[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1093},["ShallowReactive",2],{"catalog":3,"landing-first-time-wellness-retreats-in-india":523},{"destinations":4,"resorts":170,"concerns":288,"concernGroups":397,"landings":410,"markets":435,"modalities":474,"totals":515},[5,25,38,49,58,70,83,93,102,113,122,131,141,150,160],{"slug":6,"name":7,"country":8,"cluster":9,"modalities":10,"resortCount":13,"programmeCount":14,"fromPrice":15,"gatewayCode":18,"image":19,"imageAlt":20,"season":21},"kerala","Kerala","India","asia",[11,12],"ayurveda","yoga",11,10,{"amount":16,"currency":17},756,"EUR","COK","photo-1602216056096-3b40cc0c9944","A houseboat moving through palm-lined Kerala 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meadow below high peaks in Austria",[24,24,24,23,23,22,24,24,24,22,23,22],{"slug":132,"name":133,"country":134,"cluster":106,"modalities":135,"resortCount":22,"programmeCount":23,"gatewayCode":137,"image":138,"imageAlt":139,"season":140},"quiberon","Quiberon","France",[136],"thalassotherapy","LRT","photo-1505142468610-359e7d316be0","Atlantic surf running onto a wide Breton beach",[22,22,22,24,24,24,22,23,24,24,22,22],{"slug":142,"name":143,"country":144,"cluster":106,"modalities":145,"resortCount":22,"programmeCount":23,"gatewayCode":146,"image":147,"imageAlt":148,"season":149},"montreux","Montreux","Switzerland",[97],"GVA","photo-1501785888041-af3ef285b470","An Alpine lake below mountains on the Swiss 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Retreat",{"slug":280,"name":281,"destinationSlug":6,"destinationName":7,"country":8,"character":174},"manaltheeram","Soma Manaltheeram Ayurveda Beach Village",{"slug":283,"name":284,"destinationSlug":6,"destinationName":7,"country":8,"character":174},"ayursoma","AyurSoma",{"slug":286,"name":287,"destinationSlug":6,"destinationName":7,"country":8,"character":181},"soma-palmshore","Soma Palmshore",[289,298,306,313,321,329,336,343,351,358,365,371,377,385,391],{"slug":290,"name":291,"group":292,"said":293,"programmeCount":294,"fromPrice":295,"image":296,"imageAlt":297},"sleep","Sleep","mind","I fall asleep fine and then I am awake at three.",4,{"amount":44,"currency":17},"photo-1465101046530-73398c7f28ca","A clear night sky",{"slug":299,"name":300,"group":292,"said":301,"programmeCount":30,"fromPrice":302,"image":304,"imageAlt":305},"burnout","Burnout & exhaustion","I am not depressed. I am just completely empty.",{"amount":303,"currency":17},1382.5,"photo-1519999482648-25049ddd37b1","A city at night from above",{"slug":307,"name":308,"group":292,"said":309,"programmeCount":29,"fromPrice":310,"image":311,"imageAlt":312},"stress-and-anxiety","Stress & anxiety","My shoulders are somewhere near my ears and they have been for a year.",{"amount":303,"currency":17},"photo-1506126613408-eca07ce68773","A seated meditation silhouette at sunset",{"slug":314,"name":315,"group":316,"said":317,"programmeCount":24,"fromPrice":318,"image":319,"imageAlt":320},"digestion","Digestion & the gut","body","Something has been wrong with my stomach for years and nobody can tell me what.",{"amount":44,"currency":17},"photo-1596040033229-a9821ebd058d","Dried herbs and spices prepared for treatment",{"slug":322,"name":323,"group":316,"said":324,"programmeCount":294,"fromPrice":325,"image":327,"imageAlt":328},"weight","Weight & metabolic health","I have lost the same eight kilos four times.",{"amount":326,"currency":17},2457,"photo-1591343395902-1adcb454c4e2","A practitioner working through a posture indoors",{"slug":330,"name":331,"group":316,"said":332,"programmeCount":22,"fromPrice":333,"image":334,"imageAlt":335},"back-and-joints","Back, neck & joints","My lower back has been a background noise for a decade.",{"amount":44,"currency":17},"photo-1600334129128-685c5582fd35","Warm stones laid along a back during treatment",{"slug":337,"name":338,"group":339,"said":340,"programmeCount":23,"image":341,"imageAlt":342},"chronic-pain","Chronic & rheumatic pain","medical","I have a diagnosis. I am looking for something that is not another drug.","photo-1544161515-4ab6ce6db874","Warm medicated oil being poured during treatment",{"slug":344,"name":345,"group":316,"said":346,"programmeCount":347,"fromPrice":348,"image":349,"imageAlt":350},"detox","Detox & the annual reset","I want to properly clean myself out once a year.",5,{"amount":16,"currency":17},"photo-1512290923902-8a9f81dc236c","A warm-oil head treatment in progress",{"slug":352,"name":353,"group":354,"said":355,"programmeCount":23,"image":356,"imageAlt":357},"menopause","Menopause & perimenopause","life-stage","I am not sleeping, I am not myself, and I am tired of being told it is normal.","photo-1518611012118-696072aa579a","A studio class practising on mats",{"slug":359,"name":360,"group":354,"said":361,"programmeCount":24,"fromPrice":362,"image":363,"imageAlt":364},"fertility","Fertility & preconception","We are trying, and I want to give my body the best possible chance.",{"amount":44,"currency":17},"photo-1609949279531-cf48d64bed89","A made bed in a quiet, light room",{"slug":366,"name":367,"group":339,"said":368,"programmeCount":23,"image":369,"imageAlt":370},"post-viral-fatigue","After illness","I was ill six months ago and I still am not right.","photo-1508672019048-805c876b67e2","A wooden jetty on still water",{"slug":97,"name":372,"group":339,"said":373,"programmeCount":30,"fromPrice":374,"image":147,"imageAlt":376},"Longevity & prevention","I am well. I would like to stay that way, and I would like some data.",{"amount":375,"currency":17},2415,"An alpine lake with a small boat",{"slug":378,"name":379,"group":354,"said":380,"programmeCount":22,"fromPrice":381,"image":383,"imageAlt":384},"first-retreat","A first retreat","I have never done anything like this and I do not want to get it wrong.",{"amount":382,"currency":17},1732.5,"photo-1447452001602-7090c7ab2db3","A standing balance held in silhouette at sunset",{"slug":386,"name":387,"group":354,"said":388,"programmeCount":23,"image":389,"imageAlt":390},"travelling-alone","Travelling alone","I am going by myself and I do not want to eat dinner alone for two weeks.","photo-1544367567-0f2fcb009e0b","A single mat laid out for