Kerala Ayurveda & Yoga holiday, India
Description of Kerala Ayurveda & Yoga holiday, India
Refresh your mind, body and spirit on this ten-day Kerala Ayurveda and yoga holiday. You’ll start your trip with two nights at a village homestay on the banks of the backwaters near Kochi, where’s there’s time to visit local heritage sights and a prawn farm, as well as take a sunset boat trip. Next, it’s on to northern Kerala and the village of Bilathikulam at Calicut, where you’ll be based for seven days in the ancestral home of the Kadathanadu royal family. This gorgeous homestead has green leaf accreditation, meaning that it meets the standards set by the government for Ayurvedic centres in Kerala.
Your hosts during your stay are Dr. Sreekumar and Dr. Neeta Sreekumar. Along with a team of qualified Ayurvedic doctors, yoga acharyas and trained locals, they will oversee your daily Ayurveda Treatment (around two hours a day) and daily yoga meditation (around an hour a day).
Optional activities around Calicut include dance lessons, evening performances of traditional Keralan art and music, walks with your hosts, and drives to Kappad beach. All food served at the retreat is vegetarian, and alcohol is prohibited.
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Reviews
2 Reviews of Kerala Ayurveda & Yoga holiday, India
Reviewed on 14 Apr 2025 by Lynda Glass
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Experiencing the difference between Northern and Southern India.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Spend your total number of days in or around Cochin first before moving onto
another Southern area to reduce losing time backtracking.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Financially money spent benefited the local people and assisted with environmental impacts.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Informative, interesting and enlightening to life, employment, the back waters and
all that Southern India has to experience.
Reviewed on 06 Apr 2018 by Katherine Jackson
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The Ayurveda treatments and the yoga every morning
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Try and go in the cooler seasons. We went in March and it was very, very hot.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes definitely. Harivihar employs all local people who do a fantastic job
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We had an amazing time. We extended our holiday in Kerala to 19 days and explored a lot of the region. We can’t wait to go back again one day.
Responsible Travel
Planet
Your first nights in Cochin are spent at a warm and welcoming homestay, a family home set within a three-acre coconut garden on the banks of the backwaters, just a short distance from Fort Cochin. Here, you can savor freshly caught fish, prawns, and crabs from local fishermen, or visit a nearby family house or prawn farm to learn how to cook your dinner with them.The garden is completely organic—no pesticides are used, only natural manure and eco-friendly fertilizers. Hot water is provided through solar heating, reflecting a commitment to sustainability. There are no artificial lawns or resort-style landscaping; everything grows naturally and abundantly, creating a lush, green haven.
At the Ayurveda center, meals are prepared with fresh vegetables, offering a variety of wholesome, plant-based dishes. Guests can consult with the Ayurvedic doctor, while trained local therapists provide treatments, yoga, and meditation guidance.
Accommodation is in renovated traditional Kerala-style houses with tiled roofs and wooden ceilings, blending harmoniously with the surrounding nature.
People
Unlike commercial Ayurveda or yoga resorts, treatments here take place within the homestead of an ancestral family. Guests receive expert Ayurvedic care in a genuine, homely setting, deeply rooted in tradition. The accommodations are simple and authentic, offering the charm of local lifestyle rather than luxury or extravagance.The number of guests is kept limited to preserve both the ecology and local culture. The homestead is accredited by the government, ensuring authenticity and credibility in Ayurvedic practices.
Local women’s groups (members of Kudumbashree, a government project) help maintain the gardens. This initiative not only supports sustainable tourism but also provides 100 days of employment, along with pensions and benefits, for women in the community.
Part of the profits from the homestay is dedicated to supporting underprivileged students in the nearby villages of Bilathikulam and Kumbalang, ensuring that your stay directly contributes to local welfare and education.
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