Somatheeram Ayurveda Village

About the centre

Somatheeram stands on a hillock of about 15 acres at Chowara, on the Kerala coast roughly 9 km south of Kovalam beach. Its own website calls it an Ayurveda hospital set in a resort, with traditionally styled wooden bungalows and a restaurant whose menu includes Ayurvedic dishes for guests who are following a programme.
The programme types named on the site are rejuvenation therapy, Panchakarma, stress management, anti-ageing, beauty care and clinical treatments. Yoga is described as part of the stay, and the site has separate pages for a yoga institute, yoga retreats, diet and medicines. Treatment is described as guided by the centre's own Ayurveda physicians, known as vaidyas.
The airport for this stretch of coast is Thiruvananthapuram. The site gives the hillock as about 200 feet above the sea, so it is worth asking how the layout works for you if you walk slowly. Dates, length of stay and rates are set by the centre; we ask for them once you send a request.

Who it suits

People who want a hillside-and-beach Ayurveda stay near Kovalam with yoga included in the day.

Programme types listed on the centre’s site

• Rejuvenation therapy
• Panchakarma
• Stress management programmes
• Yoga

Questions to ask this centre

• How long a stay do your physicians suggest for what I am looking for, and is the first consultation included?
• Is yoga part of the programme or booked separately, and at what level?
• The property is on a hillock: how steep are the paths, and can a ground-floor bungalow be arranged?
• Can the menu cover my dietary needs or allergies during a programme?
• Is a physician available at night, and where is the nearest hospital?