practice",{"slug":392,"name":393,"group":354,"said":394,"programmeCount":23,"image":395,"imageAlt":396},"together","Going together","I want to do the programme. My partner wants a holiday.","photo-1439066615861-d1af74d74000","A jetty reaching into a still forest lake",[398,401,404,407],{"key":292,"title":399,"note":400},"Rest & balance","Journeys shaped around sleep, stress, burnout and time to reset.",{"key":316,"title":402,"note":403},"Body & vitality","Programmes focused on digestion, movement, weight and physical renewal.",{"key":339,"title":405,"note":406},"Additional care considerations","Travel information to discuss with your own doctor and the qualified team at the property.",{"key":354,"title":408,"note":409},"Life stages & travel style","Menopause, preconception, a first retreat, travelling alone or together.",[411,414,417,420,423,426,429,432],{"slug":412,"h1":413},"ayurveda-retreats-in-india","Ayurveda retreats in India",{"slug":415,"h1":416},"ayurveda-retreats-in-indonesia","Ayurveda retreats in Indonesia",{"slug":418,"h1":419},"ayurveda-retreats-in-sri-lanka","Ayurveda retreats in Sri 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Arabia",{"slug":456,"shortName":144},"switzerland",{"slug":458,"shortName":459},"canada","Canada",{"slug":461,"shortName":462},"singapore","Singapore",{"slug":464,"shortName":465},"netherlands","Netherlands",{"slug":467,"shortName":134},"france",{"slug":469,"shortName":470},"qatar-kuwait-oman","Qatar, Kuwait & Oman",{"slug":472,"shortName":473},"ireland","Ireland",[475,480,485,490,493,498,503,507,511],{"slug":11,"name":476,"tagline":477,"regulated":478,"count":30,"image":341,"imageAlt":479},"Ayurveda","India’s licensed system of medicine, practised as medicine",true,"Warm medicated oil poured for an abhyanga treatment",{"slug":12,"name":481,"tagline":482,"regulated":483,"count":347,"image":389,"imageAlt":484},"Yoga","A lineage, a teacher, and enough consecutive days to matter",false,"A single held posture in silhouette at sunset",{"slug":108,"name":486,"tagline":487,"regulated":478,"count":294,"image":488,"imageAlt":489},"The thermal kur","Europe’s prescribed cure, still paid for by health insurers","photo-1571896349842-33c89424de2d","A lit thermal pool at dusk",{"slug":88,"name":491,"tagline":492,"regulated":478,"count":24,"image":90,"imageAlt":91},"Onsen","Japanese hot-spring bathing, defined by law",{"slug":136,"name":494,"tagline":495,"regulated":478,"count":22,"image":496,"imageAlt":497},"Thalassotherapy","Heated seawater, under medical supervision, since 1899","photo-1540206395-68808572332f","An Atlantic wave breaking",{"slug":75,"name":499,"tagline":500,"regulated":478,"count":22,"image":501,"imageAlt":502},"Traditional Thai medicine","A licensed profession, not the massage on the high street","photo-1518173946687-a4c8892bbd9f","Backlit green leaves — the herbs of a luk pra kob compress",{"slug":53,"name":504,"tagline":505,"regulated":478,"count":22,"image":319,"imageAlt":506},"Sowa Rigpa","Himalayan medicine, delivered by the state in Bhutan","Dried medicinal herbs prepared for 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Retreats in India: Where to Go & Prices","First-time wellness retreats in India — the houses and programmes that address it, how long to stay, the travel season and what to consider first.",[183,283],[532,636],{"slug":183,"name":184,"destinationSlug":26,"area":533,"country":8,"opened":534,"modalities":535,"character":181,"knownFor":536,"why":537,"signature":543,"typicalNights":544,"accolades":545,"honest":554,"relationship":555,"confidence":556,"image":35,"imageAlt":557,"gallery":558,"website":564,"greatFor":565,"whoShouldGo":571,"team":572,"roomTypes":573,"facilities":597,"dining":607,"activities":623,"arrival":632,"destinationName":27,"programmeCount":24,"fromPrice":635},"Narendra Nagar, Tehri Garhwal, above Rishikesh",2000,[11,12],"A wellness retreat on the 100-acre former palace estate of the Maharaja of Tehri-Garhwal, overlooking Rishikesh and the Ganga valley. Its press kit says it opened in 2000 as India’s first luxury wellness retreat.",[538,539,540,541,542],"The property’s home page says Condé Nast Traveller UK readers ranked it “No. 1 Destination Spa in the World” in 2024, and its brochures list Condé Nast Traveller destination-spa awards going back to 2005.","A 100-acre palace estate above Rishikesh, with reception and the Viceregal Suite in the restored Viceregal Palace, where the property says viceroys were received during the Raj.","Programmes come at three levels, by the property’s own figures: Foundation (from 5 nights, about an hour of sessions a day), Comprehensive (about two hours) and Intensive (about three).","Its 2025 programme brochure lists as standard three wellness meals a day, consultations with a lead consultant on arrival, through the stay and after it, the hydrotherapy area, and daily group yoga, meditation, Vedanta and fitness.","Beyond Ayurveda and yoga, its staff list and programmes cover Traditional Chinese Medicine, physiotherapy, emotional healing and monthly visiting masters.","Programme stays combining Ayurveda, yoga, meditation and Vedanta with international and oriental therapies, most of them 7, 14 or 21 nights.","7–21 nights (Foundation Wellness 5)",[546,547,548,549,550,551,552,553],"Condé Nast Traveller UK Readers’ Choice Awards 2024 — “No. 1 Destination Spa in the World” on the home page; “in the Rest of the World” in its brochure","Condé Nast Traveller UK — World’s Best Destination Spa 2005, 2006 and 2007, as listed in an older property brochure","Condé Nast Traveller USA and UK Readers’ Travel Awards — World’s No.1 Destination Spa 2019 and 2020, as listed in the property’s overview brochure","Condé Nast Traveller India — winner, Best Destination Spa 2014, and Favourite Destination Spa 2015–2024, as listed on the property’s Awards page","Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards 2023 — #3 Best Destination Spa, as listed in the property’s Downloads brochure","Global Spa Awards 2026 — winner, Best Global Ayurveda Retreat, as listed on the property’s Awards page","Tatler Best Awards 2025 — winner, Best Wellness Retreat and Best 100 Hotels, as listed on the property’s Awards