Until 2020, for Mehak Bansal, working with a leading energy company in Gurgaon, travelling was taking a break and meant mostly visiting places. She would hop in a car or take a flight and travel to places with beaches or the mountains. It was right after the first lockdown, that she went to Rishikesh for a yoga retreat for a month when work from home was soon catching up. She would wake up early in the morning, practice yoga, work out and eat satvik food for one full month.
“I have seen how my life transformed. Being born and raised in a metro city, I have never felt so relaxed. Not just I have got discipline, but I have learnt to appreciate tiny things in my life. I had never thought that a vacation could make me look at my life differently,” said Mehak.
India is known for its enriching culture, wellness and deep philosophy of looking within. There are now more than a dozen popular places that have now been earmarked for wellness tourism. This specialised tourism is travel to promote health and well-being through physical, psychological, or spiritual activities or all combined.
Sounds exciting, eh! Let’s look at five destinations in India that boast of wellness tourism.
Payyanur
The reason Kerala always tops the chart with its ayurvedic extravagance is that the state promotes the traditional science with sincerity. This little town in North Kerala is blessed with the scenic beauty of the Western Ghat. There are a handful of ayurvedic retreats that offer wellness vacations. However, most of these are designed as ashramas with a disciplined daily routine where you need to wake up at the sunrise and practice yoga, meditation, and take therapies all through the day. Besides a stress-free life, they also offer remedies for weight loss, skin problems, hair loss, and more. A vacation that also heals you!
How to reach:
Nearest airport: Coimbatore
Retreats: Woodgreens Ayurveda & Wellness Resorts, Malabar Ocean Front Resort and Spa
Palakkad
This part of Kerala is known for its rice — special red rice with a husk that is original to the region. But the rice bowl of Kerala also offers a unique range of healing solutions for the soul by numerous resorts. There are ayurvedic massages followed by a diet by a qualified nutritionist. You can also talk about any pains you feel in the body and the doctor can do a quick diagnosis. Traditionally, Kerala has various treatments as per the season. For example, Karkidaka Chikitsa or Monsoon Ayurvedic therapy is the most important therapy practised annually. It is a tradition that has been followed for several centuries in Kerala. The month of Karkidakam (the last as per the Malayalam calendar) is considered the ideal time for Ayurvedic treatments for re-energizing body cells and rejuvenating yourselves. Karkidakam, the month that witnesses heavy rains, falls between mid-July to mid-August.
How to reach:
Nearest airport: Coimbatore
Retreats: AuRevoir Resort Palakkad, Kairali — The Ayurvedic Healing Village
South Goa
Most tourists don’t come to Goa for rejuvenation of soul. Well, some are more concerned about a wellness reboot of their body, mind and soul. While north Goa has tourists, south Goa is blessed with more scenic beaches and an ‘away from the hustle’ vibe. You would be surprised to discover, south Goa has some unique retreats. Most of these have been founded by certified yogis. You would be provided with a uniform — mostly white linen clothes — and practise a minimum of 50 hours of yoga during your stay.
How to reach:
Nearest airport: Dabolim, Goa
Retreats: Kranti Yoga Village, Anand Yoga Village, Bamboo Yoga Retreat
Kumarakom
Close your eyes. It’s drizzling like an early monsoon. You could hear a boatman rowing on Lake Vembanad. The ambience has a typical smell of old wood mixed with vibrant sandal incense. Welcome to the lake town of Kumarakom. Set along the longest lake in India, this town has a rich history. Existing since the rule of King Thekkumkur, this town has some renowned ayurvedic training institutes. This signifies the resorts in this town would hire qualified ayurvedic practitioners. Not just a spa, you can avail treatments by staying on for longer durations. These treatments can ease up stress, and help you fight back pains and other aches. You can choose various ayurvedic massages, local satvik food and yoga regularly when you stay.
How to reach:
Nearest airport: Kochi
Retreats: Niraamaya Retreats Backwaters & Beyond, Kumarakom Lake Resort, Coconut Lagoon — CGH Earth Resort
Gokarna
This is the new Goa! Gokarna in Karnataka, a four-hour drive from Goa, has emerged as a serene beach town with white sand. The beautiful beach is surrounded by rocky cliffs. The town has several retreats that offer week-long intensive yoga and mindfulness classes. Some retreats serve fabulous vegan food. You aren’t allowed to use any gadgets during your stay. There are trained doctors and therapists who would understand your bodily problems and offer therapy with varied intensity. The chefs would curate your food accordingly. There are also art classes to improve your attention span and make you brave to fight the urban odds when you go out.
How to reach:
Nearest airport: Dabolim, Goa
Railway: Ankola Station
Retreats: Shree Hari Yoga Center, Swaswara — CGH Earth
Most of the retreats at these leading wellness destinations in India expect you to follow certain protocols. While they are an option for vacations, it’s important to understand that one needs to go there prepared for the healing journey. There are certain retreats where only warm water is served throughout the day to cleanse your system. Waking up on time, attending the sessions, and eating on time are some of the protocols that are to be followed. And in return, you are blessed with a vacation to remember.
