By Carolyn W. Paddock

Last year, when a friend of a friend told me about a week-long adventure vacation she’d taken off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, I was intrigued. She said it was an "absolute tonic” that she’d like to repeat every few months. Quite a recommendation, I thought.

It’s called “The Island Experience,” and is described on the company’s web site as “a unique adventure spa, yoga retreat and fitness vacation program that takes place on the spellbinding island paradise Ilha Grande, just off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.”

Well, I do work out a lot, but truthfully my idea of a vacation had always been something more like relaxing on a beach somewhere in the south of France with a glass of Rosé and people watching. Not this time. This trip promised at least six hours a day of activities, including trekking, kayaking, and snorkeling, along with 2x daily yoga classes, and a mainly vegetarian (there were two nights when we had fish) detox diet plan. I hadn’t taken a yoga class in 15 years, never kayaked, and I certainly didn’t own a pair of hiking boots (or clothes for hiking). This was going to be something completely new and different for me, but I was excited to try it.

I went through the packing list provided by the organizers, bought what I needed (sort of like getting ready for sleep-away camp), and tried to keep an open mind. I didn’t really want to know too much in advance because I wanted the entire experience to be fresh, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect in terms of logistics.

One thing I didn’t expect was that the “island off the coast of Rio” would be a three-hour car ride, plus a one-hour boat ride away. I knew that the island was almost entirely rain forest, but I didn’t really translate that into the degree of humidity I’d encounter. I’d recommend packing everything you bring in large zip lock bags so that your clothing stays dry (that’s how I usually pack, but I was feeling especially brilliant this time around)—and be sure to bring enough shirt changes, probably twice as much as you think you should. All that activity creates a lot of perspiration that never really has a chance to dry. And there isn’t any hotel laundry.

Also, when they recommend a medium sized backpack, they mean it. I went backpack shopping with one of my friends (former Air Force) thinking he would pick the best bag. I ended up with a huge pack (military and man-sized) which was like carrying a body bag on all my hikes… not so brilliant. Another tip: take all the toiletries you need because you won’t be able to buy them easily, you would have to go to “town” for them. And bring cash, Brazilian Reals that is—I didn’t see any banks or ATMs on Ilha Grande (they may be around, but I didn’t readily see them). When our last day’s hike ended “in town,” we had about 30 minutes to do some shopping I noticed that many establishments did indeed take credit cards.

What the island does have beyond the exquisite and magical rainforest is 23 great beaches, one of which, Lopez Mendes, was voted one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world by Vogue magazine. If you go there, be on the lookout for the adorable squirrel monkeys in the trees as you approach the beach.

And just in case you’re worried that you won’t be able to keep up, this isn’t boot camp. The level of exercise does become more intense as the week progresses, and by midweek some members of our group were going off with one of the trainers on more difficult trails while the rest of us stuck with the original program. There were always at least 3 knowledgeable and gracious trainers for each hike, and I am still amazed what incredible endurance they all have. But even if you can’t or don’t want to participate at all in any particular activity, no one is going to make you do it—or make you feel badly about not doing it.

The detox diet means – you know where I’m going with this … no caffeine, no sugar, and no alcohol, and no meat. Not to worry, the food was beautifully prepared, letting the delicious simple ingredients' flavors speak for themselves, and plentiful (what was served equaled “the calorie restricted plan” but you could always get seconds if you didn’t want to lose weight). Breakfast and dinner were served at the lodge, while lunches were generally packed and eaten between activities. A variety of herbal teas was always available at the lodge, and there was a bottomless fruit basket you could reach into at any time for a snack. The Brazilian cuisine, designed by the on-site nutritionist, was delicious, colorful, and tasty without being spicy.

I have never been so grateful for my massages, which I enjoyed almost daily, and several visits to their Jacuzzi - which is set a up the hill, so I could sit, relax (and let my sore muscles be still), and gaze out over the ocean. Lovely.

It was chilly most nights, August being their winter season, so we would often have a roaring fire in the dining room which was incredibly inviting and cozy. Dinner time was always filled with interesting conversations and quite lively, as our group of 12 got along famously. By 8pm I was completely whipped from the day, and relieved to be able to go back to my rustic-but-island-chic style room in the main lodge, to crawl into my bed, with muscles aching, and listen to the waves lap against the rocks outside my door until I fell asleep (about 9 seconds). By the end of the week, I could absolutely feel the positive results of all that activity, especially from the yoga (thank you Julie, you opened my eyes to the wonder of yoga). I was refreshed, stronger, and inspired to make some positive changes in my life (Check, already in effect).

Bottom line: I was surprised that I didn’t mind the “no sugar, no caffeine, no meat and no alcohol” regime. Was it the South of France? Of course not, but I loved the whole experience and would do it again in a heartbeat.

P.S. If you decide to go to Ilha Grande for your own experience, I left some of the little fun details out so you too could have surprises.

Carolyn W. Paddock is a national travel expert and the founder and CEO of In-Flight Insider (www.inflightinsider.com), the essential resource for traveling well. In-Flight Insider is a website that provides valuable insider information and advice on travel prep, health and safety, stylish travel, and the best discoveries. Carolyn has contributed her travel expertise to a range of national media outlets including CNBC, The Washington Post, MSNBC.com, USA Today, The Huffington Post, The New York Enterprise Report, The Daily Beast, Robb Report, Money Magazine, BankRate.com, CreditCards.com, and Divine Caroline. She has also been featured as a travel expert for AOL.com, Peter Greenberg’s Radio Show, Wyndham Worldwide, Prevention’s book “List Maker’s Get-Healthy Guide”, and SilverKris (Singapore Airlines’ in-flight magazine). Carolyn contributes to the online outlets The Three Tomatoes and is featured as the travel style contributor for MedjetAssist’s website.

With more than 20 years in both corporate and commercial aviation, and more than 10 million miles around the world Carolyn comes filled with a font of insider information and tips that even the most frequent of flyers are not privy to. She has done the thousands of hours of legwork, In-Flight Insider readers get the benefits!