page","The Luxury Spa Edit Awards 2025 — winner, Best Global Yoga Retreat, as listed on the property’s Awards page","The property says it is a wellness destination, not a clinic, and that its therapies offer no immediate cures. Leaving early is charged 100% of the booked value with no refund. Children under 14 are not admitted, and some spa treatments are restricted for 14–18-year-olds. Several programmes start at 14 nights, and Panchakarma runs 21.","bookable","medium","Himalayan peaks above a wooded valley",[559,562],{"src":560,"alt":561},"photo-1439853949127-fa647821eba0","A still lake in the foothills",{"src":383,"alt":563},"A figure holding tree pose at sunrise","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.anandaspa.com",[566,567,568,569,570],"Consultant-led Ayurveda programmes","Yoga, meditation and Vedanta","A 21-night Panchakarma detox","Weight and diabetes programmes","Physiotherapy and chronic pain","Someone who wants a structured, consultant-led Ayurveda, yoga or detox programme with hotel-style rooms, suites or villas. The property calls itself “an award winning luxury wellness retreat” and says it is a wellness destination rather than a clinic.","The property’s Experts page lists four Ayurvedic physicians, a TCM doctor, three yoga and meditation staff, two physiotherapists, six emotional-wellness and wellness consultants, an oriental-therapies consultant and a director of cuisine. A consultation on arrival is mandatory, and by the property’s account visiting masters stay 15–30 days at a time.",[574,578,581,584,587,590,593],{"name":575,"size":576,"note":577},"Deluxe palace\u002Fgarden-view room","45 sqm","Views over the golf course and the palace, with a balcony or porch.",{"name":579,"size":576,"note":580},"Deluxe valley-view room","A private balcony facing the Rishikesh valley. Premium-floor versions, on the 4th to 6th floors, are a separate category.",{"name":582,"note":583},"Deluxe suite","Two-bay suite with an attached living room, two full bathrooms and an extra-large private balcony.",{"name":585,"note":586},"Garden suites","Two-bay suites with private gardens. The Garden Suite page and Downloads brochure say there are four; two other brochures say three.",{"name":588,"note":589},"Ananda Suite","A single three-bay suite on the ground floor, facing the valley, with a large private garden and gazebo.",{"name":591,"note":592},"Viceregal Suite","In the Maharaja’s palace: a sitting and dining area, a period four-poster bed, antique fittings, a private terrace and a rooftop gazebo.",{"name":594,"size":595,"note":596},"Ananda villas","1,200–1,800 sq ft","Three villas, two with two bedrooms and one with one, each with a living room, butler’s pantry, private sauna and a 40 sqm private pool.",[598,599,600,601,602,603,604,605,606],"Spa of 24,000–25,000 sq ft with 24 or 25 treatment rooms, as the property’s pages variously give it","Hydrotherapy area with steam, sauna, a chill plunge pool and a Kneipp foot bath","Outdoor temperature-controlled swimming pool beside the spa","Yoga and consultation rooms within the spa","Gymnasium with cardio, strength-training and core-workout equipment","Physiotherapy with Class IV laser, ZRT Matrix and interferential therapy","Six-hole golf course on the hillside","Viceregal Palace with reception, the Palace Lounge, a billiards room and a hall for 140 people","Private helipad, given by the property as five minutes away",[608,611,614,617,620],{"name":609,"note":610},"The Restaurant","Indian, Asian and Western dishes from a seasonal à la carte menu, with Ayurvedic menus for programme guests. The property says it is built among sal trees, with a tree-top deck over the valley.",{"name":612,"note":613},"The Pavilion","In the restaurant building: high tea from 4 to 6 pm, and wine for guests not on programmes. The dining FAQ says alcohol may be restricted by programme.",{"name":615,"note":616},"The Palace Lounge","In the Viceregal Palace beside reception, where guests check in over a ginger-lemon infusion; the property describes antique furniture, chandeliers and portraits.",{"name":618,"note":619},"By The Pool","A pool menu of juices, shakes, lassi and light snacks.",{"name":621,"note":622},"Private dining","Meals in private venues on the estate, on request.",[624,625,626,627,628,629,630,631],"Daily group yoga, pranayama and meditation, Vedanta talks and fitness sessions","Weekly cooking demonstrations and wellness lectures","Weekly trek to Kunjapuri temple, weather permitting","A 9 km, three-hour downhill trek through sal forest to Laxman Jhula, returning by car","White-water rafting on the Ganga, minimum age 14","Evening Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan, about three hours including the drive","Jeep safari in Rajaji National Park, about an hour’s drive","Golf on the six-hole course, and snooker",{"airport":633,"code":34,"transfer":634},"Dehradun (Jolly Grant)","About 35 km and 40–45 minutes by road, with car transfers priced on request. Helicopter transfers from Delhi can be arranged.",{"amount":32,"currency":33},{"slug":283,"name":284,"destinationSlug":6,"area":637,"country":8,"modalities":638,"character":174,"knownFor":639,"why":640,"signature":645,"typicalNights":646,"accolades":647,"honest":648,"relationship":555,"confidence":556,"image":349,"imageAlt":649,"greatFor":650,"whoShouldGo":655,"team":656,"roomTypes":657,"facilities":676,"dining":683,"activities":687,"arrival":691,"destinationName":7,"programmeCount":24,"fromPrice":695},"Chowara, south of Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala",[11,12],"The Somatheeram group’s flagship, built in Kerala temple-and-palace style on the hill beside Somatheeram, with sea-view rooms, an infinity pool and private treatment rooms in its top categories.",[641,642,643,644],"Its tariff calls it the flagship of the Somatheeram Ayurveda Group, which it says was founded in 1985 around the idea of an Ayurveda hospital in a resort setting.","The tariff lists an Ayurveda hospital with 20 treatment rooms, three yoga and meditation halls facing the beach, an infinity pool with a sea view and a lift straight down to Somatheeram.","The two Dhanwanthari categories come with a private Ayurveda