- Ayurveda: Your Wellness Solution for Every Season
- Mindful Wellness During the Festive Season: A Guide to Staying Balanced and Energized
- Yoga by the Sea
- Kumbakonam: A Journey Through History, Spirituality, and Culture
- Celebrate Onam Sustainably at Niraamaya Retreats Across Kerala
- Witness the Spectacular Neelakurinji Bloom: A Once-in-12-Years
- Nourish Your Body This Monsoon with Karkidaka Kanji
- Unlock Better Sleep and Reduced Pain with This Simple Ayurvedic
- Yoga Nidra for Sleep: How to Practice It in a Retreat Setting
- Monsoon Magic: Discover Kerala's Infinity Pool Retreats
- Inspiring Wellness Journeys for Couples Yoga Everywhere!
- Ragi Puttu: A Nutritious Indian Breakfast Delight!
- Journey Through Kannur: Perfect Monsoon Getaways
- Monsoon Wellness
- Ayurvedic Guide to Summer Wellness
- Top 10 Ayurvedic Foods for Summer Health
- Living the Water Conservation Way
- Why you need a Ayurvedic solace in Kerala ?
- Beyond the Room: How Niraamaya Champions Local Experiences
- A Tale of Two Indian Spots for Valentine's Day
- Unlock a Stress-Free Life: 6 Reasons to Choose Wellness Retreats
- From Ayurveda to Modern Medicine: Hibiscus Across the Globe
- The Ayurvedic Wellness : 7 Tips to Transform Your Health
- A Year of Self-Care: The Ultimate Guide to Rejuvenation Holidays
- Experience the Hornbill Festival: A Cultural Marvel
- How Nature-Friendly Rooms Enhance Sleep Quality
- Wellness Through Design
- Beyond the Boardroom: A Guide to Corporate Wellness Success!
- Kannur: A Wellness Oasis in Kerala
- No-Fire Cooking: A Sustainable and Delicious Culinary
- A Diwali Trip Guide to Kerala
- Ghee, An Ayurvedic Superfood for Auspiciousness and Nourishment
- Unlocking the power of Better Sleep: A Path to Wellness
- Pomegranate Juice: 10 Health Benefits of the Red Pearl Fruit
- The Ayurveda Way: 10 Power Foods for Diabetes
- Roar for Tigers: The world needs more species!
- Experience Niraamaya Retreats Private Residencies At Least Once!
- Why India Is Our New Favorite Place for Medical Tourism
- 5 Reasons to Visit Niraamaya Retreats in Monsoon
- Complete Guide to Surviving Monsoon Depression with Niraamaya
- Embrace the Healing Power of Karkidaka Chikitsa
- Embracing the Kaleidoscope of Love
- Discover the World of Teas and Tisanes
- The Jackfruit Biryani Phenomenon: Why Everyone is Talking About
- From Limiting Beliefs to Limitless Possibilities
- From Chaos to Calm: Celebrating Stress Management Month
- Small Steps, Big Impact: Celebrating Earth Day at Niraamaya Well
- Make a Splash this Summer in Niraamaya’s Private Pool Villas
- Niraamaya Wellness Retreats’ Mussels Ulathiyathu
- Locally Sourced, Freshly Prepared: Exploring Zero-Mile Cuisine a
- Finding Your Zen: Ayurvedic Techniques for a Calmer Mind
- From Farm to Table: Embracing the Slow Food Movement
- Spice Up Your Seafood with Niraamaya's Squid Pepper Recipe
- Plan your next Wellness-cation with Niraamaya Retreats
- Navigating the World of Ayurveda
- Bitter but oh-so-good: Pavakka Thoran
- Unleash Your Inner Wellness Warrior
- The Ultimate Relationship Booster
- Uncovering India's Gems: A Zodiac-Based Guide - Part 2
- Uncovering India's Gems: A Zodiac-Based Guide
- Top Destinations to Visit in 2023 with your Partner
- Safety First: A Guide to Solo Travel for Women
- The Secret to Niraamaya’s Signature Travancore Fish Curry
- Capture the Holiday Magic With Niraamaya's Festive Offerings
- The Ultimate Guide on how to end the year in style at Seychelles
- Athirappilly 101: A beginner's guide on how to have an unforgett
- 7 Reasons Why Stress Management is the Key to a Healthier Life
- Check out the Health Benefits of these 10 Ayurvedic Herbs
- Start Your Wellbeing Journey with These 6 Simple Tips!
