The programme is built around Panchakarma, the traditional Ayurvedic cleansing course. Each day includes one to two hours of treatment in the morning and another one to two hours in the afternoon, alongside a daily yoga and meditation session. The centre lists the aims as detoxification, blood purification, lymphatic drainage, bowel cleansing, strengthening the immune system and reflexology inside the body, with the whole process following the classical Samhitha texts (Charaka, Sushrutha, Ashtanga Hridayam). A qualified Ayurvedic doctor consults on your treatment plan, and food is adjusted to your prakrithi (constitution) and any condition you arrive with.

Yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong are taught by Maheshe Kodikara, who has more than 40 years of teaching behind him and has trained in Sri Lanka, Australia, Japan and India. Sessions run in a four-sided open shala, so the jungle air is part of the class. Guests who arrived as complete beginners have written that the yoga and meditation worked well for them.

The property itself is unusual. It sits on an old tea plantation, and the buildings are described by guests as a historical gem, decorated with antiques made in Sri Lanka. All 20 rooms and apartments are different. The centre also runs cooking classes, guided nature hikes and excursions to the Knuckles Range or the Temple of the Tooth, and there is direct access to river bathing, waterfall treks and bird watching.

What separates this from a generic yoga week is the medical side: an on-site doctor, qualified therapists and attendants, herbs grown on the grounds, and meals cooked to match your treatment. It is also genuinely remote, which is the point. Expect mountain insects and leeches near the river, as one reviewer points out, and no shower on-site.

Come for the treatments and the quiet, not for luxury-hotel polish. The reviews are warm about the staff, the massages and the food, and honest about the setting being wild.

What's included

- 7 nights accommodation - 3 daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Water, tea and coffee served throughout the day - Welcome drink - 3-4 hours of Panchakarma treatment per day - Ayurvedic consultation with the on-site doctor - 5 yoga and meditation sessions - Cooking class - Nature hikes with a trusted guide - Free parking - Wifi connection

What's not included

- Airport transfers - Flights - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Additional treatments