treatment room and steam bath, and the pool villa adds a private pool and an open-air bathroom. Every room has a bathtub for herbal soaks.","Beyond its Ayurveda packages it sells two yoga retreats: Shanti, a classic Hatha retreat without treatment, and Ayur Yoga, the same retreat with a Rejuvenation or Purification package.","Ayurveda Panchakarma and Rasayana packages of 7 to 21 nights, and Hatha yoga retreats with or without Ayurveda, after a daily doctor’s consultation.","7–21 nights by package",[],"It is the group’s most expensive house: a Rejuvenation week in its entry room costs about half as much again as at Somatheeram, and the pool villa more than three times as much. The whole booking is paid in advance, cancelling within 30 days costs all of it, and a €60 New Year gala dinner is mandatory on packages.","A guest receiving a warm-oil head treatment",[651,652,653,654],"Luxury Ayurveda","Private treatment rooms","Hatha yoga retreats","Infinity pool over the sea","Somebody who wants Somatheeram’s doctor-led Ayurveda with more space and privacy — a suite, or a room with its own treatment room — or a yoga retreat with or without treatment. Packages start at seven nights.","The tariff lists an initial, daily and final consultation by the doctor with every package, and an Ayurveda hospital of 20 treatment rooms. It does not publish staff numbers.",[658,661,664,667,670,673],{"name":659,"note":660},"Dhanwanthari Heritage Pool Villa","A sea-view Kerala-style villa with a verandah, separate living room, private pool, open-air bathroom, and its own treatment room and steam bath.",{"name":662,"note":663},"Dhanwanthari Heritage Deluxe Room","A sea-view room in traditional wood with a living area, a sea-view balcony, and its own Ayurveda treatment room and steam bath.",{"name":665,"note":666},"Maharaja Royal Suite","A sea-view suite in traditional wood with a separate living room and a balcony over the sea and beach.",{"name":668,"note":669},"Yuvaraja Royal Junior Suite","A sea-view room with a living area and a balcony over the sea and beach.",{"name":671,"note":672},"Palace Deluxe Room","A sea-view room in traditional wood with a private balcony over the sea and beach.",{"name":674,"note":675},"Hill View Palace Deluxe Room","A traditional-style room facing the hill, with a private balcony.",[677,678,679,680,681,682],"Ayurveda hospital with 20 treatment rooms, per the tariff","Three yoga and meditation halls facing the beach","Infinity pool with a sea view","Sea-view restaurant and a 24-hour coffee shop","A lift straight down to Somatheeram","Seminar hall",[684],{"name":685,"note":686},"The sea-view restaurant","Multi-cuisine and Ayurvedic specialities; package guests eat from an individual Ayurvedic diet menu, per the tariff.",[688,689,690],"Three yoga and two meditation sessions a day, per the tariff’s timetable","A half-day country-boat backwater tour with packages of 14 nights or more","Cultural performances, per the tariff’s amenities list",{"airport":692,"code":693,"transfer":694},"Thiruvananthapuram International","TRV","About 20 km by road; transfers from the airport are complimentary with a package, per the tariff.",{"amount":303,"currency":17},[697],{"slug":698,"name":699,"resortSlug":283,"modalitySlug":12,"hook":700,"intention":701,"concerns":702,"nights":703,"lengths":704,"groupSize":23,"overview":706,"suitedTo":709,"notSuitedTo":712,"phases":714,"dayShape":715,"sampleDay":716,"included":717,"excluded":725,"faqs":728,"image":383,"imageAlt":563,"startingPrice":729,"priceBasis":730,"counted":731,"priceIncludes":740,"care":741,"price":745,"resortName":284,"resortCharacter":174,"destinationSlug":6,"destinationName":7,"country":8},"ayursoma-ayur-yoga-retreat","Ayur Yoga Retreat","AyurSoma’s Hatha yoga retreat with an Ayurveda package — Rejuvenation or Body Purification — sold as seven or fourteen nights.","rebuild",[307,378],7,[703,705],14,[707,708],"The Ayur Yoga Retreat is AyurSoma’s classic Hatha yoga retreat combined with an Ayurveda package — Rejuvenation Therapy or Body Purification — with Ayurvedic vegetarian full board, per the tariff.","The tariff’s timetable has three yoga and two meditation sessions a day: meditation with advanced or beginners’ yoga in the morning, and meditation with intermediate yoga in the evening. A version without treatment, the Shanti Yoga Retreat, is sold too.",[710,711],"Yoga at any level — classes run for beginners, intermediate and advanced","A first Ayurveda stay alongside a yoga practice",[713],"Anyone wanting yoga without treatment — the Shanti Yoga Retreat is the version without Ayurveda",[],"Three 90-minute yoga sessions and two 30-minute meditations a day, at three levels, per the tariff.",[],[718,719,720,721,722,723,724],"Accommodation in the room category booked","Ayurveda treatments as per the package","The yoga and meditation retreat programme","Ayurvedic vegetarian full board","Initial, daily and final consultation by the doctor","Airport transfer from Thiruvananthapuram, complimentary","A half-day country-boat backwater tour, from 14 nights",[726,727],"A specific room on request, at 5% extra","A €60 per person New Year gala dinner, mandatory on packages",[],{"amount":382,"currency":17},"7 nights, sharing a Hill View Palace Deluxe Room",[732,736],{"value":733,"label":734,"detail":735},"3","yoga sessions a day","Plus two 30-minute meditations, per the tariff’s timetable.",{"value":737,"label":738,"detail":739},"7","nights","It also sells a 14-night package.","Accommodation, the yoga and meditation retreat programme, the Ayurveda package’s treatments and Ayurvedic vegetarian full board.",{"supervision":742,"team":743,"consultations":744},"The tariff states every package includes an initial, daily and final consultation by the doctor, who prescribes the treatment and takes the final decision on the programme.","The tariff lists three yoga and meditation halls facing the beach; it does not publish staff numbers.","Initial, daily and final consultation by the doctor, according to the