Manaltheeram Resort.......Livin' it up in Style & Luxury

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So the last month at the Ashram was pretty tough going.....ya know....we had to share a room, get up early, be completely silent during all meals, stick to a schedule, no electricity during the peak of 40 degrees etc etc....

So, to make up for that 'tough life' and everything we'd learnt about non-posessiveness,
non-attachment and simple living......

Arrival at Manaltheeram Resort, Kerala ........

We had been dreaming of beaches, waves, lush forests, fresh coconut juice and palm trees...and that's exactly what we got!

Our first stop in Kerala was at another Ayurveda Resort, 'Dr Franklins', but soon discovered that it wasn't quite up to what we had invisioned! For starters, it wasn't by the beach!

So we took a walk a bit further down the street and stumbled across Manaltheeram...5 star!
We chatted to the owners and tried to do a deal with them (seeing it was in the low season and all!)....and at first they weren't having it....so we walked away......only to be chased up the street by the owner with an offer we couldn't refuse!

It's all about bargaining tactics!!
We were really lucky and ended up getting a really good deal!

The plan was to only stay there a couple of days and then explore a bit more of Kerala.....but after being there only one night, we just couldn't imagine leaving our little sanctuary!

We did take day trips out of course.....to Varkala, Kovalam, the Backwaters, temples etc!
But it was always nice to come 'home' to our little cottage!

Seeing as we were staying at the resort for a week, we decided to do the 'Rejuvination & Purification Package', which included a 2 hour daily oil massage by not one but TWO masseurs.....my gosh it was heaven! Also shirodhara (the continuous flow of warm oil being poured back and forth across your forehead), steam baths, ear fumigations, enema, purgation ..... needless to say, we were cleansed inside and out!

As you can see, the resort was overlooking the ocean and had a beautiful platform
for us to do yoga on every morning. It was so lovely getting up in the morning to the sun rising with the ocean and doing 2 hours of yoga before we started the day of doing nothing but getting massages and other treatments, lazing around in hammocks, drinking from coconuts, and strolling along the deserted beach.

They really did treat us like princesses..... 24 hour room service, house keeping, waiters all around calling us madame and at our every beck and call. It was Ky's birthday on our last day there (31st May) and they bought her a bunch of flowers and made a nice fuss of her!!

It was quite a nice change from Ky's other birthdays we've spent together.......

(The first of Ky's birthdays we spent together was in the middle of Latvia.....canoeing down a random river in some National Park in the middle of this unknown Baltic state! We camped overnight and celebrated Ky's bday with some soggy bread, cold baked beans, wet everything from the rain and with about 30km to canoe back to the warmth and dryness!!!
It was 'fun' and a memorable little adventure!!)

Ok, I think you get the idea of our lovely week in Kerala......
I would recommend this place to anyone who might happen to be in the South Indian area....or who might like to take a fully relaxing holiday get-away!?

If you want to check out the website.......
http://www.manaltheeram.com/

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