The NEKED Plant-based Retreat, Clarens, South Africa. A luxury plant-based lifestyle retreat
- Vanessa Jarvis-Findlay
- Jan 12
- 3 min read
Four days, three nights, and a table set for living well. Luxury plant-based lifestyle retreat.
I’ve always believed that the most important conversations happen around a table.
Not the rushed, halfway-through-your-meal, phone-on-the-side kind of table but the long, lingering, stay-for-another-glass table. The kind where food is shared, laughter comes easily, and nobody is watching the clock.
That belief is what led me to create the NEKED Plant-Based Retreat in Clarens, South Africa. .
This February, I’m inviting a small group of beautiful humans to join me in Clarens for four days and three nights of plant-based nourishment, creativity, nature, rest, and real connection. Not the performative kind. The human kind.
And no this is not a detox.
There will be no green juice punishments.No sunrise bootcamps.No pressure to be anything other than exactly who you are.
Why a luxury plant-based lifestyle retreat— and why now?
Because the world is loud.
Because we’re tired in ways sleep doesn’t fix.Because food has become fuel instead of pleasure.Because rest feels like something we have to earn.
And because somewhere along the way, we forgot that living well is not indulgent it’s essential.
The NEKED Plant-Based Lifestyle Retreat is my way of saying:Let’s slow down. Let’s eat properly. Let’s sit together and remember what matters.
What “plant-based lifestyle” really means here
Let me be very clear.
This retreat is not about labels.It’s not about perfection.And it’s definitely not about being a “good vegan”.
It’s about how you live.
Plant-based, in this context, means:
Food that is generous, flavour-packed, and deeply nourishing
Ingredients treated with respect and creativity
Meals that are shared, not rushed
A way of eating that supports vitality, joy, and longevity
You will eat very well.You will not leave hungry.You may leave inspired.
The rhythm of our days
The retreat unfolds gently over four days intentionally spacious, with plenty of room to breathe.
We begin on Thursday with arrival, a relaxed welcome lunch, and time to simply land. There’s an opening circle in the late afternoon, followed by a fully hosted dinner. No cooking. No expectations. Just nourishment.
Friday invites creativity and connection. We start slowly, share a long lunch, and later gather in the kitchen. I’ll begin with a relaxed food demonstration sharing techniques, flavours, and stories and then, if you feel like it, you’re welcome to join in. Or you can simply sit nearby with a glass and supervise. Both are valid life choices.
That evening, once the dishes are done and the stars are out, we wrap ourselves in blankets and look up. Stargazing in Clarens is a special kind of magic, quiet, expansive, humbling in the best way.
On Saturday, we step into nature with a gentle excursion to Golden Gate Highlands National Park, followed by a picnic lunch and a slow afternoon. The final evening is a celebration another kitchen moment, another long dinner, and reflections shared around the table.
Sunday is for closing gently. Breakfast, a final circle, hugs that linger, and a return to the world feeling a little more like yourself.
About the kitchen (because I know you’re wondering)
Yes, we cook.No, this is not a cooking course.
Every kitchen session begins with a food demonstration from me relaxed, approachable, and full of flavour. After that, guests are welcome to assist if they’d like. Chop, stir, taste, plate. Or don’t.
There is no pressure to perform.No tests.No clipboards.
The kitchen is simply another place to connect.
Who this retreat is for
This retreat is for you if:
You love beautiful food
You crave connection without pressure
You’re curious, open, and a little tired of rushing
You value depth over noise
You want to be nourished — in every sense of the word
You don’t need to be “good” at anything.You don’t need to arrive with answers.You just need to arrive.
What makes this retreat different
It’s not flashy.It’s not loud.And it’s not trying to change you.
It’s intentional.It’s intimate.And it’s rooted in real life.
This is luxury for the soul — the kind that doesn’t shout, but stays with you long after you’ve gone home.
A seat at the table
The NEKED Plant-Based Lifestyle Retreat is intentionally small. A handful of guests. One long table. Plenty of space.
If something in you softened while reading this, trust that.
A seat is waiting.
With love,
Vanessa Jarvis-Findlay
Founder, Vegan Chef, Author, Retreat Leader
NEKED Food