tariff.",{"amount":382,"currency":17},[747,897],{"slug":6,"name":7,"place":748,"country":8,"countryCode":749,"cluster":9,"fame":22,"modalities":750,"hook":751,"caseFor":752,"hardFacts":757,"caveat":764,"season":765,"seasonName":766,"seasonNote":767,"practical":768,"figures":787,"faqs":800,"image":19,"imageAlt":20,"gallery":810,"coords":820,"gateway":823,"tempC":845,"climateNote":852,"leisure":853,"extensions":883,"resortCount":13,"programmeCount":14,"fromPrice":896,"minNights":703,"maxNights":519},"Palakkad, the Trivandrum coast and the backwaters","IN",[11,12],"The one place on earth where Ayurveda is at once a licensed medical system, a 120-year-old pharmaceutical industry and a tourism product.",[753,754,755,756],"Ayurveda here is taught in state medical colleges and practised in government hospitals. A physician holds a BAMS — five and a half years including a clinical internship — and is registered with a statutory council, which is a different thing from a spa therapist with a certificate.","The pharmaceutical tradition is industrial and old. Arya Vaidya Sala at Kottakkal has been compounding classical formulations since 1902 and runs its own affiliated college; the good properties still make their own oils on site, and whether a house compounds its own is one of the things we check before listing it.","Kerala Tourism operates a state classification for Ayurveda centres — now a three-tier Ayur Silver, Ayur Gold and Ayur Diamond scheme that replaced the older Olive Leaf and Green Leaf grades. It is a facilities-and-hygiene rating rather than a clinical one, but it is a real, checkable filter no other destination on this atlas offers.","It is the only place we will sell a full 28-night Panchakarma, because it is the only place where the supervision is dense enough to justify one.",[758,759,760,761,762,763],"Government Ayurveda College, Thiruvananthapuram — commonly dated to 1889 under Travancore royal patronage; today affiliated to Kerala University of Health Sciences.","Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal — founded 1902 by Vaidyaratnam P. S. Varier, and still compounding classical formulations.","Practitioner regulation is national: the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine became AYUSH in November 2003 and a full Ministry on 9 November 2014.","Classification certificates are valid three years, and the Director of Tourism may inspect a classified centre at any time without notice.","Karkidakam — the last month of the Malayalam calendar, roughly mid-July to mid-August — is the traditional 28-day rejuvenation month, Karkidaka Chikitsa.","The India Meteorological Department’s normal southwest monsoon onset over Kerala is 1 June.","The word \"Ayurveda\" covers both a licensed medical system and an entirely unregulated massage trade, often on the same beach. A state classification is a tourism-department facilities rating, not a clinical accreditation — it tells you the kitchen is clean, not that a physician wrote your prescription. The state is also mid-transition between two naming schemes, so a certificate on the wall may cite a retired grade. And the properties we list are quiet rural places with mosquitoes, power cuts and nothing to do after dark: people who came for the medicine love it, and people who wanted a resort are miserable by day four.",[22,22,23,23,23,24,24,24,24,22,22,22],"Karkidakam","For treatment the monsoon is the season — not despite the rain but because of it. Humidity keeps the skin and channels receptive to oil, the air is cool, and Keralans have taken their own annual course in this month for centuries. March to May is the part to avoid: 35 °C and humid is a poor climate for daily oil therapy. The brochures sell January because January photographs better, and it costs a great deal more for a less effective fortnight.",[769,772,775,778,781,784],{"label":770,"value":771},"Airports","Kochi (COK) for the backwaters and Palakkad; Trivandrum (TRV) for the coast. Direct from the Gulf, one connection from most of Europe.",{"label":773,"value":774},"Transfer","Two to four hours by road, included, with a driver we have used for years rather than a hotel taxi.",{"label":776,"value":777},"Visa","India e-visa for most passports, applied for online, usually approved inside 72 hours.",{"label":779,"value":780},"Language","Malayalam locally; English throughout the properties including with therapists. German at two of the coastal houses.",{"label":782,"value":783},"What to bring","Old, loose cotton and more of it than you think. Treatment oil never fully washes out — bring nothing you love.",{"label":785,"value":786},"Medical","A current prescription list and recent bloodwork. The physician asks on day one and it changes what is prescribed.",[788,791,794,797],{"value":789,"label":790},"1889","First Ayurveda college",{"value":792,"label":793},"1902","Arya Vaidya Sala founded",{"value":795,"label":796},"5½ yrs","Physician training",{"value":798,"label":799},"28","Nights, Karkidaka Chikitsa",[801,804,807],{"q":802,"a":803},"Is the monsoon really better, or is that a way to sell the low season?","Both are true and we would rather say so. The classical rationale predates tourism by centuries — Karkidakam is the treatment month in Kerala’s own calendar. It is also when properties are empty. Our position: the season genuinely helps, the discount is real, and if you hate rain you should come in October and lose very little.",{"q":805,"a":806},"Can I do a proper Panchakarma in a week?","No. Preparation alone runs three to seven days before the main purification, and the rebuilding phase afterwards is where the benefit is consolidated. Fourteen nights is our floor. With only a week, take a shamana programme — a real treatment on the gentler line — and we will say so on the invoice.",{"q":808,"a":809},"What does a state Ayurveda classification actually prove?","That Kerala Tourism inspected facilities, hygiene, therapist training and physician presence against a published checklist, and may re-inspect without notice. It is a useful signal and it is not a clinical accreditation — ask for the resident physician’s BAMS registration number too. Note the scheme was renamed: Ayur Silver, Gold and Diamond replaced Olive Leaf and Green Leaf, so older certificates cite retired grades.",[811,814,815,817],{"src":812,"alt":813},"photo-1596178065887-1198b6148b2b","A