Kerala Ayurveda & Yoga Wellness Escape on Kovalam Beach

The retreat runs for eight days and seven nights at a property on a hillside in Kovalam, Kerala. The venue is small and surrounded by palm trees, with views over the Arabian Sea. It's a short walk down to the beach. Each day starts with a yoga and meditation session from 7am to 9am, followed by breakfast from 9am to 11am. After breakfast, guests receive their Ayurvedic treatment for the day — these are personalised and scheduled individually. The afternoon is free for the beach, reading, or resting. Evening practice runs before dinner.

Ayurvedic treatments are a core part of the programme, not an add-on. You'll have a consultation to determine your constitution (dosha), and the treatments — typically oil massages, herbal steam, and other cleansing therapies — are chosen accordingly. The retreat is designed so that the combination of daily yoga, bodywork, and food leaves you feeling lighter by the end of the week.

The food is vegetarian and follows Ayurveda principles. The kitchen uses only bronze cooking vessels (to avoid metal adulteration), no artificial colours or preservatives, and everything is made fresh from scratch. Meat and meat products are not served. If you have specific dietary needs, the kitchen can usually accommodate them with advance notice.

Twice during the week there are optional cultural activities: a temple visit with a traditional dance show, and a cooking demonstration. Otherwise, afternoons are yours. Kovalam has three main beaches — Lighthouse Beach, Hawah Beach, and Samudra Beach — and you can walk between them. The lighthouse itself is worth the short climb for the view. Local shops and cafes are within walking distance.

Julie Stephens leads the yoga. She has practiced for over 30 years and taught for 26, training through an 18-month apprenticeship at the Gold Coast Yoga Centre in Australia. She has studied with teachers including Erich Schiffmann, Donna Farhi, Seane Corn, Shiva Rea, Rodney Yee, Ana Forrest, David Life and Sharon Gannon (Jivamukti), Andrey Lappa (Universal Yoga), and Nicky Knoff (Iyengar). Her primary style is Vinyasa Flow, but the morning sessions often include meditation and pranayama. She also runs a 200-hour yoga teacher training in Nelson, New Zealand, each year. The retreat is capped at a small number of guests, so you get individual attention.

What's included

- 7 nights accommodation in chosen room type - 3 vegetarian meals daily (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Daily yoga and meditation sessions - Personalised Ayurvedic treatments - Airport pickup from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport - Temple visit and traditional dance show - Cooking demonstration

What's not included

- International flights - Travel insurance - Visa fees - Personal expenses (laundry, extra treatments, souvenirs) - Meals not mentioned - Tips and gratuities