’s not that I’m always ahead of the curve, it’s more that I just genuinely love finding places that most people haven’t considered yet. And there’s something really special about being able to say to a guest, trust me on this one.
What else goes into it
But it’s not just about finding somewhere unusual. There’s a lot more that goes into it. The destination has to be ready for us. I’m not looking to take a group somewhere that doesn’t have the right infrastructure, or where tourism isn’t genuinely welcomed. For many of our retreats, we travel in shoulder season, and that’s a conscious choice. A lot of places really value it. It means we’re arriving with a small group and some meaningful income at a time when they actually need it, rather than piling in during peak season when they’re already at capacity. For me that feels like the right way to do it.
I’m also thinking about how we get there. As a B Corp, our environmental footprint is something I think about carefully in every decision, including which destinations we choose. And then there’s finding the right partner on the ground. Once I’ve found a destination I’m excited about, I spend a lot of time finding the right person to work with. I use networks like the Conscious Travel Foundation, of which we’re a proud member. I also follow personal introductions from clients or other agents, and ask a lot of questions.
I’m looking for locally owned properties, family run where possible, with strong ties to their local community and suppliers. I have a pretty detailed assessment I ask potential partners to fill out. It’s not a test. It’s about transparency and making sure we’re genuinely aligned on what matters before we begin. Values, way of working, the practical stuff. All of it. If it doesn’t feel like the right fit, we don’t go. Simple as that.
The right partner makes all the difference
And when we find somewhere that does feel right, we tend to go back. Again and again. I believe in building real relationships with the people we work with, going deeper into a place rather than just passing through. Some of our most beloved retreats are ones we’ve been running for years, and that loyalty goes both ways. Every retreat we run is co-created with the local host venue. That matters to me. It’s not us parachuting in with our own agenda. It’s a genuine partnership, designed to have a positive impact on the local economy and the environment. If we can’t do it that way, we don’t do it.
And so, our 2027 retreats
And here we are. All of those ideas, all of those conversations, all of those places I’ve been quietly filing away for years. They’re finally coming together for 2027! Including some off the beaten path destinations that, as far as I can tell, no other wellness retreat company is going to. Which feels exactly right.
I cannot wait to share it all. If you’d like to hear about our 2027 retreats before we go public, you can join our Early Bird list below. We’d love to have you along for the ride.
Get Early Access to 2027 retreats
Join the Early Bird club below