India
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Day One: Time to Relax
After a traditional welcome at Trivandrum airport, you’ll make the 1.5 hour journey by private car, past cashew and coconut plantations towards Kollam and the Fragrant Nature Backwater Resort & Ayurveda Spa. You’ll be greeted on arrival with a welcome drink, fruit and flowers. Enjoy lunch, before taking the afternoon to relax and plan your programme of activities for the week. Daily lessons of yoga and meditation are included with your stay, along with fitness sessions and cookery demonstrations where you can learn how to recreate the resort’s tasty Keralan cuisine. You’ll get your first taste of the region with an authentic dinner, served in a restaurant with serene views over the lake.
Your hotel for this trip is the Fragrant Nature Backwater Resort & Ayurveda Spa . Purpose-designed as a haven for Ayurveda & Yoga holiday makers, it lies nestled amidst graceful coconut groves, spread over five acres of beautifully-landscaped gardens by the beautiful and serene Mala lake near Paravur, in Kollam.
This holiday is all about relaxing, de-stressing and experiencing inner peace to make the most of your busy life – so your accommodation has a full-service spa and an outdoor pool, plus a 24-hour health club on site. After exercising your body and resting your mind, you will feel justified in indulging in one of its two on-site restaurants, which specialise in health-conscious dishes inspired by Kerala’s famous cuisine.
All 29 rooms provide free WiFi and free wired Internet, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, and conveniences such as sitting areas and coffee makers. Guests will also find furnished balconies, minibars and room service.
Overnight in Fragrant Nature Backwater Resort & Ayurveda Spa, Kollam
Meals included: Lunch; dinner
Day Two-Six: Retreat to Nature
Over the next few days, you’ll wake to the sound of reed warblers and the gentle light of sunrise reflecting on a glassy lake. Each day will be tailored specifically to your needs: settle in to a programme of yoga sessions, reflecting your level of knowledge and with the beautiful water as a backdrop (Kriya Yoga is available to advanced guests). You’ll also benefit from guided meditation in one of many stunning settings around the resort and yoga nidra (guided deep relaxation), complemented by fresh, healthy food inspired by Kerala’s delicious cuisine. Between sessions, the resort offers a huge selection of activities, both onsite and in the surrounding area. Learn tips for a healthier lifestyle in workshops and lectures; take advantage of its fitness centre, palm-fringed swimming pool and Jacuzzi; drift along the lake in the hotel’s traditional boat; and watch Keralan music and dance performances in its floodlit amphitheatre.
We’ve arranged a special trip during your stay, as we feel you cannot miss cruising the serene waterways around lush, coconut-palm-strewn Munroe Island. After a two-hour drive, you’ll hop aboard a traditional wooden boat and savour the peace of a three-hour trip: spot colourful kingfishers on the banks and pass quiet fishing villages, lush paddy fields and unpopulated islands, as you slide gently between mangroves and under cashew trees. You’ll stop in one of the villages, for chai tea and a real glimpse into local life.
The resort has also devised its own thoughtful programme of excursions to help you get acquainted with the local area and customs. At extra cost, you could learn to cook Keralan dishes at the home of a local villager or go angling with a fisherman. Perhaps hire a bicycle to explore the scenic Kappil coast, or just bask in the sun on the powder soft sand of breathtaking Varkala beach (all activities bookable locally).
Overnight in Fragrant Nature Backwater Resort & Ayurveda Spa, Kollam
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch; dinner
Day Seven: A Relaxed Return
After your breakfast and checkout, you will be taken by private car back to Trivandrum airport, feeling refreshed and relaxed.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overall meals included: Full board (soft and alcoholic drinks are not included)
What's included:
Airport pick up and drop off Private transfers unless stated otherwise
Meals as listed
Mandatory taxes and service fees Personally-tailored programme of yoga and relaxation Traditional boat cruise with a pause for chai tea at a local village What's not included:
International flights to/from experience: call 0208 432 0885 for AX specially negotiated flight rates Optional extras listed
Tips for guides, drivers, hotel and restaurant staff
Any visa, customs, airport taxes or similar charges before or after the holiday We cannot guarantee the included hotel breakfast for early departures
Drinks during meals unless stated otherwise
Personal expenses, such as laundry Be sure to bring: Yoga clothes
If you intend to travel solo, contact us on 0208 432 0885
GETTING THERE Typical return Economy flights from London cost around £500 per person and take approximately 13 hours depending on exact flight configurations and layover times.
Experience start point:
End point:
All holiday departures up to 30th June 2019 are part of our Pioneers' Club promotion. Click here for more information.
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