Kovalam.......
There are a number of ayurveda spas in Kovalam. Some offer an oil
massage, others offer up to 21-day treatments including a special diet and
daily massage.
Medicus Ayurvedic Centre on Lighthouse Road in
Kovalam offers a one-hour body massage for Rs 300 plus several intensive
treatments that last all the way from two to 21 days. The 10-day treatment
is the minimum recommended duration to achieve any visible effect. It would
set you back by US $30 including Ayurvedic food and massage. For an
additional US $30 you'll also get food and accomodation. At the
Ayurveda
and Naturopathy Massage Centre at the Hotel Samudra Tara a one-hour body
massage costs Rs 250.
Arsha Ayurvedic hospital offers you a full
body exam and prescription.
Ayurvedic hospitals include
Aryavaidyashala
Kottakal near Calicut,
Aryavaidya pharmacy, Coimbatore,
Ayurvedic Medical College Thiruvanathapuram,
District Ayurvedic
Hospital, Palaghat and Kerala Ayurvedic Pharmacy, Eranakulam. The
Sivagiri Mutt, a hill in Varkala is the headquarters of Sree Narayana Dharma
Sanghom Trust. The ashram is devoted to Sri Narayana Guru. It offers a
lesson in Ayurvedic massage for one week at Rs 1750, and a massage cost Rs
180 per hour.
At the
Scientific School of Yoga and Massage
you can enjoy a 1and a 1/2-hour ayurvedic plus Swedish massage for Rs 200.
You can learn Ayurvedic massage over ten days at Rs 5000 per couple. Another
ayurveda shala to enroll yourself is at the
Kovalam beach village
complex of Chowara near the Kovalam Vizhinjam tourist trail.
Dr
Franklin's is a specialized boutique ayurveda shala that offers you neat
little cottages in its institute near the seashore. In case the rooms are
overbooked you will have the option of staying at a small resort nearby that
is run by Dr Franklin. Charges are about $55 per person per day including
the specialty herbs. No credit cards are accepted. At Dr Franklin's they
will make you really sweat it out. Your body will be covered with little
muslin bags containing a pudding of medicinal herbs, and you will be left to
sweat out toxins for about an hour and a half.
Feather-in-feather
massage, using special oils or creams, is a mixture of European and
traditional ayurvedic massage.
Mama Mia massage, a
marvellous mix of massage and music, relieves stress, relaxes the body and
is good for what the Indians call 'Sexual Weakness'. Traditional music is
chosen as per your preference, and the strokes are according to the rhythm
of Music.
The abhiyangam is a medicated massage for
diabetics. The doctor vets how it's going to help you before you go in for
it. All alcohol and smoking is prohibited and only vegetarian food is
allowed.
After that you can laze at the coast of Vizhinjam at its
big artificial harbor dominated by pink-green mosque and a huge Catholic
Church at the south end. Another place to check out is the
Kairali
Center at Palakkad.