palm-lined pool walkway at a tropical resort",{"src":349,"alt":649},{"src":319,"alt":816},"Herbs prepared in the oil kitchen",{"src":818,"alt":819},"photo-1593693411515-c20261bcad6e","A backwater channel at first light",{"lat":821,"lng":822},10.53,76.21,{"airport":824,"code":18,"city":825,"routings":826,"transfer":843,"flightNote":844},"Cochin International","Kochi — with Trivandrum (TRV) the better gateway for the southern coast",[827,831,835,839],{"from":828,"how":829,"time":830},"London & western Europe","One stop through a Gulf hub — Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. There is no direct service from the UK.","13–15 hours door to door",{"from":832,"how":833,"time":834},"The Gulf","Direct, and frequent. Kerala has the densest Gulf connection of any Indian state.","4 hours",{"from":836,"how":837,"time":838},"Delhi & Mumbai","Direct, several daily.","3 hours 15 from Delhi",{"from":840,"how":841,"time":842},"Singapore & Kuala Lumpur","Direct to Kochi.","4–5 hours","Two to four hours by road depending on the house — Palakkad is inland, the Chowara and Kovalam properties are an hour from Trivandrum. Included in every programme, with a driver we use year-round rather than a hotel taxi.","Fly into Kochi and out of Trivandrum, or the reverse, if the itinerary suits — it is the same fare on most carriers and saves a four-hour repositioning drive. Arrive in daylight if you can: the first evening includes a consultation, and a 3 a.m. landing costs you a day of it.",[846,847,848,848,847,849,850,850,849,851,851,846],31,32,33,29,28,30,"Warm all year and never cold — the variable is humidity and rain, not temperature. The monsoon months read hottest on paper and feel coolest in practice.",[854,860,865,870,875,879],{"name":855,"kind":856,"duration":857,"note":858,"when":859},"A night on the backwaters","nature","Overnight, or a half day","A converted rice barge from Alleppey through the Kuttanad channels. The overnight is worth it; the three-hour version is a queue of identical boats.","before",{"name":861,"kind":862,"duration":863,"note":864,"when":859},"Fort Kochi and Mattancherry","culture","Full day","The Chinese fishing nets, the Paradesi synagogue, the Dutch Palace murals and a spice-market walk. Five hundred years of Portuguese, Dutch and Jewish Kochi in one walkable afternoon.",{"name":866,"kind":862,"duration":867,"note":868,"when":869},"Kathakali, properly","3 hours","Arrive an hour early to watch the make-up go on — it is the better half. Ask us for the Kochi hall that still plays to Malayali audiences rather than the tourist matinée.","rest-day",{"name":871,"kind":856,"duration":872,"note":873,"when":874},"A tea estate day in Munnar","Full day, or two nights","Four hours up from Kochi into the Western Ghats at 1,600 m. Genuinely cold, entirely different country. Too far and too long for a treatment rest day — take it before or after.","after",{"name":876,"kind":862,"duration":877,"note":878,"when":869},"The oil kitchen and the pharmacy","2 hours","At the houses that still compound their own preparations, ask to be shown the room. Most will say yes and few guests think to ask. It is the single most convincing hour of the fortnight.",{"name":880,"kind":856,"duration":881,"note":882,"when":874},"Periyar, for the elephants","Two nights","A tiger reserve where you will not see a tiger and will see elephant, gaur and hornbill. A boat on the lake at dawn is the version worth doing.",[884,888,892],{"name":885,"nights":886,"note":887,"side":859},"Kochi & the backwaters","3 nights","The obvious and correct opener: fort Kochi, a barge night, and an unhurried arrival into the time zone before anyone takes your pulse.",{"name":889,"nights":890,"note":891,"side":874},"The Golden Triangle","5 nights","Delhi, Agra and Jaipur on the way home. Long flights internally and worth every one of them if it is a first trip to India.",{"name":893,"nights":894,"note":895,"side":874},"Tamil Nadu temples","4 nights","Madurai, Thanjavur and Chettinad — the living Dravidian south, three hours east and a different civilisation.",{"amount":16,"currency":17},{"slug":26,"name":27,"place":898,"country":8,"countryCode":749,"cluster":9,"fame":22,"modalities":899,"hook":900,"caseFor":901,"hardFacts":906,"caveat":912,"season":913,"seasonNote":914,"practical":915,"figures":928,"faqs":940,"image":35,"imageAlt":36,"gallery":950,"coords":957,"gateway":960,"tempC":975,"climateNote":981,"leisure":982,"extensions":1003,"resortCount":29,"programmeCount":30,"fromPrice":1014,"minNights":703,"maxNights":705},"The Ganga valley and the hills above it",[12,11],"Where modern transnational yoga was institutionalised — and then, in 1968, handed global celebrity.",[902,903,904,905],"The lineages are here and still teaching. Swami Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society at Muni Ki Reti in 1936, and his disciples seeded the Sivananda and Satyananda schools that now span dozens of countries.","Cost and immersion. A month of full-time tuition here costs less than a fortnight in southern Europe, in a town where practising at half past five is unremarkable rather than eccentric.","It combines properly with Ayurveda. Several schools have a physician on site, which turns a hard four-week training into something the body survives.","The town is legally dry and vegetarian, which removes a set of decisions you would otherwise spend the month making.",[907,908,909,910,911],"Swami Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society at Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, in 1936.","Maharishi Mahesh Yogi established Chaurasi Kutia in 1963; the Beatles arrived in February 1968 and wrote much of the White Album during the stay.","Parmarth Niketan hosts the International Yoga Festival in the first week of March, supported by the Ministry of Tourism.","The UN General Assembly proclaimed 21 June the International Day of Yoga by resolution 69\u002F131 on 11 December 2014, with a record 175 co-sponsors.","Alcohol and non-vegetarian food are prohibited within Rishikesh municipal limits.","Yoga teaching is not a regulated profession anywhere, and Rishikesh is the sharp end of that. Yoga