- Express yourself via the Art of Journaling
- Leverage cutting-edge tech for advanced wellness
- Boost your post-COVID recovery with Niraamaya
- Make A Positive Change With Our Simple Summer Swaps
- Five tips to help you maintain good health during summer
- 5 Must-Do Wellness Tips In 2022
- Vegan vs. plant-based food: All you need to know
- Retreat into the picturesque hills to take a luxurious break
- Our tips to tackle Technostress
- Functional Medicine: The holistic and natural approach
- 8 Ways to Overcome Stress at Work
- The Rasayana Therapy – Relax and Rejuve Program
- Yoga packages at Niraamaya Wellness Retreats
- Why you must visit Vizhinjam
- 10 ways to enjoy the Niraamaya Retreats as a family
- Dishes you just can’t give a miss at Niraamaya’s Backwaters
- The Art of Now
- How Ayurveda keeps your skin glowing
- Experience the power and beauty of southwest monsoons
- Feel the perfect harmony of earth’s elements
- How to experience the magic
- Nine gingery health benefits
- This Goa Will Fill Up Your Soul!
- Thiruvananthapuram: Top attractions
- Hotel Rooms Just Got 10% Cheaper With GST Rate Cut
- Food Traditions: The Onam Sadhya
- Niraamaya Spa wins the prestigious Luxury Ayurveda Spa Award
- Niraamaya Retreat’s Executive Weight Loss Program
- Photogallery: The luxury suites at Niraamaya Surya Samuda
- Best of the backwaters
- How Panchakarma will help deep cleanse your body
- And we have scored big once again!
- Luxury By Design
- Niraamaya Retreats wins Best Hospitality Architecture Award 2019
- Gourmet offerings at Niraamaya Retreats Backwaters & Beyond
- Creating Sustainable Livelihoods
- Healing Wellness Breaks at Niraamaya Backwaters & Beyond
- 10 reasons why Ghee is known as India’s very own super-food
- Cuisine with a wellness soul
- Kerala’s culinary traditions come alive at Niraamaya Retreats
- The Golden Spice
- Finding Shangri-La
- Everything you want to know about Yoga’s origin and evolution
- All Things Wild and Beautiful
- Tropical Paradise in God’s Own Country
- Healing Holidays for the Mind, Body and Spirit
- Floating over a forest canopy in a verdant green oasis
- A superlative spa, set amidst a lush forest
- An ancient village with horn houses and terraced fields
- Niraamaya Retreats: A unique blend of luxury hospitality
- Cruising Lake Placid
- Why Ayurveda could be your miracle cure?
- An ode to Kerala’s Tharavadus
- Lakeside Luxury at Niraamaya Retreats – Backwaters & Beyond
- Breaking through with ONV’s Leadership Retreats
- Ayurveda: When all you have are three days (or five)!
- Kovalam adjudged ‘India’s Best Wellness Retreat’
- Wellness in Nature: It Heals, Restores and Revives
- Changing Wellness Trends of 2021
- Ghee, An Ayurvedic Superfood for Auspiciousness, Nourishment, an
Holidays to Kerala are all about wellness and relaxation—indulgent massages, dining on delicious regional dishes steeped in local spices, outings to intoxicating forests and wildlife sanctuaries, backwaters cruises, relaxing on the beach, and much more. Ideal for families, as much for young couples, the retreats offer a series of carefully curated immersive experiences that enhance a traveler’s stay.
Here are 10 ways in which you can enjoy the three Niraamaya Retreats that cut a chic swathe across God’s Own Country.
Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra, Kovalam
Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra, Kovalam, a luxury abode atop a seaside cliff, is part of the global Relais & Châteaux inventory.
Secrets of Chandra Beach
When in Kovalam, you have to take a trip to its golden beaches. The Niraamaya flagship retreat offers a leisurely afternoon High-Tea, at the far end of the secluded Chandra Beach on which it is located. An enchanting experience, beach butlers will set up a cozy sun mattress and umbrella for guests to relax under. Learn about the secret origin of this beach as you walk down to this stretch, just below the retreat. Enjoy delectable nibbles, ranging from tuna samosas to tropical fruit tartlets and Cardamom cashewnut biscotti, to pair with a selection of superior teas.
Fisherman’s Delight
Besides offering the world spices, coconut, tropical fruits and vegetables, and tea, Kerala is also fish and seafood country. The retreat offers a customised plan to visit the local fish market at 7 am with Executive Chef Prakash Nayak. The open-air fish market is situated at Vizhinjam harbour, where the boats come to unload. Visitors can watch the ancient custom of fish auctions as each boat arrives back from a long night fishing at sea. Ancient Vizhinjam was the capital of the kingdom of Venad. Very atmospheric, it offers endless camera-friendly moments. The view across the harbour looks past a big old Catholic church right on the beach and two distant mosques at the far end. You can choose the fish that you want the chef to cook for your three-course dinner with the freshest fish that you selected.
