For those of you who occasionally like to take time out for yourself, how about a short break on the edge of the Sahara Desert at the Dar Hi Hotel in Tunisia? This boutique designer hotel, part of the Hi Hotel group which started in Nice, is located in the town of Nefta in the South of Tunisia just 15 minutes drive from Tozeur airport, on the edge of an oasis and a stone's throw from Sahara Desert.

It has 18 rooms and is purpose-built to blend in with its surroundings. The philosophy behind DAR HI was to develop the hotel in harmony with local life and its natural environment, contributing to the preservation of Nefta's oasis and promoting fair trade. The hotel itself was built by local builders and all construction materials, furniture and decor were locally sourced. The hotel is minimalist; choose from the ‘air rooms' (pictured below) with elevated, cushioned bay windows overlooking the Nefta and the oasis, the ‘troglodyte' rooms that make you feel like you are tucked away into the rock, the ‘dune' rooms or the traditional house for groups.

On arrival at the hotel you are invited to leave your shoes at the front door, meet other guests and make yourself at home. The complex has a spa, a hammam and a plunge pool, all of which are supplied with water from a natural hot spring that runs underneath the hotel. The hot spring supplies all the rooms and also irrigates the surrounding oasis.

Food is included in the price of the room, with three meals a day being prepared on site by local chefs using freshly gathered organic vegetables and herbs that are grown in the surrounding oasis. In between meals you are invited to help yourself to refreshments from the kitchen fridges at your leisure.

In tune with a wellness theme, four times a year Dar Hi hosts a Yoga Retreat with Nice-based personal trainer Colette Kent. The four day programme is tailored to be as inclusive and flexible as possible, usually with classes in the morning and evening with varying themes per class. Some of the classes take place in the hotel and some are held out in the peaceful silence of the desert, which really feels like an escape. The relaxed surroundings, yoga classes and spa all combined make this a really great way to take some time to restore and strengthen yourself.

Yoga retreats are scheduled three to four times a year - the next trip will take place 2nd - 5th February 2012. There are also other activities on offer such as quad biking in the desert dunes, local cookery classes, camel racing, a trip to the old Star Wars set or to North Africa's largest salt lake at Chott el Djerid.

Depending on the time of year, flights are either direct to Tozeur or via Tunis from Nice. For further information about the hotel, check out their website. To learn more about the yoga retreat and prices go to the Colette Fitness website. For information on other accommodation in the Hi group, please visit the Hi Hotel website.

All photography courtesy Lorraine Davidson

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