A quiet New Year: retreats instead of parties

For many people the last week of December means crowds, loud parties and a slow, foggy start to January. A few quiet days at an ashram or retreat offer the opposite: early nights, simple food, time outdoors and a clear head on the first morning of the year. You don't have to be spiritual to enjoy it; a long walk and a full night's sleep can be reason enough.

Pick the mood first. Some people want company and ritual: an ashram's evening aarti, a shared meal, a bonfire. Others want real quiet: a meditation centre where nobody talks. Others just want rest and good food in the sun. Each points to a different kind of place.

An ashram stay

Follow the daily routine of meditation, prayers and seva. Some ashrams hold a special satsang or meditation on New Year's Eve. Read ashram etiquette first.

A Vipassana course

Ten days of silence spanning the New Year, if you can take about twelve days off. 74 of the Vipassana centres we list are at their best in December and January. See December's course dates and your first Vipassana course.

A meditation or silent weekend

Two or three nights at a meditation centre that takes short stays. See silent retreats.

An Ayurveda stay

The dry season in Kerala is pleasant, but it is also peak season with peak prices. Book early or consider a quieter week in January.

A yoga retreat

Daily practice somewhere warm: the south and Goa are at their best, though Goa is at its busiest.

Late December suits the south and the foothills best. Of the retreats we list that are at their best in December and January, leaving aside Vipassana centres, most are in Kerala, the Deccan and Goa.

• South India and Goa: warm, dry days. Beaches are crowded over the holidays; inland ashrams and centres stay calm. See retreats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Rishikesh and the foothills: sunny days and cold nights. Popular over the holidays, so book early: retreats around Rishikesh.
• The north Indian plains: cold, often foggy and sometimes smoggy around New Year. Travel can be slow.
• The higher Himalaya: cold, and some centres close. See winter retreats in the Himalayas.

• Changed programmes. By their own sites, these change things over the holidays: Phool Chatti Ashram, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram and Zorba the Buddha. Check their pages for dates.
• Closed for winter. Tushita Meditation Centre, Sivananda Kutir (Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre) and Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati close or stop taking guests for part of the winter.
• Peak prices. Beach and hill resorts charge their highest rates from about 20 December to early January, and many set a minimum stay.
• Noise nearby. Even a quiet ashram may hear fireworks or music from the town on New Year's Eve. Pack earplugs.

1. Choose the kind of retreat, then shortlist places at their best in December and January.
2. Book by October or early November, and confirm in writing that the retreat is running its usual programme on your dates.
3. Travel on 30 December if you can, and return on the 2nd or 3rd to miss the worst of the traffic.
4. In the north, allow for fog delays to trains and flights.
5. Remember most retreats are alcohol-free, including on New Year's Eve.