India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (152 page)

Chowara Beach

Located below the small village of Chowara, within verdant cliffs towering along it, this long stretch of powdery white sand is located 12km (7 1⁄2 miles) south of Trivandrum and 30 to 40 minutes from the airport. Chowara Beach is not only very pretty (the same cannot be said of most of the accommodations here), but the sea here is usually rather tame—hardly surprising then that it has several resorts strung along it, some would say too many resorts, in fact. However, you’re unlikely to end up staying here unless you’ve come for a fairly stringent Ayurvedic program (which is the raison d’être for most of these places anyway. The exception is Travancore Heritage, which—despite having the most sophisticated-looking Ayurvedic center—has a slightly more leisurely approach; trouble is their best accommodations are a bit of a slog from the beach. Besides the places we’ve reviewed below, one other option is well-priced
Nikki’s Nest
(Azhimala Shiva Temple Rd., Pulinkudi, Chowara;
0471/226-8821,
-8822, or 0471/226-7822;
www.nikkisnest.com
; 90€–125€ double with air-conditioning, including breakfast, 15% tax extra), which unfortunately suffers from interminable early morning temple noise that kicks off each day at 5am. If you can endure the unexpected wake-up or are an early riser, it’s not too bad a choice, with a fairly welcoming staff and on-hand owners to make your stay feel quite comfortable. Accommodations are in slightly dark thatch-roofed cottages (rooms 203 and 204 are closest to the beach) or in restored traditional wooden Kerala houses (202 is the one to book here; alternatively, 201; 105€–125€ double); half are air-conditioned, and they’re neat and tidy but (like Coconut Lagoon; reviewed above) ultimately rather kitsch and with rather unhandsome finishes (bathrooms are really quite hideous, with massive frosted glass sliding shower doors). Again, the reason you’re here is for the Ayurvedic treatments; like Somatheeram, this place has Green Leaf accreditation, and after your massage you can trundle down to the beach or spend hours daydreaming at the restaurant, which has equally spectacular views and heavenly fresh fruit juices.

Note:
All of these “resorts” offer a wide variety of packages that include specified or personalized treatments and therapies, often based on stays of between 2 weeks and 1 month—this is their big draw. In fact, these resorts exist more as centers for Ayurvedic patients than as vacation retreats. If you’re not interested in Ayurveda—or perhaps yoga—the best options here are Thapovan and Travancore Heritage, which are less congested by robe-wearing guests wandering through the grounds in a post-treatment daze.

Dr. Franklin’s Panchakarma Institute & Research Centre
It’s not pretty, but if you’re serious about Ayurveda and don’t intend wiping out your savings, this is a good budget option, offering perhaps the most focused Ayurvedic experiences in south Kerala (as the name suggests). Dr. Varghese Franklin has more than 50 years’ worth of experience as a practitioner (he started Somatheeram’s Ayurvedic center), and offers a host of therapeutic programs, longevity treatments, and specialized slimming programs, as well as practical training workshops (such as “You and Your Spine”). Massage, yoga, and Ayurvedic cooking courses are also conducted here. There are no suites or fancy rooms—the basic bedrooms have doubles beds with mosquito nets, tiled floors, and neat attached bathrooms (shower only); deluxe units have private patios where you can sip herbal tea between treatments. For mega-budgeteers, there are a few simple mud huts, each with twin beds and attached bathrooms—useful if you’re planning on hanging around for longer courses. The grounds are comfortable enough, but this isn’t a resort, so you’ll probably want to take full advantage of the free shuttle to the beach (although the 10-min. walk isn’t too bad).

Chowara P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695 501.
0471/248-0870
or 0471/226-7974. Fax: 0471/226-8071.
www.drfranklin.com
. [email protected]. 25 units, some with shower only. Aug–Mar 38€–45€ deluxe double, 48€–55€ A/C deluxe double, 28€–32€ special room double, 18€–20€ Panchakarma hut double; Apr–July 28€ deluxe double, 38€ A/C deluxe double, 20€ special room double, 15€ Panchakarma hut double. Extra bed 20% of rate. Rates include breakfast; taxes extra. MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; airport transfers (free w/Ayurveda packages); cooking courses; cultural performances; Wi-Fi (in restaurant; free); yoga. In room A/C (in some) and fans, TV (except in huts), no phone in huts.

Manaltheeram Ayurveda Beach Village
With Green Leaf accreditation for its Ayurvedic center, a great location right on the beach (not to mention a well-positioned sea-view pool and open-air restaurant from where you can see where the beach disappears into the horizon), and relatively flat terrain (meaning there’s far less hiking up and down stairs than at nearby Somatheeram; reviewed below), Manaltheeram is still a contender as one of the better “treatment resorts” in southern Kerala. Most accommodations are in “Ordinary” and “Special” (read: sea-view) cottages: These are standard thatched round villas. Book Special cottages 525 to 530 for the most privacy—they’re better value than the so-called “Kerala houses,” although there’s a 5% surcharge for preselecting your choice of digs (although you can probably bargain this away). As with any of these Ayurveda retreats, the best deals are on packages that last at least 2 weeks.

Chowara P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695 501.
0471/226-6222.
Fax 0471/226-7611.
www.manaltheeram.com
. [email protected]. 57 units. Nov–Apr 80€–92€ standard double, 92€–106€ garden cottage double, 116€–134€ special cottage double, 158€–180€ standard Kerala House double, 210€–242€ A/C Kerala House double; May–Oct 56€ standard double, 64€ garden cottage double, 86€ special cottage double, 120€ standard Kerala House double, 148€ A/C Kerala House double. 20% extra per person sharing; children under 12 free if sharing. AE, MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; airport transfers (Rs 675; free for most Ayurveda packages); Ayurvedic center; cultural performances; Internet (broadband; Rs 2/min.); outdoor pool; room service; tailor; yoga and meditation. In room: A/C (in some) and fans, fridge (in deluxe units).

Somatheeram Ayurvedic Health Resort
As much beachfront hospital as vacation destination, this resort has been inundated with awards for “Best Ayurvedic Centre”—they’re state-issued, however, by people with no knowledge of what a vacation is about. The primary reason to book here is for a Somatheeram package: Massages and treatments are provided in a hygienic environment by a team of experienced, professional staff (12 doctors and more than 50 therapists) who offer serious Ayurvedic rejuvenation and therapeutic packages (average stay here is 2 weeks) rather than just luxurious pampering. The most interesting accommodations are in traditional wooden Kerala houses, which have the standard shaded verandas and hand-carved pillars and are usually the most comfortable rooms; some (like 109 and 110) have open air bathrooms. Better value is to opt for an ordinary
nalukettu
room in one of these four-bedroom cottages—the best by far (for the fabulous sea views) are nos. 102 and 101.

Tip:
Don’t confuse this place (the one with the slick, contemporary S-design branding) with neighboring
Somatheeram Ayurvedic Beach Resort
(
0471/226-8101;
www.somatheeram.in
), which is the result of a split in the family business. The “Health Resort” has the more convenient location for the beach and better accommodations, extensively renovated in 2009. The “Beach Resort” is owned by the same brother who owns nearby
Manaltheeram Ayurvedic Beach Resort
(reviewed above); all three offer equitable Ayurvedic packages.