Alliance is a voluntary registry rather than an accreditor — an \"RYS 200\" listing certifies that a school filed a curriculum document, not that it teaches well or safely. There are several hundred schools here and we list three. The town is also crowded and noisy, and the river at Laxman Jhula is not the serene Ganga of the photographs; the good schools are up the valley for a reason.",[22,24,24,24,23,23,23,23,24,24,24,22],"February to April and late September to November: warm days, cold clear nights, and a river that is green rather than brown and in spate. July and August are landslide season in the hills. May and June are simply too hot for a full practice schedule, and December to January is cold enough that an unheated ashram room becomes a test of commitment.",[916,918,920,923,926],{"label":770,"value":917},"Dehradun (DED), forty minutes away, with frequent Delhi connections. Delhi by road is six hours and not worth it.",{"label":776,"value":919},"India e-visa. Trainings longer than 30 days need a different category — we handle the paperwork.",{"label":921,"value":922},"Rules","The town is vegetarian and alcohol-free by law. This is not negotiable and it is enforced.",{"label":924,"value":925},"Prerequisite","Two years of regular practice before a 200-hour training. We ask, and so do the schools worth attending.",{"label":782,"value":927},"Layers. Halls are unheated, mornings are cold from November, and every school expects you at 05:30 regardless.",[929,932,935,937],{"value":930,"label":931},"1936","Divine Life Society",{"value":933,"label":934},"1968","The Beatles at Chaurasi Kutia",{"value":733,"label":936},"Schools we list",{"value":938,"label":939},"21 Jun","International Day of Yoga",[941,944,947],{"q":942,"a":943},"Is a 200-hour certificate from Rishikesh taken seriously?","It depends entirely on the school, which is the problem. A Yoga Alliance registration proves a syllabus was filed, not that anybody was taught. Ask who the lead teacher studied under and for how long — we publish that for the schools we list, and it is the only reason we list them.",{"q":945,"a":946},"Can I do a training and a Panchakarma back to back?","Not in that order. Purification leaves you depleted for a fortnight and a training is physically demanding. Train first and treat afterwards, ideally in Kerala in a different season.",{"q":948,"a":949},"How much does the crowding actually matter?","Less than you fear if you stay up-valley. The schools we use are far enough above the bridges that you would only go down for a reason, and most students go down twice in a month.",[951,953,954],{"src":560,"alt":952},"A still mountain lake in the foothills",{"src":383,"alt":563},{"src":955,"alt":956},"photo-1545205597-3d9d02c29597","A group practising together outdoors",{"lat":958,"lng":959},30.09,78.27,{"airport":633,"code":34,"city":961,"routings":962,"transfer":973,"flightNote":974},"Dehradun — 45 minutes from Rishikesh",[963,966,970],{"from":828,"how":964,"time":965},"One stop through Delhi or a Gulf hub, then the domestic hop to Dehradun.","14–16 hours door to door",{"from":967,"how":968,"time":969},"Delhi","Fifteen flights a day, 55 minutes. The road is six hours and not worth it.","55 minutes",{"from":832,"how":971,"time":972},"Through Delhi. There is no international service into Dehradun.","7–8 hours","45 minutes by road from Dehradun to Muni Ki Reti, or an hour to the houses up the valley. Included.","Dehradun is a daylight-only airport in practice — hill weather closes it, and the winter fog window from late December through January cancels flights with little notice. Build a night in Delhi into any itinerary with a tight onward connection, and never plan to fly out on the morning of an international departure.",[976,977,850,978,518,979,846,851,851,849,980,519],20,23,34,36,26,"A Himalayan foothill climate — genuinely cold mornings from November to February, genuinely too hot for a full practice schedule in May and June. Halls are unheated.",[983,988,992,997,1000],{"name":984,"kind":862,"duration":985,"note":986,"when":987},"Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan","90 minutes, at dusk","The riverbank fire ceremony, every evening, free and unticketed. Go on your first night rather than your last — it sets the register for everything after it.","any",{"name":989,"kind":862,"duration":990,"note":991,"when":869},"The Beatles Ashram","Half day","Chaurasi Kutia, where the White Album was largely written in 1968 — now a ruin inside Rajaji reserve with a small entrance fee and a great deal of graffiti art. Melancholy and worth it.",{"name":993,"kind":994,"duration":995,"note":996,"when":869},"Kunjapuri at sunrise","active","Half day, early","A short steep temple climb for the Himalayan range at first light — Bandarpunch, Gangotri, Chaukhamba. Leave at 04:30. Not compatible with a 05:30 practice start, so take it on a rest day.",{"name":998,"kind":994,"duration":990,"note":999,"when":874},"White water on the Ganga","September to November and March to May, when the river is running. Excellent, cold, and firmly incompatible with any oil-therapy week — book it either side.",{"name":1001,"kind":862,"duration":990,"note":1002,"when":859},"Haridwar and Har Ki Pauri","An hour downstream and several centuries older in feel — a pilgrimage town with none of Rishikesh’s yoga-school economy.",[1004,1008,1011],{"name":1005,"nights":1006,"note":1007,"side":859},"Delhi, at the start","2 nights","Old Delhi, the Lodi tombs and a night’s sleep before the domestic hop. Fights jetlag and the Dehradun weather risk at once.",{"name":1009,"nights":894,"note":1010,"side":874},"Corbett & the Kumaon hills","India’s oldest national park and then the quiet ridge villages above it. The correct decompression after a month of teacher training.",{"name":1012,"nights":1006,"note":1013,"side":874},"Amritsar & the Golden Temple","An overnight train or a short flight west. The langar kitchen feeds 50,000 people a day and it is the most moving hour in north India.",{"amount":32,"currency":33},{"slug":378,"name":379,"group":354,"said":380,"lede":1016,"body":1017,"whatHelps":1021,"expect":1028,"nights":1034,"caution":1035,"programmeSlugs":1036,"resortSlugs":1037,"image":383,"imageAlt":384,"programmeCount":22,"fromPrice":1038},"The