Sparkling Sunset Cruise
Kerala, situated on the west coast of India, offers spectacular golden-hued sunsets, the perfect time to cruise the magical realm of the backwaters. The Retreat offers a sunset cruise at the Poovar estuary, at just a short 20-minute drive south of the Retreat. Guests are transferred in the late evening to a motor boat that cruises through unspoiled coconut groves on either side of the river, offering glimpses of rural life. The boat leads them up to the Golden Sand Beach, where they can see the point where the backwater meets the mighty Arabian Sea. Guests can opt for chilled sparkling wine as they enjoy the sunset from the comfort of the motor boat and a selection of deluxe canapés that the chef team put together. The boat meanders through pristine mangrove forests, a stretch full of aquatic birds busy hunting for fish. At the boat jetty, a transfer back to retreat awaits.
Niraamaya Retreats – Backwaters & Beyond, Kumarakom
Kerala’s backwatersoffer various ways in which guests can engage with the destination. Niraamaya Retreats – Backwaters & Beyond, located amidst eight acres of lush tropical gardens, offer a lot in the way of activities for the young, the young-at-heart or even couples.
Cooking with chefs
Kerala’s cuisine is vast and varied and makes extensive use of local ingredients, from fish to coconut, jackfruit and an unmatched range of local spices. Guests can join the chefs in cooking delicious local dishes. The Niraamaya Culinary School was set up with the aim of preserving traditional regional recipes. These recipes are shared with Niraamaya guests who wish to seek a deeper cultural immersion, and would like to take back more than just photographs and great memories.
For all who have been head of Meen Pollichathu or Moilee—Kerala’s favourite fish-based curry or even regional delicacies such as Nadan Chicken Curry, Beef Coconut Fry, Banana Flower Thoran, Crabmeat Rasam, and several such can learn about them, the ingredients used and even how to cook them from the chefs. The retreats also offer bespoke cooking classes that include any dish that has delighted you during your stay.
Explore Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
Among all the travellers who make their way to Kumarakom, the birders are in for a special treat. The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, just about three kilometres from the retreat and spread across 14 acres by Lake Vembanad, is a sanctuary for many wetland birds such as the Indian darter, little cormorant, different species of egrets and herons, white ibis, cuckoo, owl and moorhen, and several species of kingfishers. Between November and May, the bushes and woods of the sanctuary also host rare migratory birds from as far as the Himalayas and from the remote lands of Siberia, such as the Siberian crane, parrot, teal, lark and the flycatcher. Also, at hand, are waterfowl such as the pin-tailed duck, garganey teal, spot-billed duck and birds of prey such as osprey, marsh harrier and steppe eagle. Bird lovers can also take a boat trip to nearby regions such as KaipuzhaMuttu, Pathiramanal, Narakathara, Thollayiram Kayal and Poothapandi Kayal to watch local birdlife and migrants which could easily account for more than a hundred species.
Shikara boat ride through intricate backwater canals
No visit to Kumarakom is complete without a boat ride on the spectacular Lake Vembanad. Enjoy a ride in a small traditional boat or canoe, generally used by local fishermen, which takes you through the canals that criss-cross the villages and farms and bind them together in an intricate network.
It is the most beautiful way to not just enjoy the placid lake and the birdlife, but also witness quintessential village life — colourful homes, lush gardens, verdant green fields, captivating islands with swaying palms, and people going about their lives. These waters support a rich diversity of wildlife. Did you know that, here, people use different boats for different purposes—from transporting rice to people to fishing?
Niraamaya Retreats Cardamom Club, Thekkady
Cocooned among Kerala’s verdant tropical rainforests, the Niraamaya Retreats Cardamom Club, Thekkady is your chance to connect with nature. Located amongst misty mountains, this hideaway has a uniquely charming setting amidst a verdant cardamom plantation, after which it is named the.
Elephants and You
If you love elephants, Thekkady is the perfect destination to explore. Elephants are a symbol of Kerala, and these majestic animals have a special place in the culture of the state. If you simply wish to ride an elephant or even bathe and feed them, visit the Elephant Junction for a unique experience, at just 6 kilometres from the retreat.
Martial art: Kalaripayattu
Kalaripayattu, often called the ‘Mother of all Martial Arts’, is the oldest martial art in existence—dating back to third century BCE, it originated in Kerala and is intrinsically entwined with its history and social life. Kalaripayattu aims to develop the ultimate coordination between mind and body. It encompasses three schools —Arappa Kayy, Pilla Thangi, and Vatten Thiripp, which are distinguished by their attacking and defensive patterns. The impossibly fluid arms movements are entrancing, making for yet another unique Kerala experience. A performance centre, located 6 kilometres away, has shown for an hour between 6 and 7 pm.