Krishna Village

I recently visited Krishna Village near the Gold Coast with my wife. The location itself is quite scenic—set in a valley and somewhat hidden from the outside world. However, it is close to a river that is visibly dirty, and I would strongly advise against bathing in it. Unfortunately, the overall experience did not live up to the expectations one would have from a so-called spiritual retreat. The attitude of the receptionist was particularly disappointing. She was disengaged, avoided eye contact, and continued chatting and laughing on the phone while visitors waited. It felt like a mundane job to her rather than a place meant to welcome people with warmth or mindfulness. The property in general appears poorly maintained. Pathways are unclean, and the common areas are shabby, cluttered, and seemingly neglected for a long time. The reading area was especially disheartening—books were littered around disrespectfully. The sitting and relaxation areas were overcrowded and chaotic, with barely any proper seating available. Some visitors appeared to treat the space like a public sleeping area, which further added to the disorder. On a positive note, the food is organic and vegetarian and is not bad. That said, it felt somewhat synthetic in preparation, and exceptional taste should not be expected. Overall, aside from the natural surroundings, most facilities at this resort felt rundown and disorganised. You may want to visit once to see it for yourself, but be prepared to discover many shortcomings beyond what I’ve described.

I've been back and forth to Krishna Village, staying many times since 2018. It is such a special place. Part of what makes it special is that it is on the same property as many Brahman cows you can pat and a Krishna Temple with the most beautiful Deities. Krishna Village itself has its own grounds, a large beautiful yoga hall, a casual hang out room, an outdoor under cover dining area, and communal kitchen (in addition to the commercial kitchen used to make meals), large grass areas and of course the accom and bathrooms. The accom ranges from new, simple but comfy and clean with private porch down to self camping. I've never camped but have stayed in two different types of guest house accom. The yoga and classes hosted by Krishna Village are wonderful. The mood of the place is everything that is good and right with the world - so many different nationalities coming together to learn yoga, have fun and make lifelong connections. I travel a lot and have bumped into the friends I made at Krishna Village in northern NSW, as far away as Barcelona and Bali. The time spent at Krishna Village is special on so many levels. I always love my time there and can't wait to get back.