booking where getting it wrong does the most damage — and the reason half of this site is written the way it is.",[1018,1019,1020],"The failure mode is predictable: somebody books the most serious programme they can find, because seriousness reads as quality, and arrives at a twenty-one-night Panchakarma with no idea that there is nothing to do after dark and the food is medicine. They last four days and conclude the whole field is not for them.","A first stay should be seven to ten nights, at a house with a timetable you can take or leave, food you would eat by choice, and something to look at outside. It should include a real consultation — that is what separates it from a hotel spa — and it should leave you wanting to come back rather than relieved to be leaving.","The second one can be the hard one. Almost everybody who does a serious Panchakarma has done something gentler first, and it is not a coincidence.",[1022,1024,1026],{"modalitySlug":12,"why":1023},"A structured week with a proper teacher and an optional timetable. The lowest-risk entry point there is, and it teaches you what you actually respond to.",{"modalitySlug":11,"why":1025},"A rejuvenation or shamana programme rather than a purification one — real treatment on the gentler line, with a physician’s consultation behind it.",{"modalitySlug":75,"why":1027},"The large naturopathic houses do a first stay well: a full timetable, good food, a proper assessment, and a beach if you want one.",[1029,1030,1031,1032,1033],"A consultation on arrival, which is the thing that makes it a programme rather than a holiday.","A timetable you can opt out of without anybody minding.","Food you would order, cooked for you rather than merely permitted.","Two or three difficult days somewhere in the middle. Everybody has them; nobody is warned about them.","A conversation at the end about what to do next, and an honest answer if the answer is nothing.","Seven nights is a practical introduction; ten allows a little more time without committing to an intensive multi-week programme.","Be suspicious of your own ambition here. If you are drawn to the hardest-sounding programme on the site, that is usually a reason to book the one before it. Also: declare your medications and any diagnoses even on a gentle programme — the consultation is only as good as what you tell it.",[698],[183,198,243,207],{"amount":382,"currency":17},null,{"amount":382,"currency":17},[1042,1050,1055,1062,1069,1075,1081,1087],{"slug":1043,"kind":1044,"h1":1045,"title":1046,"description":1047,"placeName":1048,"countrySlug":449,"country":8,"destinationSlug":6,"concernSlug":378,"resortSlugs":1049},"first-time-wellness-retreats-in-kerala","concern-destination","First-time wellness retreats in Kerala","First-time Wellness Retreats in Kerala: The Shortlist","Compare houses in Kerala with programmes for first-time wellness — the travel season, the suggested stay length and where a quote starts.","Kerala, India",[283],{"slug":412,"kind":1051,"h1":413,"title":1052,"description":1053,"placeName":8,"countrySlug":449,"country":8,"modalitySlug":11,"resortSlugs":1054},"modality-country","Ayurveda Retreats in India: Houses, Prices & Seasons","Ayurveda retreats in India: the houses that offer it, how long to stay, the best months to go and where a quote starts, per person.",[172,176,179,183,186,246,249,252,255,258,261,264,267,271,274,277,280,283,286],{"slug":1056,"kind":1057,"h1":1058,"title":1059,"description":1060,"placeName":1048,"countrySlug":449,"country":8,"destinationSlug":6,"modalitySlug":11,"resortSlugs":1061},"ayurveda-retreats-in-kerala","modality-destination","Ayurveda retreats in Kerala","Ayurveda Retreats in Kerala: Houses, Prices & Seasons","Ayurveda retreats in Kerala, India: the houses that offer it, how long to stay, the best months to go and where a quote starts, per person.",[172,176,179,246,249,252,255,264,280,283,286],{"slug":1063,"kind":1057,"h1":1064,"title":1065,"description":1066,"placeName":1067,"countrySlug":449,"country":8,"destinationSlug":26,"modalitySlug":11,"resortSlugs":1068},"ayurveda-retreats-in-rishikesh","Ayurveda retreats in Rishikesh","Ayurveda Retreats in Rishikesh: Houses, Prices & Seasons","Ayurveda retreats in Rishikesh, India: the houses that offer it, how long to stay, the best months to go and where a quote starts, per person.","Rishikesh, India",[183,186,258,261,267,271,274,277],{"slug":1070,"kind":1044,"h1":1071,"title":1072,"description":1073,"placeName":1048,"countrySlug":449,"country":8,"destinationSlug":6,"concernSlug":330,"resortSlugs":1074},"back-and-joint-pain-retreats-in-kerala","Back and joint pain retreats in Kerala","Back and Joint Pain Retreats in Kerala: The Shortlist","Compare houses in Kerala with programmes for back and joint pain — the travel season, the suggested stay length and where a quote starts.",[176],{"slug":1076,"kind":526,"h1":1077,"title":1078,"description":1079,"placeName":8,"countrySlug":449,"country":8,"concernSlug":299,"resortSlugs":1080},"burnout-retreats-in-india","Burnout retreats in India","Burnout Retreats in India: Where to Go & Prices","Burnout retreats in India — the houses and programmes that address it, how long to stay, the travel season and what to consider first.",[186,280,283],{"slug":1082,"kind":1044,"h1":1083,"title":1084,"description":1085,"placeName":1048,"countrySlug":449,"country":8,"destinationSlug":6,"concernSlug":299,"resortSlugs":1086},"burnout-retreats-in-kerala","Burnout retreats in Kerala","Burnout Retreats in Kerala: The Shortlist","Compare houses in Kerala with programmes for burnout — the travel season, the suggested stay length and where a quote starts.",[280,283],{"slug":1088,"kind":1044,"h1":1089,"title":1090,"description":1091,"placeName":1067,"countrySlug":449,"country":8,"destinationSlug":26,"concernSlug":299,"resortSlugs":1092},"burnout-retreats-in-rishikesh","Burnout retreats in Rishikesh","Burnout Retreats in Rishikesh: The Shortlist","Compare houses in Rishikesh with programmes for burnout — the travel season, the suggested stay length and where a quote starts.",[186],1791559139506]